what we ate wednesday.

so my goal is to make every wednesday my "this is me attempting to cook" post.  on the weekends, i try to plan our meals for the week and go shopping.  sometimes, it happens.  sometimes, it doesn't.  i am hoping these posts will make me more motivated to stay on the planning/shopping/cooking routine more!  i didn't come from a "health nut" family, but my mom always made well-rounded meals.  i never cooked too much before i got married; it was hard for me to feel motivated when i thought it would be way easier and cheaper to go to taco bell rather than cooking  for only myself.  i honestly did not think i would enjoy it that much, cooking would just be a chore, but most nights it is very relaxing and fun.  also, i dare not take all the credit for the meals!  james helps a lot, and some nights when he feels inspired, he plans and makes meals for me.  he is definitely the more adventurous chef and is very good at mixing spices into things.  in fact, as i am writing he is cooking me dinner!  what a guy.

we don't cook tofu/no preservatives/no red meat healthy, but i try to use a lot of veggies and we are trying to start cutting out processed meats [sausage, hot dogs, etc... which for those who know me know i love me my hot dogs, but we still get chicken sausage].  some meals are involved, some are not [i'm pretty sure all of these ones fall under the "not involved" category].  some are pretty healthy, some are not.  this is just us doing our best and me trying my hand at the housewife thing.  so here we go!  what we ate wednesday:

 bread bowls with tomato soup/croutons, and artichokes.  we got the bread from boudin's in san fran so it was amazing!  the soup was just from trader joe's, though honestly i wasn't that crazy about it.  if anyone has a tomato soup they love, please share!

this one is kind of hard to see, but it's stir fried veggies and chicken in teriyaki sauce with rice.  we got the veggies pre-chopped from trader joe's!  love that place.

i don't think this goes together, but sloppy joe's and tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad.  i found the salad recipe on pinterest; it's super easy, fresh, and yummy. and it made me feel a little less guilty about the sloppy joe's ;)

and for dessert one night... blackberry cobbler from the one and only pioneer woman.  what would we do without her? probably starve.  we used a smaller pan so it was thicker and all the blackberries sank to the bottom, but it was still delicious!  and extremely easy.

so there you go, what we ate wednesday!  i will try to remember to take pictures this week!

twenty two.

hello again! i have apparently taken a month long break from blogging. oops.

so a few weeks ago, i turned 23 years old. i realize that to most, this seems very young.  i am still trying to get used to the idea. it just seems that by 23, you are done with college and should have some idea as to what the heck you are doing. i do not feel like i have it all together at all, but maybe that is one of the myths about being an adult. maybe you just do your best and accept that you're never going to have it all together.

i have a friend who did this cool thing on her birthday, so i am going to copy her. here is a list of things i have learned while i was 22. they say your golden birthday is supposed to be your best year. twenty-two was definitely a wonderful year! i would like to think that it is not all downhill from here, though ;). i definitely think i have a lot more great years ahead of me!

okay, here it goes: 22 things i learned from 22:

1. people can know that i am flawed and still love me.
2. i really can do anything I set my mind to. this sounds cheesy, but i really struggled in college. james taught me that if i really worked as hard as i possibly could, i could do it. and i did!
3. pinterest is wonderful.
4. if a casserole boils (like bubbles) in the oven, it is not a casserole and you should have added flour to the sauce to make it thicker. at this point it is too late and you should just order a pizza.
5. dyeing your hair permanently makes your hair really dry and brittle. look for semi-permanent.
6. some people really are meant to be together.
7. it's okay to argue sometimes, as long as you attack the problem and not your spouse.
8. your wedding day really is the best day of your life (at least for now).
9. it is a good thing to take initiative in things you want sometimes.
10. a glass of good wine can make a crappy day considerably better.
11. distance doesn't matter with friends who really love and understand you.
12. meatloaf is quite literally a loaf of meat.  it sounds disgusting, it looks disgusting, it is probably horrible for you, but it is actually quite delicious [is it weird that i have never had meatloaf until now?].
13. some people are only in your life for a season, and that's okay. be grateful for the things they taught you and then move on. it helps you appreciate the friends who are there for a lifetime.
14. sometimes i take things too personally.
15. white beds are always better.
16. not everyone thinks the way i do. this is a good thing.
17. do not book a dj named dj cheetah.  he'll be as cheesy as he sounds.
18. i really do not like to be told what to do. ever. even when it is for my own good. i am working on that.
19. i can cook when i try! james has only disliked one thing i have made (the aforementioned soupy casserole). and even then he didn't say anything until i said, "i'm not going to make you eat this" and he said, "oh, thank you!"
20. God gives us such a beautiful picture of His love for us in marriage. to have a man who would lay down his life for me and who i trust wholeheartedly with our future and that we can love each other unconditionally is such a blessing from the Lord. i have definitely learned more about God's love for us from being married.
21. flowers do a lot to make a place look brighter.
22. it is a lot easier to keep a place clean when it is all yours!

so there's my list... that was easier than i thought! some were silly and some were serious, but i learned a lot in year 22! God blessed me soo very much this year and i can't wait to see what's in store for year 23!

from the mouths of preschoolers.

"you're not the boss! miss laura is the boss!" -hunter [bless his heart].

"don't change my pull-up here!  i don't want anyone to see me like this!" -kadynce [who knew 3-yr-olds had such dignity]

"when i grow up, i will NEVER marry hunter!  he's too wild." -anna mae [all the girls agreed]

"when i grow up, i want to be a preschool teacher so all my friends can come back and see what i look like when i'm big." -vonzaa

"save me girl batman!" -edna [these kids have imaginations like you would not believe]

there are countless other quotes, but i usually forget them before i can write them down.  these kids are hilarious, big-hearted, stubborn, and wonderful.  i never thought i was that into preschool age kids, but i am having a great time getting to know them and teach them. that's not to say it's easy... the first two weeks i came home and fell asleep at 8:30 every night!  but i truly am blessed to have a job that keeps me on my toes and never bores me.

good days.

lately things have been normal. we like normal for short periods of time ;) i am thankful for:

• james coming back from his conference after a night away and bringing in n out [he knows the way to my heart].

• tea with honey and lemon. because of my preschoolers we have both been a little under the weather and have been drinking tea like it's going out of style.

• a friday off for us to go on a date to cambria.

• skype dates with bailey.

• my husband! it's like having your best friend around ALL the time [actually, that is what it is] and it is awesome!

• my job. it may not be where i see myself in 10 years [or even five, or three or...] but i have fallen head over heels for these kids. i get to spend the day getting to know and shape these humans... that is a pretty awesome thing.

alright, it's time for us to watch alcatraz [a little scary, but also very interesting... made by the same guy who did lost. i recommend it]!

things a preschool teacher says

in no particular order:

1. "where are/is your shoes/socks/ blanket/ jacket/toy?"
2. "both feet on the ground!"
3. "no roaring, remember it scares some people" [yes, a little girl in my class cries every time someone roars, which is surprisingly often].
4. "let's go potty now so you won't have an accident later"
5. "did your mom pack you extra undies?"
6. "we won't go to the playground till you pick up your toys"
7. "grab a ring!" [they have a rope with a bunch of rings on it for kids to hold when we leave the classroom].
8. "who's the line leader?"
9. "that's the other school's garden, don't pick things from it please"
10. "let's save the cookies/ cake/ sweet stuff for after nap"

warm weather girl.

this weekend was glorious! if i could have every day be 80* and sunny, i would.

on friday, i went to santa barbara with ellen and we both shopped til we dropped. unfortunately, this is one of two pictures i took that day [and they're basically the same thing]. boo. but it was wonderful to see ellen and buy mint pants... as the sales guy at forever 21 told us, mint is going to be "soo in" this spring.



