That's What She Said...

lots of things.

2012-01-26T21:52:00.001-08:00

First of all, please enjoy this lovely instagram photo of my pretty friends at Cafe. It was oh so fun to be reunited with all of them! We just needed Jack Jack to be complete. It's okay, it'll happen eventually.
I guess I'm catching up on everything. Christmas was just lovely, it was great to have a complete Christmas morning breakfast again. I missed that last year. I got an ipad which has never left my side since. I'm literally obsessed! If I could buy everyone an iPad I truly truly would. And I've already gone overboard on buying cases for it. Whoops!
Probably the real best part of Christmas was on Christmas Ever when Kori and Stefan came over and surprised us with the news that they're engaged! We were all crying and hugging and just so excited. They are the best couple and so perfect. I've never seen Kori so genuinely happy in all the years I've known her! I could cry just thinking about how proud I am of her and how excited I am that she found Stefan. I could go on and on and on about this but... it was so perfect. I couldn't imagine my life without Kori. And now Stefan is officially part of the familia whether he likes it or not!
New Years Eve was the annual letdown that it always is. Seriously, why do people like NYE? I did get to spend it with some of my favorite boys though, which was fun. I suppose that's what happens when all your girl friends are married/moved to Arizona/getting engaged right at that very minute, which is what happened to Ally! I guess her NYE was much better than mine :))) So happy for her and Steve and excited for their wedding! Ally has dreamed about her wedding for so so so long... I can't even count the number of wedding mix cd's we've made over the years.
I made a pact with myself that I wouldn't shop until at least valentines day. Seriously, you know you have a problem when you have to make a pact with yourself not to shop! I've been holding out strong, except I did go and spend my Sephora gift card, but that doesn't really count, right?
Tim Tebow came into Nike and I wasn't there. I was so so crushed. My work BFF Meagan took lots of pictures and said he was just the sweetest thing so I guess I just have to live vicariously through her. UGHHHH this is the 2nd time I've missed him! WAIT FOR ME TEBOW!!!
Other work is just great too. We opened the new Mendenhall Center and it is SO gorgeous and the guys are so excited. And today, this sweet old man who always comes in and chats with me brought me a snuggie. How sweet is that?! Rebel fans are truly the best!
I discovered Netflix. It's the best/worst thing that's ever happened to me.
Today was the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen in my life. I'm surprised I didn't get in a car wreck because I just couldn't stop looking at it on my drive to school! How can you see those things and not believe that someone created that? These things don't just happen on accident. We are SO blessed.

love/hate relationships.

2012-01-12T13:37:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think I may have slightly bipolar tendencies. I've recently discovered that I have a love/hate relationship with many things: my car, the pantry and fridge, my coworkers, etc. Lately, since I got my ipad for christmas and am obsessed with it and can't put it down, I've found a few more love/hate relationships with some blogs/websites.

FASHION BLOGS
I love to look at these and see the outfits that people put together. I've always loved fashion and magazines and stuff like that so they're fun to look at. BUT I always end up feeling so terrible about myself after I look at these blogs! Does anyone else feel this way? I mean really... these girls are stunning and so skinny and portray themselves as having the most perfect, flawless lives. Is anyone's life really like that?! And I really wanna know who takes the pictures of these girls that they put on their blogs... do they have personal photographers on call? I'd feel like an idiot if I were prancing around in the middle of some random street with my husband snapping close ups of my outfit, sorry about it. And I get sad that I don't have the budget to keep up with these girls. See? Love/hate.

PINTEREST
Mostly I love pinterest. I get all kinds of fun ideas for the future that are never going to happen, but it's fun to think about. I like seeing people's outfits and cute hair and nails. I just get really annoyed with some of the stuff on there. Specific example: The sock bun. Everyone and their mother pins the sock bun and let me just tell you that it doesn't work (yep... tried it, only thing I've ever tried from pinterest)! And don't be fooled into thinking you're gonna put your hair in a wet sock bun and wake up with these fantastic curls... I have enough experience with falling asleep with wet hair to know that it doesn't happen! Pinterest is awesome though, I've come up with great ideas for my future wedding (cross your fingers people).

FACEBOOK
The most love/hate of all! Facebook is great for keeping up with old friends, even the ones you don't really care to keep up with. But hey! It's fun to look at where people are, what they're doing with their lives, etc. Okay, I'll say it: It's fun to stalk! We all know we do it, let's just come out with it! The hate part of facebook for me consists of two major categories: the "begging for attention" friend and the "overshare" friend. Begging for attention friend: they post about any/everything, at least 4 status updates a day, constantly brag about their lives, put up hundreds of pictures of their perfect children/vacations/families, just baiting people to comment on them. I'm so irritated by this. Obviously your life isn't that perfect when you constantly need attention from a social media network. The begging for attention friend is even better when the person is all over facebook, and yet they ignore you in person. Classic. The overshare friend is just that: they post uneccessary things that the average person doesn't need to know. I once had an FB friend that posted a status update basically announcing the end of his relationship and why it didn't work out. It sounded like a freaking press release! We don't need to know all these details! Especially the medical oversharers... NO ONE wants to hear the gory details about your child's birth or your kidney stones. Seriously, let's keep it classy.

Did this post sound bitter? I don't mean to be bitter. And this wasn't directed at anyone specifically, just people in general. I love you all!

chi-city!

2011-12-29T17:01:00.000-08:00

Soooo I went to Chicago a couple weeks ago and it was so fun and beautiful and magical and COLD! But still such a great getaway. Sorry for all the pictures that will be in this post. We had so much fun! Our favorite Rebel family/adopted sisters Aubrey and Gentry joined us for the weekend. They moved to Nashville this summer so it was so great to be with them again! Here's what we did in the windy city...

SEARS TOWER (really called Willis Tower but who cares about that)
We had the most beautiful weather this day- cold but sunny and clear, which is more than we could've asked for! From the top of Sears Tower you can see 4 states and the whole city. They have these glass pods that you can go in and see underneath you... super creepy but so fun! Loved this place.

THE BEAN
There's this huge metallic bean in Millennium Park and I don't know why but I'm obsessed with it. I think it's the coolest thing ever. I flew in later than everyone else because I had a final, and my sweet cab driver took me on a little tour of the city on the way to the hotel and he made sure that I looked closely at the Bean and you can see the whole city reflected in it... it's awesome. Probs one of my favorite things about Chicago. And when you take a picture of your reflection, you look like a midget.

ICE SKATING @ MILLENNIUM PARK
Guess what? I'm the world's worst ice skater. The good news is, so are Aubrey and Gentry. We are AWFUL. I held Aubrey's hand the whole time and my dad had to drag us around but it was SO fun! Even though it was freezing outside and a little crowded we had a blast, although I probably won't be ice skating anytime soon, at least not in front of people. I probably need private lessons or something.

UNLV VS ILLINOIS @ THE UNITED CENTER
Obviously the reason we went to Chicago in the dead of winter was to see this game! And it was worth it. The boys played probably their best game all season and it's always fun to beat someone in front of all their fans! The United Center is awesome and huge. There's a big MJ statue at the entrance and I attempted to take a picture of his jersey in the rafters... so legendary. It was a really cool environment and thanks to my job/one of the wonderful staff members, we had the best seats in the house. I love my rebs!

Other things we did: Ate the best hot dogs and fries ever, did lots of shopping, met the love of my life Laurent at Niketown Chicago, ate the best pizza ever, spent lots of time in my favorite Topshop, ate the best breakfast ever, had great encounters with sketchy drivers, went to Navy Pier, drank lots of starbucks. Basically just shopping and food.

I need to go back to Chicago in the summer!

we're #1!!

2011-12-29T16:54:00.000-08:00

Okay so I'm super late on this but it's okay. The Rebels beat #1 North Carolina! And it was the most exciting thing, like, ever! Over a month later and I still get super excited about it. Working at the basketball office has definitely shown me the other side of things, and I see every day how hard these guys work. I'm so so proud of them. I didn't know how to react at the end of the game... I just kept thinking that it was all a dream or something! I know people probably think it's dumb but it's a day I'll remember for the rest of my life. We're doing big things this year, people! Watch out!

We had amazing seats, like 3 rows up. I had to arm wrestle Jessica for the rights to the good seats, and I'm happy to report that I won. It was SO worth it! Seeing the boy's reactions was so fun!

Ignore how close this picture is and just look at the scoreboard! Crazy!

2011-12-03T18:06:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about writing this post for a few days now, but I was a little hesitant. It's one of those situations where you don't really know your particular place, but you want to do everything you can. So I figure that sharing my memories, regardless of how insignificant they may seem, might help me feel like I'm doing something.