on saturday, i had coffee with a new friend, went to the store with james, did laundry, and cleaned the apartment a little. in between loads of laundry, i tried a little art project i saw on pinterest [aka my new love]. i hot glued crayons to a canvas and then used my blow dryer to melt them. a word for the wise... do this outside, otherwise you MAY end up getting splotches of melted crayon stuck to your already irreparably-messed up floor and then you will have to blowdry those re-dried bits of crayon off your floor and be frantically wiping on your knees for ten minutes. just a tip. i am pretty happy with how it turned out though; it makes the spot above our sink brighter and it makes doing dishes more enjoyable!




on sunday after church, james and i drove out to shell beach to have lunch at a burger place called garland's, which was really good. we ate at a park overlooking the beach, and it just reminded me how much i want summer to be here! on our way back, we passed a cute looking second-hand store with lots of knick-knacks and furniture... so naturally i yelled for james to pull over and like the nice husband he is, he did. and that is where we found this little beauty! we are both really happy with how it brightens up our little apartment [probably me more than him]. i love being creative and seeing creative things, but it is not always something that comes naturally for me. i've been trying more to really be keeping my eyes out for crafts or cute things for our apartment, so i have to say i am kind of proud of myself. haha.




this weekend went by pretty fast, but i feel rested and ready to get back to my preschoolers [more on them later]!

our wedding

i realized today i never even posted about our wedding! in my humble opinion, it was seriously awesome. when i was planning, i was so concerned about making it cute and having a bunch of little details. while i was happy with how all the aesthetics turned out, i hardly even noticed the details, never saw the appetizers [but heard they were yummy], and never got a cute striped straw! the main thing i remember from our wedding was how i felt. i literally felt like the LUCKIEST girl in the whole wide world. there i was, marrying a man BETTER than the man of my dreams, surrounded by all of my best friends, and in the company of all the people who were so close to us. i'm serious, people. best. day. ever. i was not even nervous... well maybe a little... i did throw up in the morning, but after that i was totally fine. i had absolutely NO doubts that this was the man i wanted to spend my forever with [and i still don't!].

some mental snapshots i took during the day: my brothers coming up to me before the wedding and telling me i looked beautiful. my dad wobbling with me down the aisle in his big boot... i think a lot of our pics have his crutches on the bushes haha. when i saw james, i didn't notice anyone else. i just saw him and his eyes tearing up, he was trying to hard to keep it together. taking communion with james and praying about our marriage and thanking God for bringin us together. after the ceremony, my brothers coming up to james and saying, "hug us brother!". taking pictures, and james carrying me around the fields because i could not walk well in my huge dress and heels. the mexian abuelita serving beans and then coming out and talking with all our guests... seriously awesome. dancing the night away with our best friends and family. the awesome toasts made by stephen, ellen, and my dad. my dad read a poem a wrote when i was eight! cookie dough cupcakes. looking at my mom and feeling like all our hard work [and trust me it took wayy more people than just us] paid off. having my bridesmaids strip off the big skirt from my dress so it was just a little cocktail dress and feeling like i could breathe again. seeing james wearing that ring on his finger and think, "that fine man is all MINE!!!"

2011 in review.

this is what happened in my life this year:

i started out january feeling extremely stressed about school and had lost a lot of weight, i finally told james and my parents about it, i started caring about school again and doing much better, i saw a therapist, my stress lowered, i enjoyed time with caitlin and bailey, we wondered when james was going to propose, i fell asleep every night above emily, we wondered when dan was going to propose, he finally emailed me asking me to take pictures of their proposal, i had an excruciating 4 days not telling emily this huge secret, i got to watch two of my dear friends get engaged and it was magical, james and i celebrated v-day with chipotle and cold stone, my brothers visited, i started gaining weight and getting healthy again, i was doing everything in my power to not think about weddings, my brothers turned 17 and 19, it was spring break, i stayed in slo for my golden birthday, i turned 22 on the 22nd of march, i went to dinner with james, micah, caitlin, and james' family for my birthday, i went home for the second half of spring break, james came with me, we had fun in newbury park, we drove back to slo, james wanted to stop in pismo, he proposed and i said yes! we told everyone, james started work full time, i went back to school, we started planning, i found my wedding dress, we decided to have a short engagement and get married in august [best decision ever], my friends and i contemplated all the change that was happening, we hung out with my parents in santa barbara for my mom's birthday, school was out, i had a lot of wedding things to do, i moved back home, i trained for a 5k with my mom, james and i road tripped to yosemite for luke and breanna's wedding, i got to be a bridesmaid, we had so much fun dancing the night away, my family and james and i then drove up to hume to see paul for a little bit, we drove home, it was 4th of july, we ran the 5k, i did it in 34 minutes and almost threw up on a guy's shoes, i was proud, my mom won 3rd place in her age group and a watermelon, james, ellen, my family and i celebrated the 4th at bethany, my mom and i continued planning, ellen helped a lot, we got addicted to the bachelorette and expedition impossible, i enjoyed being with my family, i had a lot of dress fittings, i worked out a lot with my mom in classes at the ymca and actually enjoyed it, my dad tore a ligament in his foot bike riding, we wondered if he would be able to walk me down the aisle, i went to cayucous for my bachelorette party, it was fun, i stayed in slo the week before the wedding, i enjoyed time with caitlin and bailey before they left for scotland, i couldn't iron the dang table runners, i picked up my dress, we had the rehearsal dinner, i loved being with so many close friends and family, my friends and i ate smores, talked, and sat by the fire at my aunt's house, i tried to sleep, i woke up and threw up, all my bridesmaids came over, we prayed, we sang in the car, we helped my awesome wedding coordinator [steph] set up, we got ready, i got married to my best friend, we had the best day ever, we ate, danced, and had fun with our friends and family, we went to our honeymoon, we had a hot air balloon ride, we relaxed in carmel and santa cruz, we went back to slo and work, we got the house set up, my dad had foot surgery, we got to hang out with mike, jo anne, and the twins, i enjoyed my classes, i told myself if i didn't ditch i would buy myself raybans, we visited family, we had 3 trick-or-treaters, my brother moved home from hume, our good friends jonathan and cassie got engaged and we got to be there, we had thanksgiving with james' family and it was great, i had dead week and james was gone for work, paul came to visit and it was nice, james came back and i had to study, i had 2 job interviews, i kind of got hired at a preschool, i finished finals, i definitely got hired at the preschool, stephanie came to visit, i cleaned the house, a bunch of family came for my graduation, the ceremony was boring, we went to dinner, it was great, a bunch of my family went to church with me, i was home cleaning, i read hunger games, we went to my grandparents' for tamale day, i christmas shopped like nobody's business, james and i enjoyed being married and figuring it out, i visited with my mom in santa barbara, we went to the tuccillo's for a few days and celebrated christmas eve with them, we went to my parents' that night and celebrated christmas day with my family, i got my raybans and tickets to see wicked, i was grateful, we drove back to slo, i took the train to see caitlin and bailey in oakdale, we had a wonderful time, i came home, james was glad i was back, and now we are celebrating new year's at home just relaxing since it's been so crazy lately.