I'm pretty sure I've known the Schlauders my whole life. My earliest memory with Ally is going over to her house to swim with my cousins, who are also her cousins, when I was about 5. I don't really know what happened on that day, but we've been best friends ever since. The Schlauders lost their beautiful, sweet daughter Leah this week. I always remember thinking that Leah was so gorgeous and glamorous and just everything you admire about an older girl when you're a little girl. I remember when me and Ally would sneak into her room to look at all her pictures and just imagine our lives as cool as Leah's. After she graduated from hair school, she became our family's beauty expert. I think Leah did my hair for every event in my adolescent life- middle school graduation, family pictures, and every dance I ever went to. Me and Ally would go over to her house on the day of the dance and she would do our hair and makeup and just laugh with us about how excited we were. She was so fun! I loved seeing her at the salon because I always knew that she would make me laugh and talk about any high school drama that was going on. She was the best. I haven't seen Leah in many years, but whenever I look at the family picture that hangs by our front door, I think of her because she did my hair in this crazy crisscross part that I loved. I feel so blessed to have known Leah and her wonderful smile and sense of humor. I'm so blessed to have had the Schlauder family in my life for all these years. They've been such a great example of what family should be- eternal, everlasting, unconditional. I hope they know of my love for them.

I have a hard time understanding why things like this happen. Life isn't fair, and we are reminded of that so often. But as I was sitting at her funeral today, listening to all the beautiful things that her friends and family had to say about her, I was reminded of how lucky I am to have the gospel in my life. I can't think of anything more depressing that thinking that you won't ever see the people that you love after they've left this life. I'm so grateful to know that families are forever! Isn't that what it's all about? Everything we try to do, everything we work for, comes down to that fact: we all want to be together in the end. I feel so blessed to know that.

Al Pal!!!

2011-11-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

Ally is home!!!!
How exciting. I'm seriously so stoked. I love this girl to death! She's been there for me through everything... literally since birth. I can't think of anyone who better defines the word "friend". She's the most selfless person I know and she's wanted to serve a mission her whole life. And now she's done it and she's back! I've been so blessed to have the most incredible friends. Being with her and Courtney, 2 returned missionaries, all weekend has been so great for me. I feel so renewed! I don't know why these girls are friends with me, because I am so so SO far down from their level. I love them so much! And of course I haven't uploaded pictures from the airport yet sooo... I stole this one from Grama Linda. Of course I'm not looking at the camera, but enjoy all my pretty friends!

Oh and here's some oldies.

xoxo

smilebooth.

2011-10-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

I believe a photo booth is completely necessary for a wedding. Personal opinion, I suppose. Behold: Smilebooth. Jake and Sarah had it at their reception and it was so fun and cute. You could take and many pics as you want and they show up online a few days later to download for free. Genius! Did I mention I loved this wedding?

If you know my family, you know the meaning of diva mom. She's adorable.

xoxo

these minor details

2011-10-16T23:27:00.001-07:00

Life as of late:
I finally made my way up to Provo to see my pals that I miss SO much. And I finally got to see my little Brittan's cutest store ever, Maddux Couture! Even though they're moving so it's closing. But it was just so fun and I got so proud of her when I drove by and saw her cute sign and everything.

I'm slightly obsessed with everything about Jake and Sarah's wedding. It was SO cute and fun and just fit their personalities so perfectly. I can't wait to see all the pictures!
OH GOODNESS i just realized that I forgot to mention that we saw Color Me Badd at the JT concert. Ahhh they were so great and if you ever watched Beverly Hills 90210 and saw the episode where they tried to sneak into their hotel, you will appreciate this. Now go download "All 4 Love" and relive the glory days of the 90s.
I have a shopping problem.
It's almost bball season!! I'm so excited. Especially now that I feel like I have a personal connection with this team- the boys are awesome. They're always so friendly when they come into the office. And I can't stress enough how amazing this coaching staff is. They are such good people and I truly love working for them. Now I can't wait to shock the country with this team! It's gonna be crazy!
I can't even see my desk because its completely covered with junk and I don't know what to do about it. Swedish fish, old school nike sweatbands, 800 bottles of nail polish, 7 magazines, headphones, thank you cards, makeup... where do you put all this stuff?!
I bought this ridiculous cobalt blue blazer from H&M that I'm dying to wear to work but I'm afraid that everyone will think I'm nuts because they all dress so conservatively. Therefore, I must find an event to attend where a cobalt blue blazer would be perfectly appropriate.
Did I mention that I'm going to Chicago in december?! So. Excited. Now I must find good cold weather outfits.
And last but not least, I am completely and utterly in love. Unfortunately, he is not a male model/doctor/professional athlete perfect 6'5 man, but my precious wittle nephew Sawyer.

But, if you do happen to find that guy, please send him my way.

xoxo

my 11 year old dreams halfway came true!

2011-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Tween Alyssa was definitely a fan of boy bands. Okay, adult Alyssa is still a fan of boy bands, but that's besides the point. Tween Alyssa loved Nsync the most, but also enjoyed a little BSB and 98 Degrees. I found it really funny when a guy came in to Nike the other day looking for some flashy shoes for his crazy Vegas wedding. I thought he looked a little familiar, but didn't really think too much about it. Then one of my coworkers noticed that he had a 98 Degrees tattoo on his arm- weird right? What grown man has a 98 Degrees tattoo? Then it dawned on me- this guy was actually IN the band, so he had a pretty good excuse. I think 12 year old Alyssa would be very proud that she would grow up to help Jeff pick out his some snazzy Air Force Ones for his wedding, thank you very much. And in case you want to see who I'm talking about, here he is, with the perfect shoes of course!

And just a fun fact... he's currently in town doing a special guest run with the Chippendales. So there's that.

That was cool, but this was cooler. I LOVE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE in case you didn't know. I wish I could find the picture of me going to my first concert- NSYNC, complete with a sassy little t shirt. I've always been a Justin girl (Shoutout to my BFF Jackie- she was a Lance girl. We all know how that turned out... sorry bout it, J). Those blond curls just got me from the very first time I laid eyes on them when they had a concert on Disney Channel. A few years ago my dad and sister got to meet him at the golf course and I'm still bitter that I didn't get to go because, seriously guys, I love Justin. He is the total package. Now let me get to the point of this- I finally got to see Justin with my own eyes! SWOON! It was truly a huge moment for me. The only thing that could have made it better is if he had actually sang!!! Seriously Justin, this whole acting thing is cool and all, but I really miss that sweet falsetto. Please bring the sexy back again. I wish it never left.

Explanation: Padre had so much fun in my world at iheartradio that he wanted to bring me to his and so we went to the Justin Tibmerlake and Friends Old School Jam at planet hollywood. SO. FUN. I love old school as much as the next guy. We had seats in the 4th row and it was just so delightful. And here's who we saw:
Justin and Wayne Brady

Excited Justin

Justin's Sexy Back (2 sexyback jokes in one blog... that's pushing it. Sorry guys.)

Okay okay okay I know all this justin talk is probs so annoying. There were other people there too, promise.
I forget this guys name but he sings that classic 90's song I've got the power- and he was fantastic. This was probably the biggest show he's done in YEARS so naturally he picked out his best outfit.

Sister Sledge aka the peeps who sing We Are Family. They were fun and brought this tranny guy/girl on stage for a dance contest that was the funniest thing I've seen in years!

Sugar Hill Gang- the true fathers of hip hop and also amazing because they opened for Nsync at my very first concert! Padre and I agreed that they were our favorite. They just don't really like to stand together and so I only got a pic of this guy

EARTH WIND AND FIRE omg I love them so much. This is the music I grew up on. My dad would play them every morning when he drove me to piano lessons and they just bring back so many fun memories and all their songs are such classics! Seriously if you don't like EWF I don't like you. This guy in the white shirt is my favorite, as you can see his sparkly fringe pants were THE most and he just had this huge smile on his face the whole time like he just loves what he does! I love that.

This crazy man Charlie Wilson who I didn't like at all, he was super annoying. But his suit was pretty fly.

We also saw like 2 minutes of Vanilla Ice and then diva mom wanted to go because it was well past midnight and nothing good happens after midnight. So basically it was so so fantastic to see Justin and hear his witty little comments and see his handsome face but I really really wanted him to sing. Next time!

xoxo

iheartradio.

2011-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

My padre is the best.
Have I ever mentioned that?
There are many reasons why, but this particular one involves him randomly looking on the internet for last minutes tickets to the sold out Iheartradio festival at the MGM Grand. He found 3-perfect for him, me and little Boots. He found them at 5:30, and the concert was at 7:30. It was the perfect spontaneous friday night activity!
Not many dads would be up to taking their daughters to a very loud concert with music they aren't really familiar with. Most dads wouldn't barter with scalpers when our ticket contact didn't show up, which ended up being a great thing because we were able to get awesome seats. Most dads wouldn't be listening to Jay-Z all day, everyday after seeing him at the concert.
IT. WAS. SO. FUN!

And of course, my pictures didn't turn out great. And half of them were mysteriously deleted when I tried to upload them on my computer. But for memories sake, here's who we got to see:

Black Eyed Peas- SO fun, perfect way to open the show, did all their good songs, confetti in the air. Oh and we saw Fergie's husband, Josh Duhamel. He's way too handsome for her.

Ryan Seacrest was the host- love him.

Kelly Clarkson. She was really good and singing Since U Been Gone brought back lots of HS memories!

Bruno Mars- His voice is amazing! I get really annoyed because his songs are constantly on the radio so I can't really listen to him but he was awesome. And he sang this Amy Winehouse song that I LOVE and it was just perfect!

CARRIE UNDERWOOD (!!!!!)- I'm obsessed. Seriously, I need to go to her concert, stat. Her voice is to die for and she is so perfect and gorgeous. Can you tell that I love her? Seriously, I was singing at the top of my lungs the whole time and everyone around me thought I was crazy because they were all there for Jay Z, not Carrie. And this is also the point where my pictures got deleted so all I have left are crappy phone pictures... sad face.

Coldplay- Let me just tell you that Coldplay blew my mind. I wasn't even a fan and now I'm obsessed. They are so entertaining and talented and I will definitely go to one of their concerts. And they played Fix You, which is one of my fav songs ever. Do yourself a favor and go download their new song Paradise. No good pictures of them but they were by far my fav of the night!

Alicia Keys- She has a beautiful voice but I'm not really into her. She's really pretty tho.

And last but not least...
JAY Z aka HOV aka H to the Izzo aka the best rapper alive.

My dad didn't know I like rap... does he know me at all? That's debatable. He did all his big songs and my secret anthem On to the Next One and of course our favorite part of the night... Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys. I tried to upload a video but it didn't let me :( But how can you not LOVE that song?! Even though I was secretly hoping he would bring out his adorable pregnant wife for a song (Beyonce, for those of you living under a rock), he still brought it SO hard. Moment I will remember, for sure.

THANK YOU DAD! We had such a blast. Can't wait till next year :))))

xoxo

Resurrection!

2011-09-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

This blog has officially been resurrected from the dead! Welcome back, world. Since I left you last, I've learned a few things, been a few places, lost a few hours of sleep, and maybe made some new friends. I'm currently working double time at UNLV in the mens bball office as well as at good ole Nike Las Vegas. And going to school full time. It's quite an undertaking, but I've found that I love being busy rather than just lying around the house! So that's pretty much all I do. Life is crazy. So instead of re-hashing everything that's happened over the past few months, I'll just leave you with a few lovely photos. Call it "How I Spent My Summer Vacation (other than slaving away for the man)".

The wittlest guy went from this lil cutie...

To this big boy with his fresh J's!

We painted some pottery with our favorite friends before they had to move to Tennessee. We miss them sooo much!

I had to miss out on Mexico (bummer) but I got to meet the fam in San Diego for some shopping, eating and a production of Mary Poppins! It was good but very different from the movie. And the hotel we stayed in was in an old bank building and the vault was still in the basement... it was very cool.

And I made my glorious return to Lake Powell! It was so so SO fun. We had the best group of people and the best weather and the best homemade fireworks show on the 4th of July. I always forget how much I love the lake! The tube wars were epic. And I learned to wake surf but of course there's no photographic evidence, so just trust that I was shredding.

I'll be back soon with more updates! Stay tuned.

xoxo

i found the perfect nail color.

2011-07-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

Essie Mint Candy Apple. It's the perfect mint green that I've been digging. Makes me want to run to BRs for a mint chocolate chip shake.

Really though, I have mucho blogging to catch up on. Courtney coming home, crazy Lake Powell trip, life updates.
Just know this:
~I started my new job. I may or may not have a key to the locker room at the Thomas and Mack, so do with that what you will.
~It's July, which means lots of bball here in LV, which means lots of cute tall men coming into nike, which means happy me. Some good eye candy can really turn a girl's day around.
~My long lost bff is coming to town this week and I can't even wait to see her!
~Whenever I think about going to school full time and working 2 jobs this fall, I feel really anxious and sweaty and breathless. Please please PLEASE let these 1.5 months go by really really s l o w l y.
~BIG BROTHER IS BACK
~and I just might have a super fun trip to finally use my christmas present on! (cough *janae and tiffany* cough)
~I have the most fun work friends in the world and they brought me cupcakes the other day just because and they were literally the worlds best cupcakes... at least if I were presenting that award. Gigi's cupcakes over by UNLV, try em, even better than cupcakery.

We'll probs just catch up on everything else later.
xoxo

Keeping Up.

2011-06-19T23:11:00.001-07:00

I spy with my little eye (disclaimer: you have to look real hard in this picture)...

kardashians?

YES!
If you know me you know this is a huge deal!!
I'm not ashamed to admit my unabashed love for this crazy (krazy?) family. I've seen every episode. I cried during Khloe and Lamar's wedding. I was slightly disturbed when Kourtney pulled out her own baby. I was deeply distraught when Kim and Reggie broke up. I. LOVE. THEM.
So how did I finally fulfill my dream of getting to see them in person? Here's the story...

Jessica and Kori share my obsession. So naturally, when we found out Khloe was hosting a birthday party at a club inside the Paris, we decided we would go to the delicious Sugar Factory and see if we could maybe catch a glimpse of them somewhere. We ended up going pretty late and by the time we got there we were sure there would be no sighting. We walked into Sugar Factory to get a table and low and behold, who do I spot?
Lamar Odom!
And not just Lamar Odom, but a table filled to the brim with Kardashian goodness!
We're talking Khloe, Kim and her new fiance Kris, Rob, Malika... even the weird blonde makeup girl you occasionally see on the show!
So in the midst of freaking out, we go to get a table, and we must've had some crazy good luck that night because our table was directly next to theirs. It. Was. Amazing. I didn't even eat most of my dessert because I couldn't stop watching! Pretty pathetic, but you would do the same, trust me. To give you an idea of how close we were, here are some pictures taken from the table:

That's makeup lady's head and Rob

And this one is kind of blurry but that's khloe and lamar at the end.

Are you jealous yet?! It gets better.
We got up to leave right as they were leaving so we decided to wait by this side door to see if they would go out that way. I'm a stalker, I know, but we needed better pics because my camera didn't want to take good ones, as you can probably tell! So we waited by this door for a few minutes and kori and jessica were convinced that they weren't going out that way. Good thing I'm stubborn and made us wait a few minutes because they came out and literally walked right in front of us! Those pictures up top are taken from Jessica's cell phone and not even zoomed in or anything. THRILLING!
Okay so I have to admit that my inner fan girl came out at this point. There were tons of people around taking pictures and stuff so as Kim and Kris were walking past, I yelled "We love you Kim and Kris!" (embarrassing) but it paid off because Kris turned around, grabbed my arm and said "We love you too" !!!!! Me and him are now BFFs, I'm expecting a wedding invite any day now.
So we left extremely satisfied! And plus it was my birthday so it couldn't have been better timing. As we were leaving they were walking the red carpet so we stopped for a minute.

Lamar and Kim

Kris and Rob

Needless to say... Best. Night. Ever.
Observations:
-Khloe is smaller than I thought she would be
-Kim is just as gorgeous and small and perfect as on tv
-Kris Humphries is way more attractive in person!
-Rob is short
-We saw Kim's ring from afar... and even from afar it is massive.

Last one... found this online, see that orange shirt in the background? Thats jessica. NBD.

***SORRY FOR THIS LONG AND PROBABLY BORING POST! I'm just still really excited about this. Guess I'm pretty shallow!

xoxo

family/update/everything.

2011-06-15T00:27:00.000-07:00

Yazzy graduated today! Isn't he so cute in this picture? I can't believe my baby brother is old enough to go to college. I still think of him as a sweet little boy that loved to play with his rescue heroes and drive his police big wheel around the neighborhood. He has so many fun friends and gets along with everybody. I can't wait to see what adventures college brings him!
Jessica ran her first 1/2 marathon and apparently rocked it. I truly wish I had the desire to do something like that, but it running for 2 hours straight sounds like literal hell to me. I'd rather spend those 2 hours sleeping. You think that's why Jessica is like 200 pounds skinnier than me? I'm excited for her to come home for a few weeks before she leaves for her amazing study abroad.
Sawyer is the cutest ever. Seriously can't get enough of that little guy! Even though he spit up on me 4 times the other day! Gross. But still the most precious babe.
Bootsie has her big dance recital this weekend. I can't wait to see the actual full dance since all I ever see is this crazy girl running through all her moves 20 times a day. FYI, next time you see Hannah, watch her. She doesn't walk, she taps from room to room. I love that crazy little diva, even though she likes to tell me that some things I do/wear/say are "so 2000 and late". Shout out to Fergie for giving this girl even MORE sass!
I start my new job 3 weeks from today and I'm super nervous/excited!
Speaking of jobs, we have no air conditioning at Nike currently. It's FABULOUS (i hope you all realize the sarcasm here). Really, it's great if you enjoy saunas and are looking for a quick way to drop a few pounds. But let me tell you, spending 5 hours in a sauna isn't as glamorous as it sounds.
Love that Kardashians are back. Kim's rock is ridic.
Love that I actually had a social moment this weekend... baby steps. Maybe toddler steps.
Love that friday is pay day! Just in time for birthday shopping!