2011, you were CRAZY but absolutely wonderful. God has shown Himself to me so much this year and i am more aware than ever of how undeserving i am of His love. whatever 2012 has in store for us, we will continue to trust God and i know He will take care of us. Happy New Year!

grad.

well, i finally did it. i graduated from cal poly. i entered as an insecure 18-year-old crying in the plaza because i was absolutely sure i would never make any friends. i exited as a slightly more confident, independent person. i am now married, have my own household, and know how to walk in heels. i have experienced friendship on a deeper level than i could have imagined and i am learning how to not run from the things that scare me. most importantly, i have learned that i truly am nothing without Christ. i could never have gotten through without my Heavenly Father guiding me and assuring me this was His plan for me. i skated my way through high school and thought i could do the same for college. this was not the case. cal poly has made me cry, given me more sleepless nights, and that feeling of dread in my chest more than anything else in my life. it was one of the hardest things i have done, and i never want to take that for granted. more than anything, college is about hard work rather than being smart. i consider myself fairly smart, but the hardest part for me was just convincing myself to move forward; to start that paper NOW instead of the night before it's due; to be okay with missing out on this or that in order to do well on that test.

graduation was so good. my parents, brothers, grandparents, in-laws, and uncle came to the ceremony, which meant a lot since it was so boring, but i will say it felt good to wear that cap and gown. the best part was my graduation dinner at uppercrust, where my other aunt, cousins, and uncle came as well. it meant so much to have all these family members who have not just supported me now, but all the way through. i was overwhelmed at first with how many people we had to worry about, but when i saw all of them there for me, i could feel nothing but extremely blessed. i have done nothing to deserve so many amazing people in my life, yet God continues to bless me. that is something i will never understand.

i would never have even started college without my parents. they have always known my potential and given their absolute best to me, even when i have not given them my best. and i know that God gave me james at the absolute perfect timing, only one of the reasons being that i probably would never have finished college without him. he somehow saw through my anxiety and procrastination and always pushed me because he knew i could do better. but after all the blood, sweat, and tears [mostly tears], it was totally God who got me through.

standing up there on the stage in my gown, i felt 4 and half years of stress lift off of my shoulders. i know being a grown-up brings a whole new set of challenges, but i feel ready to face whatever comes with james. sorry for making this super long, but i wanted to write this all down and look back on it one day, and never forget all the people that got me to where i am, because i never could have gotten here without them. thank you Jesus.

done.

on the day i finished college:

• james and i had to get up early to take my car into get serviced.
• i dropped james off at work then took his truck to the preschool, where i observed circle time.
• i then went to school, got a starbucks water [the best water there is], and went to the library to finish a reflection paper, email it to the teacher, and study.
• i went to my final and felt pretty good about it!
• i got out a very happy college grad!
• i had to go on a hunt for grad tickets bc everyone and there mother wants to go to my graduation [literally]
• i visited aunt karen and had a piece of cake from her office.
• i then went to target to celebrate, got another starbucks water and a personal pizza, and then shopped for christmas wrapping paper, dinner stuff, and a yummy smelling christmas candle.

i am now at home cleaning, since i haven't cleaned since before finals week and making dinner, which i also haven't done in a while.

the worst is over and i feel so relieved to finally be done with college!! now i can think about fun things and we can get our christmas tree on sunday!

the one where i don't want to study.

i only have to have a good attitude about school for 4 more days. gracias a dios. in the meantime, i am going to make a list of everything i want to do after i finish my finals:

1. finish my yarn wreath/learn how to make felt rosettes.
2. visit with stephanie!
3. go on a nice date with james.
4. see breaking dawn [again...] at the drive-in with olivia.
5. find a cute holiday dress.
6. get a christmas tree/decorations.
7. finish christmas shopping.
8. clean out all the boxes i have yet to unpack from under the bed/next to the couch.
9. work at the preschool [i kind of got a job there!!!]!
10. save up/ plan for italy [fall of 2012??]!
11. learn how to cook/bake better/ be a better housewife in general.
12. join a gym.
13. visit caitlin and bailey in oakdale!!!!!
14. finally join pinterest.

okay i think that's it. all of these things sound infintely more wonderful than studying/writing papers which is what i have to do now. but, in four days, i will be free. FREEEEEEE.

a quick break.

so my last dead week is upon us. on schedule, my heart feels like it has an elephant sitting on it. but i know it will all get done and i will be done with college FINALLY!