Did I mention that I'm turning 23 on saturday?
One year older. And wiser too?

xoxo

I left my heart...

2011-05-29T22:31:00.000-07:00

San Francisco was AMAZING. Seriously, Im obsessed.
I've been a few times but really all I remember is great shopping and cold weather.
This trip definitely lived up to the shopping part, and maybe a little of the cold weather. It's okay, at least the days we were there were so sunny and beautiful and perfect!
SF is such a fun, unique city. My grammy grew up in the Bay Area so my dad loves going there and introducing us to his old memories. One thing passed down from my grammy's dad is a love for the San Francisco Giants. My dad can remember him listening to the games on the radio. My grammy was a huge fan. Last year when they won the World Series, my dad and brothers practically cried, they were so excited. Now it's pretty obvious that I'm a sports girl, but baseball just never did it for me. Something about the fact that you can be 40 and fat and in terrible shape but still a professional athlete just bothered me? I don't know, point is, I was never a baseball girl.
Until this trip!

To say I fell in love with AT&T Park is an understatement. Let's just say I only took 6 pictures this entire trip, and they were all of the ballpark. It is GORGEOUS. It sits right on the edge of the bay and is just the perfect backdrop for any sporting event. The night was freezing. They ran out of snuggies on snuggie night. I only had a small jacket. It didn't even matter! The fans are amazing, they had warm gooey caramel popcorn, and we had the most perfect seats. The Giants beat the A's in extra innings and it was thrilling! And we got to see The Beard pitch the 9th inning. And I fell in love with Buster Posey (except he just injured himself and is out for the season... sad face). LOVED.
I'm officially a baseball convert!

Don't worry, we did other things too. Rode all over San Fran, did lots and lots of shopping, ate delicious food including the best tri-tip sandwich I've ever had in my life, explored Pier 39 and even saw this really cool magic show in a creepy basement theater with a room full of indians. IT WAS FABULOUS!
Can we go back yet?

xoxo

i never know what to title these.

2011-05-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

My birthday is coming up. If anyone would like a gift idea, I would really love some basic black Tory Burch flats, please. That is, if you really love me, because those babies are expensive!
And I'm going to San Francisco this weekend! I'm soooo thrilled. Killer shopping, Giants game, delicious food, and did I mention the amazing shopping? Can't. Wait. If anyone has any suggestions of things to do, I would love some!
Have I mentioned that I love anything with sprinkles? Extra sprinkles on my ice cream. Sprinkle donuts. Cupcakes are even better with sprinkles. I'm 5, I know, it's embarrassing.
I may have a new job opportunity coming up and I'm SUPER excited about it! Stay tuned!
I miss all my BFFs. We never seem to be in the same place at the same time. I finally got to catch up with my Sammy! Love that girl, she gets me.
I'm taking a science class this summer. Good news: it's only 3 weeks long. Bad news: it's every morning, there's a quiz everyday, and a huge exam on fridays. Wish me luck.
I've recently become enthralled with all things Housewives. Bev Hills was my favorite, then I discovered NY and I'm obsessed, except I'm sad Bethanny left. Orange County is sometimes okay. I've only watched a few NJ and I still can't decide if I like them. I refuse to watch Atlanta.
And I am 7 episodes behind on greys and I desperately need to catch up. Blame Real Housewives marathons for that.
I know it sounds like all I do is watch TV and eat, but I do still work, too. Nike is fun but too small at the moment. I brought my coworker his first Pizookie for his birthday and got everyone addicted. We all loved it.
Only 1 month till my court court gets home! And 6 months till Ally comes home! Yay for returning friends!
And the weirdest thing is all my little sister's friends getting engaged. That will never seem normal.
Now I must go watch the season finale of Gossip Girl.

xoxo

zapatos.

2011-04-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

I discovered this picture today as I was extremely bored and looking at Khloe Kardashians blog. Yes, I occasionally look at Khloe's blog, don't judge me. Anyways... aren't these shoes gorgeous? I would buy them just to display them. I love anything shiny and sparkly and gorgeous. But this got me realizing... I'm not a shoe person. At all. I'd much rather spend my money on jeans or bags or perfume or makeup (I have recently become obsessed with Sephora and could spend hours in there... who am I?!). And, being as tall as I am, I feel really self conscious in heels so I pretty much just stick to flats. And flats aren't that fun to shop for. In fact, I don't even own a pair of heels at the moment. Thanks to Nike, I pretty much just have amazing running shoes that I have never actually run in and flip flops in every color. But I admire heels and think they're really pretty and fun to try on and see how much taller they make me and this just brings me back to the point I seem to always make: I NEED TO FIND AN EXTRA TALL MAN TO MARRY. And preferably a rich one, so that I can have a fabulous selection of heels that I actually wear or even just use for display in my fabulously huge, amazing, organized closet.

that's all.

xoxo

party buses and ghost hunting.

2011-04-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I pretend like Jessica's friends are really my friends too...

And they all dress in fabulous metallic spandex outfits and I wear normal clothes, but that's okay. And we get a really fun party bus that reminds me of GR senior year and we just dance the night away for all the pedestrians that can see through the windows...

And we go to the stratosphere and ride the big shot and still get scared like it's the first time...

And we go to really scary haunted houses that were once owned by the mafia and are now extremely creepy and abandoned and have toilets in the front yard (trust me, it's much scarier in person/at night/after you just watched a ghost hunters special on it)...

And I have a super fun night with really cool people that was exactly what I needed! Thanks for sharing your friends with me Jess!

xoxo

back track.

2011-04-10T22:07:00.000-07:00

You know when you get in those moods where you have way too much time on your hands and so you just sit and think, think, think about everything and wonder if you made the right decision here or should've done something different there and just kind of doubt yourself, even though you know you're where you're supposed to be in the first place? Wow, sorry about that huge run-on sentence there. It's just kind of how I fell right about now. Just very... reflective.

I seem to be getting in these moods a lot lately. Just wondering why things haven't really happened for me yet. Except that they're already happening everyday, and I just fail to see it! I have a great job. I love my school. I get to live in a beautiful home and be with the people I love, even though they drive me crazy. I have a car to drive. I have food to eat. I even have a phone and a computer and a dvr and lots of clothes and fun things and... the list could go on and on. What I'm lacking in is patience, and the confidence to know that I have good instincts. If I could change something about myself right now, it would be to trust myself more and know that everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to.

This has really been hitting home lately.

xoxo

bootsie's bday extravaganza!

2011-04-04T18:02:00.000-07:00

Hannah is 13!!! Can you believe it?! I can't. I want her to stay little forever. If you know Boots, you know she is VERY into movies, tv, celebrities, etc. She knows every line from every movie and can name all the obscure cast members. So, naturally, she wanted to celebrate her birthday in the fabulous city of Los Angeles! We had a BLAST doing all the touristy things.

First stop- Universal Studios. The tour was fabulous, we got to see all kinds of cool stuff, and it was such a beautiful day. Universal Studios has the most gorgeous view of the valley!

Later that night, me, Chase and Padre got to go to a taping of Jimmy Kimmel. It was SO fun! Jimmy is hilarious and the set is so tiny. Can you spot me in the background?

The next day the boys went down to Oceanside and us girls had a day in Hollywood. Boots is hilarious... she would get so excited to see the stars of people like the Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, etc. She is such an old soul. And if you know my mom, you know she screamed and almost cried when she spotted the Carpenters star. We did the whole Hollywood Blvd thing and I've determined it's probably the best people watching on earth.

After that, Boots wanted to take a tour of the Warner Brothers studio. We went into it with pretty much no expectations, and let me tell you, it was AWESOME. Seriously one of the coolest things ever! We started out in the backlot, and it just so happened to still be set up for Hannah's favorite tv show Pretty Little Liars. She. Was. In. HEAVEN. It's funny how many tricks tv plays on you... all the girl's houses are really next door to each other, and the school and city hall are the same building.

This is Emily's house in PLL

And this is the High School

Our tour guide was awesome and she actually got us onto the real Pretty Little Liars set! We got to see the inside of the school and the girl's rooms. It was so exciting and the perfect thing for Hannah! We got really lucky because the set is usually closed and they were beginning filming the next day. We also went on the set of Chuck, which was so cool! They make the tour really personalized and it is SO worth it. We took a little stop at this classic set...

Recognize it? Mmmhmm... Central Perk from Friends! They've kept it exactly the same as it was when they filmed the final episode.

I really can't say it enough... this tour was a blast. I would recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested in tv and movies. They have this really cool museum that is full of all sorts of costumes and props that were used, like Serena and Blair's school uniforms from Gossip Girl and the clothes Will Smith wore in I Am Legend. A whole floor is dedicated to the Harry Potter movies, and Hannah about died when they had the real costume Robert Pattinson wore in the 4th movie. And we got sorted by the real sorting hat they used in the first movie- Yarm, I thought of you! They don't let you take cameras in there so you all need to go see it for yourself!

We ended the day at Santa Monica pier. It was freezing but me and boots had fun on the roller coaster and ferris wheel. It was the perfect ending to Boot's perfect birthday!

And to top it all off, we got to spend the rest of the weekend in Oceanside, laying out and watching March Madness games. I'm pretty sure it was the best weekend I've had a in a loooong time. Love you Bootsie, thanks for sharing your birthday with me!

xoxo

endings and beginnings.

2011-04-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

We were shocked and sad to find out last week that our favorite Coach Kruger is leaving to coach at Oklahoma. Its a huge loss for the basketball program, but we are more sad about losing our favorite Rebel family! The coaching staff and their families have literally become extended family to us. I consider Aubrey and Gentry to be my (other) little sisters and they have such a huge spot in my heart! I'm so excited for the opportunities they have ahead of them, but I'm also super sad for them to leave Vegas. It won't be the same without pregame shirley temples, MK+A nights, and watching huge road games together. I'm SO grateful we got to spend this past thanksgiving together, experience Australia together, and just grow so close.

At least I now have an excuse to travel and visit Oklahoma! We love you guys, GO SOONERS!

xoxo

busy little bee.

2011-03-15T20:13:00.001-07:00

I've been real busy lately. Which is a good thing!
I'm busy with school. That never ends. I even had a midterm that I had no clue about... don't worry, it went well. And I have a huge group midterm project next week that has yet to be started... don't you LOVE procrastination?

I'm busy with work, which is fine. We just got all our march madness gear in and I love that, except the Duke gear is just not okay. Oh, and I'll be unemployed for about 3 weeks while we close to finish our expansion so if anyone needs anything done/wants to play/wants to contribute to my unemployment fund, feel free to contact me!

I'm busy with family stuff. California tomorrow for Boot's 13th birthday, with a little Hollywood action, a little Jimmy Kimmel, and a lot Oceanside and NCAA tournament watching! Thrilling!

I'm busy filling out my brackets. The only thing I will reveal is that I have Kansas winning it all, which is secretly a reverse tactic because every year I pick Kansas to win they end up losing in the second round, except the year I didn't pick them to win they actually won the whole thing. So I figure if I pick them this year, they'll end up losing in the second round to who else but my Runnin Rebs! Illinois first tho. Have I ever told you how much I LOVE March?

I've been busy with friends. Even though they are younger than me they are lots of fun and they get me. But this past week I was kinda having a hard week and I really REALLY missed my Provo girls and most especially my Court Court. I am literally counting down the days til she gets home in June! My life will be complete again!

I'm busy with all my shows. So happy Brad picked Emily but I'm worried it's not gonna work for them. I need to catch up on Greys and Gossip Girl and Real Housewives.

I really like being busy.

xoxo

early class.

2011-03-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

I have an 8:30 AM class on tuesdays and thursdays.
Thank goodness it's my only class of the day, so I can just go back to bed when it's over. The bad thing about it is that I end up going to class looking like this:

And that was on a good day. Usually, it's greasy hair, no makeup, sweats and a hoodie. Or, in order to trick my fellow classmates into thinking I'm not a total scrub and I may just be going to the gym straight after class, I may wear some form of workout clothes. Note: I'm never really going to the gym after class. But they don't know that, and that's the beauty of it. Today I actually got ready for school because I was supposed to give this cute boy a ride but he overslept so I ended up getting ready for no reason. But it's okay, because I feel comforted now that my classmates may have realized that I am, in fact, NOT homeless.
Here's to early class... hopefully my last one ever.

xoxo

just added to my quote book:

2011-02-17T17:01:00.001-08:00

"Your light is seen, your heart is known, your soul is cherished by more people than you might imagine. If you knew how many others have been touched in wonderful ways by you, you would be astonished. If you knew how many people feel so much for you, you would be shocked…You are far more wonderful than you think you are. Rest with that. Rest easy with that. Breathe again. You are doing fine. More than fine. Better than fine. You’re doing great. So relax, and love yourself today.”
-Neale Donald Walsch

xoxo

ps- quote + picture found here

pretty sure I only blog late at night.

2011-02-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

Can we talk about how I took Hannah to see the Justin Bieber movie on friday and I LOVED IT?! What is my deal? It was super inspirational and I have been listening to my biebs playlist ever since. I'm secretly a 15 year old.
And then today at work my coach pulled me aside and acted all mad at me and scared the crap out of me but he really just wanted to trick me. The real reason was that I got a shoutout on an online survey for my good service- big deal people! I'm a pretty big deal. Obviously. But I really hope he never scares me like that again.
And sometimes I like my job because I get to meet/see cool people. I helped out the coolest people from Isreal one time. And on NYE I saw JLo at Guess across the road, that was kinda cool. And of course now that football season is over we have football players coming in all the time. I'm not complaining one bit. Sometimes selling shoes is pretty okay.
And other times its lame. Like how they always stick me up in soccer where no one comes, but that's okay because then I just bond with all my favorite ghetto boys. And I beg for them to let me work in bball and Jordan for just one day because we know that I can talk basketball with the best of them! So I'm working on my bball shoe knowledge. Come ask me about the difference between Kobes and Lebrons, I'm pretty much the expert.
And I went out both nights this weekend. Huge improvement.
And I did my first official teacher observation on friday, even though my whole job last year was just one big teacher observation. It was super fun! Crazy how you can already get attached to the kids in just two hours. Can't wait to go back in 2 weeks.
And v-day is tomorrow! I'm totally v-day neutral. No big deal that I have no valentine. It's just another day. Although if someone were to send me flowers or chocolate, I def wouldn't be opposed to it!
And, in honor of FNL ending this week (Don't spoil it for me I'm only on the 5th episode this season!!!), I totally wouldn't mind this guy being my valentine.

xoxo

hi.lite.

2011-02-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

highlights of my life right now:
babysitting the cutest wittle guy
making new friends at work
getting a letter from my bestest Al Pal in Houston
a fun dinner with funny boys
my beats by dre headphones
the nike training club app that kicks my butt daily
the fact that i take more baths than showers
and, still, dreaming of more and more trips to take.

I need to stop dreaming and start doing.

xoxo

bugged.

2011-01-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

things that irritate me:
-recipe blogs
-craft blogs (I'm sorry I'm one of those people who prefer to buy things instead of make them)
-driving to UNLV twice on mondays
-the fact that I'm literally gonna be 30 by the time I actually graduate
-the cost of textbooks
-rude people
-that my head is too big to wear this really cute hat I found
-my lack of funds
-that I can't just travel anywhere I want at any time I want
-people who say "Ne-vah-Duh"
-girls that don't know how to wear jeans with boots (they bunch up at the top and look awful)
-when the rebels jack up 3's like their lives depend on it

Okay, now I'm just irritating myself. I'm in a mood, as you can probably tell. I NEED A VACATION.
But there are still lots of things that make me happy.
-Free Nike gift cards
-Going back to bed after my 8:30 class
-BATHS
-my new Frees
-Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt
-sweats. nuff said.
-Soundtracks to my fav musicals. I'm obviously a cheeseball.
-SAWYER (aka wittle guy)

I'm trying to be happy. Trying.

xoxo

slightly obsessed.

2011-01-20T15:18:00.000-08:00

If I ever in my life get a chance to wear a dress like this...

Or, even better, like this...

...I will die a happy girl.
Just thought you should know.

xoxo

jazz + gram

2011-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Remember when the Jazz were really good? And Gram decked us all out in Jazz gear for our flight home, which I wore with overalls because I was obviously very trendy at age 9? What other grammy would do that for her grandkids? What other Grammy was a ferociously dedicated sports fan and passed it on to all her kin?

Just this one. She even plays pickle with us at the beach.

Missing her today!

post #181

2011-01-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Right now I'm in that mood where I'm starving but I went through the whole kitchen and absolutely nothing sounds appetizing. I HATE this mood. I'm only prolonging my hunger in hopes that something will magically appear in the pantry. Except I'm 99% sure that won't happen. So what do I do instead? Blog, of course. Not that anything in my life has changed, really. I love working at Nike. I have funny and cool friends there. The other day I did really good in Men's Running and I was really proud of myself because running shoes are hard to learn about, trust me. I had a teensy crush on a boy for half a day and then I realized he's shorter than me so now it's back to square one. Last night I had a sleepover with Kori and we ate a whole great wall of chocolate from PF's and it was probably the most fun I've had in a looong time! NYE was lame as always, I came home at 630 and ate and me and boots watched fireworks from the balcony. Obviously I'm really cool and have tons of friends :)))) AND I forgot to mention my ultimate christmas present! A plane ticket anywhere Southwest flies and some hotel nights. I'm dying to just pick up and go anywhere I want. I NEED A TRAVEL PARTNER. BAD. Since all my previous travel partners now have husbands they can't leave or are off serving the Lord, I'm in desperate need of someone who just wants a good adventure with me. New York? Miami? Chicago? Anywhere? I get so excited just thinking about the possibilities!