i am in the process of making a wreath, i hope it turns out nice. when i finish and IF i like it, i might post a picture of it.

my brother is in town for a few days and it's really nice to have him around. i just saw my whole family this weekend, but it is different hanging with my family members one-on-one than it is to hang out with them all together. i feel like i get a better insight into their lives when they are alone, especially paul. we rented super 8, ate at panera, the habit, jamba, and taco roco. us dlr's are nothing if not good eaters. having paul here reminds me that i can still be close to my brothers even when we are far away. i think i am starting to accept that our relationship is going to be different now [it has been for a while but i was just angry about it], but not everything has to change. we can still joke around and know exactly what we are talking about when commiserating about parents [they're amazing, but you know how it is sometimes]. i still know when he is lying and what kind of clothes he likes. we are becoming grown-up versions of ourselves, and now we are getting used to the grown-up version of our relationship. it's good.

i am making headway on christmas shopping, but will probably put that all on hold until my finals are over.

okay back to my text set assignment!

get down...

on friday! this weekend i have a spanish poem to write. i have entitled it "donde". very artisitic and mysterious, no? well that's as far as i've gotten, so that's all the info you're going to get on that for now ;)

also, i bought my CAP and GOWN! woo!!! i am seriously offically graduating!! it feels awesome.

this weekend will bring lots of relaxing with james, since he got called into work the other day at 2:30 in the morning and worked til 5pm. we're just going to watch movies, bake things, and not worry about anything.

i am currently realizing that freshmen are slightly self-centered and don't think of other people when they cancel important group meetings on campus for stupid reasons at the last minute [psych group freshies... i'm talkin to you]. although i'm sure i was never like that when i was a freshman [or now] ;) some of us do live off campus though, people.

at six we have a newly married couples group! this will be the first time, so we'll see how it goes!

that's about it going on around here... though applause is appreciated for writing twice in one week. happy weekend!

i'm out of touch.

hello from the dead! my excuses for not blogging are either that i have nothing to write about or too much to write about. the former was true for a while, and now the latter is true. so i'll try to keep this concise [ha].

• this summer james and i decided i would graduate from cal poly this quarter and go back for my credential later. i was afraid to tell people this for fear that they would think i was copping out or tell me i am a failure. i am now trying to be honest and just tell people because i really do know this is the best decision for us at the moment. i am really excited to walk and have that diploma!
• i have a potential job as a preschool teacher which would be so awesome! i am really hoping i get it.
• this will be my first big holiday away from my family, which i am sad about, but it also means i get to spend thanksgiving with my husband [it's still weird sometimes] and his wonderful family, so for that i am extremely excited.

that's about all the big news for now... so i will end with some thankfulness since it's almost thanksgiving. i am thankful for the tiny apartment i share with my nice husband, figuring out marriage, knowing i do not have to be perfect [still working on that one], old friends who know me as well as they know themselves, girls' nights with new friends, target, and grace.

an attempt to regulate my blogging.

i would like to eventually have at least one picture in all my posts, but this will not be the start of it.

this weekend i have to write two papers.
i went to the doctor and got a flu shot and diagnosed with psoriasis. my skin doesn't look as nasty as the pictures on google though, i promise.
this weekend james and i are just going relax and relish in the fact that we have nowhere to be. maybe we will go to the beach. maybe we won't.
my family went to disneyland without me yesterday.
i am officially in a 5th year girl's bible study and i am excited about it. i feel like this year God wants me to get out of my shell and reach out to people instead of waiting for friends to come to me. i am okay with this now.
school is good [say whattt??].
being married is awesome.
the weather is good.
things are good.
life is good.
God is great.

new.

i am going to be trying real hard to blog regularly, but in the mean time i am just adjusting to this new season of my life.