Okay, enough rambling from me.

xoxo

places, memories.

2011-01-11T20:52:00.001-08:00

Last night I was laying awake in my bed and a random memory flashed through my head.
When I was 16, we took a family trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. Sometimes I forget about it, but it was one of the best trips I've ever been on. Emily and her family are definitely the most fun family to travel with- I love them. Nothing beats night bike rides to the general store for cotton candy ice cream. One day at the beach, a snake just slithered his way through our beach chairs, and I've never heard my mom scream so loud. Dad took us out crabbing everyday, even though we never really caught any. I specifically remember hiking up the giant hill to the memorial at Kitty Hawk- thank you Wright brothers for inventing the airplane, but visiting the place of the first flight left me the sweatiest I've ever been. We discovered the Brew Thru- a drive thru drink place, aka the best invention EVER. I'm shocked it hasn't made its way to the West Coast.
The point of this blog- I love going places. I love making new memories that still make me laugh out loud almost 6 years later. I can't wait until I can make my triumphant return to OBX, because it's such a beautiful place.

Apparently the only picture I took of this trip was me with a crab. Lovely.

xoxo

P.S. Em- Remember when SJ found the adult diaper in the closet?!

have yourself a merry one.

2010-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe that at this time last year, I was spending Christmas Day at Notre Dame.
A lot has happened in the past year. It hasn't been the best one I can remember. Good times, bad times. Times of the most confusion I've ever had, and times of perfect clarity when I least expected it. There's been life changing decisions I've made and life changing circumstances I had no say in. Bottom line: It's been a rough, scary, exciting, crazy year in the life of Alyssa Joy. I'm grateful for everything, though. I feel just a little bit stronger than last year.
I don't find it a coincidence that we end our year with Christmas time- the time when I can be with the people that mean the most to me in the one place that will always welcome me with open arms- Home. So, even though it's hard for me to say virtually anything without sarcasm, I want to wish all my sweet friends and lovely family the happiest Christmas one could possibly have. And mostly, I want to say THANK YOU to all of you. I don't really express my emotions that much, but I hope you all know that you mean the world to me, truly, and even though it's the most cliche thing in the world to say, I wouldn't be who I am today without all of you. You've touched my heart in ways you probably don't even know.
I love you all and I hope all your wishes come true this season!

xoxo

attention world!!

2010-12-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

SAWYER ANDERSON LEAVITT HAS ARRIVED!
I love love love this little guy SO much already. I just can't get enough of him. I'm already convinced he's the most beautiful and perfect baby ever born. Shaylee was such a champ and looked absolutely gorgeous after giving birth, I don't know how she does it! And until I get pictures from my mom, I just steal pictures from Shay. Doesn't he already have the best hair?

Aunt Alee loves you sooo much little one!

xoxo

thanksgiving.

2010-12-14T22:27:00.001-08:00

I'm a little late on this! Thanksgiving was fab, as usual. A little different this year, but change is fun! We had our thanksgiving dinner the sunday before, and on wednesday we headed down to wonderful Anaheim, CA for a little Disneyland action. Added bonus: the Rebs were playing in a tournament at the convention center down the street. You know that combination is pretty much perfect for the Leavitt family! Disney was as good as it always is, a little crowded, but not bad for a holiday weekend. I loved hanging out with my real sisters and my pretend ones and my rebel ones, they are the best. We laugh and laugh and eat and eat and laugh some more. Thanksgiving Day feast was had at the Jazz Kitchen, and I dared to try turducken. Yeah, just figure that out. It wasn't great. Game on thanksgiving night, capped it off with a win! Rinse and repeat for Friday, but add in more great food and dippin dots at the game and I die. Don't judge me. Saturday was probably the funniest day I've had in a long time. Reader's Digest version- spent the day at Dland with my favorite rebel. Don't mind that we bonded over Space Mountain. Jessica fell in love with an Isreali and Hannah + Carlos= soulmates. Karam gets so stressed when we lose temporarily lose Hannah, but of course she's at the nearest churro stand, where else?! We celebrated Diva Mom's birthday on saturday night and walked home in the rain. A day finished with a Celebration Apple is a perfect day. Bottom line: I loved Thanksgiving. Maybe more than usual.

Thanksgiving Dinner with our favorite Grensings

Everyone loves a Rebel win!

Gentry HUMILIATED me at Toy Story. I'm humbled.

"Define Fast"

Karam <33333

Obviously they're made for each other!

Hope everyone's Turkey Day was as wonderful as mine!
xoxo

i'm a pro. crastinator, that is.

2010-12-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Hey, world. Sorry I've been a bad blogger. Not that anyone probably cares, but there has been no record of my life since November 20th! What a travesty! Since I'm currently hardcore procrastinating for my finals this week, I can only promise a longer, more exciting update in the near future. Just think of it! Stories of a magical thanksgiving, complete with fireworks and mounds of calories and... basketball?! Tales of an exciting new job! Speculations galore on the magic that is the holiday season! Have I hooked you yet?
See you (relatively) soon!

xoxo

sweet, sweet victory.

2010-11-20T23:24:00.001-08:00

I love a good win against a ranked opponent, Wisconsin in this particular case.

Thank you, Justin Hawkins, for the huge steal and for making your free throws. We owe you one.

Keep underestimating the Rebels, world! We'll show you.

xoxo

due.

2010-11-16T22:36:00.003-08:00

For an update, that is. Not a baby or anything... although my sweet nephew will be making his grand entrance into the world anytime now! SOOOO exciting, can't wait to meet this little bundle!
I have the travel bug REAL bad right now. I want to go anywhere and everywhere... I plan trips when I get bored. And it doesn't help that my sister is going on the most incredible study abroad this summer. I can't think of anything I really want for Christmas, so maybe an open-ended and destination unknown plane ticket would work? Excess marriott points, mom and dad? Just an idea :))) Applications for travel buddies are now being accepted.
My fash (dad) had gotten this new grill- I don't remember the name of it- but he is like a little kid with it. All he does is read his cookbook and think of new recipes. He's make 6 dinners in the last 2 weeks... we're talking slow roasted tri-tip, chicken and pork roast smoked on the grill, etc. AH. MAZ. ING. Tonight was homemade woodfire pizza. Unreal. Everyone is invited for dinner now.
Did I mention I got kicked out of my singles ward? Hahahaha really tho. Straight booted. Long story.
Cross your fingers for me that I get this job... If I do, I'll let you know what it is!
Aaaaand I'm in a serious music drought. I listen to the same same same stuff. But I don't like anything new? Its a problem. I don't know what to do with it. Right now I'm listening to old school Citizen Cope... takes me right back to high school. I kind of love when music does that.
I'm real real excited to spend Thanksgiving with my rebel family this year, even though we will miss being with real family. It's been an interesting year... but I think its just put everything into perspective for me. Family is more important than anything. I'm just glad that no matter what, family love is an eternal love. Nothing can break that.

xoxo

I made a little change.

2010-10-31T22:36:00.000-07:00

Until a better picture comes along... here is slightly reddish/coppery/strawberry blonde-ish/warm-haired me. I've done the same exact color blonde forever. It was time for a change.
That's all.

fall? kind of?

2010-10-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

Fall means that I find any excuse to wear boots. I love them. Except that I need new ones and I'm waaaay too picky to even find one pair that I love. That's just one of the many things I'm picky about, including but not limited to:
-FOOD
-boys
-nail polish colors
-phone covers
and much more. So if you have any cute boot suggestions, throw em at me!
Oh and I made my return to Provo this weekend. It was fun, but it just reaffirmed the fact that I most definitely made the right choice to leave when I did. Provo if fun, but I'm glad that phase of my life is over. The fall colors were beautiful, even if it was cold and rainy all weekend. We did have a pretty epic (that's another thing I'm picky about... I feel like people overuse the word epic but in this case, it's fitting) dinner at PF Changs that included not one, but two hot waiters, lots of food, free desserts, and the exchanging of phone numbers for a select few. I think it was the hardest I've laughed in awhile, thanks to KB, Jessi and Paige. I love them.
I wish I was better at taking pictures. I don't even remember the last picture I took.
I like Taylor Swift and how she puts people on blast in her songs. Dear John is my new favorite.
BBALL SEASON STARTS IN A WEEK!!!! I'm obviously a happy girl.
Disneyland this weekend. Then Disneyland for thanksgiving. It's a good thing I'm pretty sure its impossible to get too much disney, otherwise we might have a problem!
Charlie is coming so so so soon. I'm thrilled!
I'm pretty sure thats all.

friends. real ones.