a season of being a wife [which is awesome btw].
a season of making new friends.
a season of finishing school.
a season of having my own house to decorate and clean.
a season of learning to cook.
a season of forgiving people who have hurt me, letting go of bitterness, and of moving forward.
a season of learning and loving and buying veggies at the farmer's market.

to new seasons!

this week

i have my bachelorette party!
i see caitlin and bailey!
i see paul!
james and i finally ended our long distance!
i live in slo again!
i get to wear my dress!
i get MARRIED!
woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
maybe after this i will be a good house wife and blog all the time about my cute crafty home and yummy dinners.

maybe not.

mind vacay.

hello again my old friend! yes it has been too long, but oh well. i was in hawaii last week which was wonderful. it was full of sunscreen, noses full of salty water, walks on the beach with james, bad tv with matthew, discovering matthew snores like NO OTHER, missing paul, my hair turning into a monstrosity, various fruity alcoholic drinks [cause i can drink them now!], bare feet, and tan skin.

then i came back and was bombarded with stress at realizing how much i have to do [moms are great at reality checks, which is not so great]. my mind was def on vacay along with my body, and now i have a really long list of things to do. when i get stressed, my mind likes to bow out and ignore everything i have to do, which i know is not necessarily healthy. but i am feeling okay about everything now, and i am just reminding myself how much i have to look forward to with this wedding.

1. for starters, i get to keep james!!! he is my best friend and i am really and truly looking forward to grocery shopping, bickering over tv channels [oh wait, i think you need a tv to do that], decorating our house, chatting as we fall asleep, and just getting to call him my husband.

2. also, what other time in my life will all the people i love come together only for the purpose of celebrating me?? maybe my funeral, but that's lame since i won't get to actually be there... but i suppose i will have better things to do then [hey hey jesus!!!] so that's okay.

3. my dress [which, as i tell james, is a hot pink, turtleneck mini dress]!

4. cupcakes!

5. dancing!

6. my family!

7. burritos!

8. getting to share my and james' love for jesus and each other with everyone!

9. honeymoon!

and of course lots of others, but this is just to help convince myself we are better off doing this than eloping to some exotic, romantic foreign country. i usually convince myself of it when i am not stressed. but in the end, i know all i will remember is getting to share in such a special day with all the people i love, and that's all it is about. i know all that stress will melt away the second i see james' smile as i walk down the aisle.

updates.

i ran two miles today without walking!!! i am sure there are plenty of superathletes [my own mother included] who would not count that as a big deal, but for me, it totally is and gets me one step closer to running the 5k on monday. so yeah, i am pretty dang proud of myself.

i see james thursday! then we will drive up to breanna's wedding. i am so excited to see james for four days straight, celebrate luke and breanna, and dance all night!

i am now a master at skip to my lou on the guitar. i take what i can get.

that's it for now... taco tuesday!!!!

home away from home.

i have come to the realization that slo has become my home. four years later, and i have transitioned.

i am at my parent's house for the summer. i love them, i love spending time with my family, but i miss slo.

i miss walking downtown for calzones at farmer's market. i miss the horses outside my window at work. i miss high street deli and the colorful coffee shops on every corner. i miss hearing gilmore girls in the living room and the laughs and screams of emily and lauren. i miss dropping by on a whim to see caitlin and bailey, and strolling arm in arm with them to get yogurt or look at books. and i miss the comfort of knowing james is always somewhere within ten minutes of me, just in case.

i know this seems dramatic, and i will be back in two months. it's just hard being away from the place you have come to love as home. everything is different here. not in a bad way. it just is.

but i am done complaining now and completely ready to embrace all this summer has to offer me. for me, this summer means: running with my mom, planning my wedding, skyping with james, visits to the library [since i am poor and have no money to buy books], guitar/banjo lessons with matthew, learning stick shift from my dad, visiting my grandparents, and getting involved in the young adults group at church.

it also hopefully means i will be blogging a lot more.

[ps. credit to james for the title. he was proud of it.]