2010-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry I'm a picture stealer! And that this picture is appearing everywhere but... I really just love it. Nothing makes me happier than being with these girls. There's something about them that just makes me laugh and laugh and laugh for hours. It makes me so happy that even though time and distance and marriage and babies and everything else in our lives has changed, our friendship never will. Thanks for the smiles ladies! Miss you all!

procrastinating.

2010-10-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

I really should be doing my library research project that's due tomorrow. Naturally, I'll blog instead, even though I don't have much to blog about. I've made my triumphant return to the hotels of the Strip to babysit for the wonderful mix of foreigners that come to Vegas with their kids. I don't really understand it, but hey! It puts money in my bank. The past two weeks have been straight Aussie- as in I've had nothing but Australian families. Let me tell you, whining about bed time is SO much cuter with an Australian accent. Really, I'm convinced they make the cutest kids. This influx of Oz has also made me realize something significantly lacking in my life: I've never been to the Grand Canyon. Every single family that I've had in the last little while has just raved about the greatness of the Grand Canyon and are positively shocked that I live so close and haven't been there. Here's the honest truth: I have absolutely NO desire to go there... sorry, foreigners. I know its a wonder of the world and all, but I'm just not in any hurry. I've seen plenty of canyons in my life, thank you. And I beat most of you Down Unders to the Great Barrier Reef, so there.
On a healthier note, I went to a great health seminar the other day on Juice Plus. I know, I know, Alyssa at a health seminar?! I think I just saw a pig fly past my window... no really, it's a miracle. And if you don't know what Juice Plus is, look it up because I can't really explain it that well. Its an amazing way to get the nutrition that your body requires from fruits and vegetables- really, the studies are amazing. I really enjoyed it. Did it get me to take my JP more regularly? Absolutely. Did it stop me from going through the McD's drive thru yesterday? Not quite... I do have my weaknesses, people. I'm a work in progress. Now if only I could get my a on the elliptical...
Lastly: I've been having car troubles. I don't like to discuss this because it gets me too heated but let's just say I've had to call AAA twice in a matter of 4 days. Not fun, my friends. Silver lining: car being in the shop= me stranded at home= my mom forcing me to do her halloween crafts for her= these cuties inspired by this amazing mom.

I think they're cute + festive.
I should probably return to my hw now.
xoxo

i'm baaaack!

2010-09-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is me these days.
Newly free from crazy employment, and super excited about it. Everything turned out just the way I hoped it would!
I just painted my nails. I NEVER paint my nails. If they get even one tiny little chip, I'm done for! How long will these ones last?
I really really really wanna go to Usher & Trey Songz in November. Anyone wanna go with me?
Speaking of November... I can't wait. For Thanksgiving. Disneyland & Rebs, who could ask for more?
The new Forever 21 at the Fashion Show is awful. And by awful, I mean awful for my wallet. I literally cannot go in there and not walk out with something. Terrible, terrible.
It hit me last night that some of my friends are moms. How crazy? When did we get old enough to have our own children? It's funny how we all used to be in the same place in life and now everyone is everywhere.
Speaking of babies... I cannot WAIT for my little king charles to enter the world in December! We call him Charlie. Brother and sister in law won't tell us any names yet, so it's charlie/king charles for now.
Speaking of babies again... my cousins had the cutest baby I've ever seen. Really, Reese just came out sooo beautiful and I die for all the cute pictures of her! I can't wait to meet her in person!
I lowkey miss my little sister (you better read this because I'll never say it in person)
I love school and having a class with my cousin Jake and Sadie. They're cool.
I love institute. Who woulda thought??
I love getting emails from Courtney and Ally every week. I miss them more.
Super excited for bball season to start!
Me and Mom went to a little bball event for women last week... we love all our Rebel family. They are so sweet and funny and it still surprises me when Coach remembers my name. Don't worry, me and Kori dipped when they forced us to do a layup line in front of the whole team... I just couldn't do it. Other than that, we had a blast!
Can't wait to see some long lost friends at Trevor and Jordans wedding next week. Yay for reuniting!

XOXO

life in chocolate.

2010-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry that I've turned into the worlds worst blogger! Really, I wish I had more time to blog. I will in two weeks. I quit my ridiculous job and I'm beyond relieved... I feel like I can breathe again! So until that job ends next week, I'll leave you with a little food love: Max Brenner. AMAZING. The restaurant is pretty much based on chocolate. The place smells incredible, and almost every dish has a little chocolaty love. The drinks are to die for. I had a banana split shake that was just divine, and the frozen hot chocolate was spectacular! I'm running out of adjectives and I'm not even at the appetizers. The macaroni and cheese- best I've ever had, hands down. I had these thai chicken stick things that were super satisfying. And then we get to the desserts. Oh, the desserts. I LIVE for Max Brenner desserts. We had an assortment of fondue, smore's with a little flame where you roast your mallows, dessert waffles, and a sundae. EVERYTHING was perfect. I've never tasted better chocolate fondue in my existence. Have I convinced you to go yet? Because you really should. I probably ate my body weight, but that's okay! In one of the pictures you can clearly see that I'm storing some food in my cheeks like a chipmunk. Hey, why not save some for later?! I heart you, Max.

XOXO

it's true, we're stars.

2010-09-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with this show.

My aunt and cousin got me fixed on it at the beach last year when pretty much every waking moment was spent on our laptops watching the live feeds. Seriously, watch one episode and you're addicted! Well this year when I was in Mexico, I got a facebook message from my cousin Tiffany saying Call me-URGENT. Don't worry, her life wasn't in danger or anything, she just got tickets to the Big Brother live show in LA the next day! This is pretty much like hitting the jackpot. Very few people actually get to go to the studio and witness a live eviction. Needless to say, I HAD to be there. It wasn't even a choice. Long story short, we jumped through many hoops to get me from Mexico to LA the next day, which included a very long border crossing and a personal driver who also worked parties at the Playboy Mansion. I can totally get us in, by the way.
I met Tiff, Janae, and Tiff's mom at CBS Studios in Studio City. We were practically first in line, it was fantastic. After a little bit of waiting they walked us all over to the actual studio where the show is filmed. If you don't know about BB, it's basically 13 people live in a house filled with cameras. They don't have tv, music, books, anything. It gets real dramatic when you have nothing to do but be surrounded by weird people, and they are the only people they see all summer. No one comes in, and one person leaves each week. The coolest part about going to the live show was that the "house" they live is inside the studio we were at! The front door was literally right behind us. So weird.
Anyways, the most wonderful and ego-boosting part about this whole experience was that when you walk into the studio, an audience coordinator seats people where she thinks they should go... aka, if you are attractive, you go in the front. We thought really highly of ourselves when we were placed in the front row, right behind where Julie Chen stands. Pretty much the best seats in the house with a lot of camera time. We rock. We got to see the most hates houseguest Rachel get evicted. Fun Facts: She has the worlds worst hair extensions, the most annoying laugh, and we hate her because she makes Vegas girls look like skanks. We were happy to see her go!
Here's some screenshots of us on the show.

And if you look close, you can see my little head right behind Rachel when she was getting interviewed.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TIFF for sharing this experience with me!! I had such a good time!!

XOXO

i'm obsessed with mexico. sorry bout it.

2010-08-30T22:52:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure mexico trips have taken this blog hostage. Whoops! Oh well, there's some great pictures that go along with it. Let me just say that I love this place. It's so relaxing and nice to not really do anything. I love that. I love that we have our little places we always go and people we always see. I love that it makes you appreciate small things like normal grocery stores and the ability to walk around without being gawked at (and no, I'm not bragging about that... I'm 6 feet tall, blond and blue eyed... I stick out like a sore thumb in this place).
We had lots of adventures this time. We rode horses on the beach. My horse was named Mancito, but I re-named him El Diablo because I'm pretty sure he was possessed. He took off running at top speed and I seriously saw my life flash before my eyes! It was TERRIFYING. The Mexican cowboys thought it was hysterical, of course. I'm sure it was quite the sight to see, me screaming at the top of my lungs as El Diablo dashes down the beach. The plus side is that we met the most adorable little mexican boys, Esteban and Geraldo. Fash bought them all candy and they were probably the happiest ever.

We also ventured to Ensenada for the afternoon. Even though we got lost and it took a little bit longer than expected, the drive was soooo gorgeous. We stopped at a 7-11 to get directions and while we were there, a traveling circus just happened to pull up right next to us with some panthers and weird baboons. Only in Mexico, right? We went to the famous blow hole. It was pretty cool. Isn't it amazing that nature just does weird things like that? Its fascinating to me! At the blow hole there's a bunch of shops and stuff, and there just happened to be a booth supporting the local zoo where you could hold baby tigers and lions. Of course we had to do it! Let me tell you, this baby tiger was the cutest, but he was not very happy! I snapped at me a couple times, but I still loved him. I never was good with animals anyway.

Pretty much we had an awesome trip. We always do, don't we? When the construction gets done, it will be even better. I want to bring everyone down to enjoy it. Let's all go.

XOXO

i know, i know.

2010-08-26T23:31:00.001-07:00

I need to blog. But I have no time. zero. nada.
Except maybe this weekend, my last weekend of freedom before I start my new job, which I am trying really hard to not view as a form of slavery. Because it's not. It's a great job. I don't know why I'm dreading it. HELP ME, I'm usually the most positive about these things and I'm dying here. More on that later though. When I actually have time to blog.
Until then, get excited for the following: another trip south of the border. a near-trampling horse incident. a days journey to the city of angels for a once in a lifetime opportunity. car services, trains, and cab rides. 2 hours in the happiest place on earth. a new school. a new job. a new life. a new me? Sorry for that bit of cheese.
Here's a picture to tide your excitement. Why am I holding a baby tiger? I guess you'll have to wait to find out! That is, if anyone even reads this thing anymore. Don't give up hope on me.

xoxo

shoutouts.

2010-08-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Shout out to my fantastic fash and his big 4-8! I love love love this guy. More than I can express.
Shout out to the peeps that stole Yase's truck at 7:45 in the morning... dbags. Thanks for leaving it at the lakes so it can be returned to it's rightful owner. You suck.
Shout out to all ya'll living in gated and guarded communities... I hope your neighborhood has better luck than ours!
Shout out to the woman I nannied for at Encore last week... thanks for the generous tip and the advice that XS is the best club in the world. I aspire to be a world-class clubber like you someday.
Shout out to UNLV for finally letting me register! I'm officially a rebel.
Shout out to my girl J for finally making an appearance in the 702 and living it up with the old homies. I love you.
Shout out to Lebron James, just because I feel like I'm the only person in the world who still loves you and loves the fact that you took less money to go and play with your friends in Miami. I love it!
Shout out to San Diego/Cantamar, Mexico... can't wait to see you this week.
Shout out to the little devil child who takes swimming from me this session. You give me bruises from your pinching and I don't appreciate your screaming bloody murder like I'm trying to kill you or something... I'm only trying to teach you how to float on your back!
Shout out to Big Brother for finally getting interesting and keeping me addicted, as usual.

That's all the shout out's for today.

XOXO

J. Bieb vs. Khloe

2010-07-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

When I was 11, my parents surprised me with tickets to an Nsync concert. Needless to say, I was seriously obsessed with these boys and pretty much died when I found out I got to see them live. Dream come true! I even wore my favorite cheesy Nsync t-shirt and had the grandest time.
So, I kind of got to re-live that fabulous time in my life last night when I escorted my baby sis to the Justin Bieber concert! Despite the most ridiculous line I've ever seen and a poorly-organized theater, it was fantastic. Sean Kingston rocked it, me and boots were dancing the night away! Even though I don't think he really sang live at all... oh well, loved him. Then it was time for The Biebs... I don't think I've ever heard more piercing screaming then when the lights went down and his set started. Aren't 13 year old girls the best?? JB killed it! LOVE him, even though he is teensy and still pre-pubescent. He is the biggest flirt ever and managed to get every little girl, big girl, mom... you name it, to fall in love with him! I officially have Bieber Fever. Hannah was going crazy. It was a great moment. Of course my camera died right when the show started, so I barely got any pictures!

Now, on the flip side, I was kinda bummed that I had to miss the Team USA scrimmage at the T&M. I love those things. The fam went there while we were at the concert, and I got a text with this picture from my Dad about halfway through:

Yes, that's my little brother Yase, not only looking super high, but next to the one and only Khloe Kardashian!!! If you know me, you know I LOVE Khloe. All Kardashians, really. Go ahead, call me shallow, but that is my guilty pleasure! She was there to watch her husband Lamar play for Team USA and the boys got to meet her. I'm seriously SO sad that I missed out on this. And they said she was super nice.
Moral of the story: Sometimes you get the Biebers, other times you get the Khloe Kardashians, but you gotta love what you got.

XOXO

muy bueno.

2010-07-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

Mexicoooo! Always an adventure. This trip started out with me, my dear sweet mother, and yase and hannah. We got there on the 4th of July... why is it that 2 of the last 3 years, I've been out of the country for independence day? Hmmm, I really do love America, promise. Anyways, we layed out when the sun decided to come out, took a few sketchy trips to Walmart and Home Depot, where I stick out like a sore thumb (maybe the height and the blonde hair have something to do with it??), and enjoyed the salty beach air.

On Wednesday, we had the pleasure of being joined by the entire Bergquist-Armstrong clan... all 12 of them! Never a dull moment with those kids, love them! We took an eventful and entertaining trip to Puerto Nuevo for some Mexican shopping, and where Andrew was serenaded by a mariachi band for his birthday...

Had a ninja birthday party, complete with a Spongebob pinata that was much harder to destroy than it looked, and the boys attempted to do fireworks, until they were scared off.

This place is beautiful.

XOXO

one of those updates.

2010-07-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

I was obsessed with how Melinda and Leah did my hair the other day. Leah is a wizard with a curling iron... seriously, my hair never does this! I love.
I got a new computer. I love it to death. The screen is huge and clear and magical. The only downside is transferring everything from the oldie to the new one! Why can't I just get all my music downloaded and organized and all my pictures all together like on my oldie? Because its boring and time consuming, thats why! Hopefully it'll be done by the end of this week.
Can't wait to spend next week laying out and eating tacos. Viva Mexico!!
Do yourself a favor and listen to James Morrison's cover of Man in the Mirror... so beautiful.
Speaking of Michael, I almost teared up when they were playing his songs on the radio on the anniversary of his death. So sad.
Got my first nannying job last night! I hung out with two kids at the Treasure Island and we had a blast. Watched the pirate show, played some bingo, made some paper airplanes... the usual. And I met a cute guy in the elevator on the way out. Paul from Lavo, if you happen to find this, I found your blue eyes very enchanting.
And I'm really tan from swimming lessons. Which makes me that much happier.
June, you were good to me. July, please be nice.
XOXO

2010-06-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

I love these guys. There's something about the Beatles that just makes me happy... their music makes me smile. I love that my baby sister is obsessed with them and knows their entire history and is jealous that me and Paul share a birthday. I think every 12 year-old should have a good dose of Beatlemania in their lives. Last night I got to see Love at the Mirage and it was SO amazing! I can't say enough about it... every part of it was so creative and awe-inspiring and fun! Everyone should see it. And everyone should listen to the Beatles... you won't regret it, I promise.
XOXO
P.S. We used Tix 4 Tonight for our tickets, which I would recommend. Half price tickets for pretty much every show on the Strip if you get them the night of the show!

Fash.

2010-06-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Fash's Day to my most favorite one on earth. Thanks for all the adventures, and for letting me live in your basement.
xoxo,
Alee

as of this moment...

2010-06-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

I'm embracing my curls. Teaching swimming lessons and having pool hair everyday will do that to you.
I just love the bachelorette. Not Ali herself, I think she's really annoying. But all the craziness and drama and cool dates and everything... I just love it. Roberto and Kirk are my favorites.
How precious was the Glee season finale?? Me and Boots loved it.
I'm obsessed with 90210. Yes, the old series. It's sooo good and its really all I watch.
I'm turning 22 next week. Not sure how I feel about it?
Brittan has been in town! It feels sooo good to be reunited with her and Bec. We are bff's. But we miss Jack and Court and Ally a lot, too.
Remember that time I was kind of in love with Usher? Oh wait, that's right now. His new cd is sooo good. And he had a little cameo in Killers and he's really attractive. I liked that movie, by the way. Ashton Kutcher... my mom thinks he's charming.
Last night me and my mom went to JoAnns and Old Navy and In N Out. It reminded me of the old days when my parents would reward us with an Old Navy trip for good grades. I love my mama!
Yase is on the church history tour right now. Weird, because it doesn't seem like that long ago that I was on it. Ginge hasn't changed, still "no romances allowed"... riiiiiight.
This morning was probably the most traumatizing experience of my life. Let's just say I'm really really happy that my sister is alive and well and not laying dead in a ditch somewhere. I hope no one has to go through a scare like that.
Summer... I love you. My knees and ears are fried but I love the little tinge of pink in my face. We all look better with a little color, right? It's funny how every year I forget how BLAZING hot Las Vegas is. But I still love it. I'll take this blasted heat over the snow any day. At least in the heat there's no scraping the windows! I love this place.
XOXO

freedom.

2010-05-31T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today is Memorial Day.
I just want give a lil shout out to all the Veterans out there. You guys rock my world. After visiting Normandy a couple months ago, I have a new found appreciation for all those who have protected our freedoms. Special holler to my cousin Sammy, serving in the Marines in Japan!!!
Today I'm grateful for:
The freedom to travel & go to amazing places. (Have fun in Hawaii Mom & Dad! Actually, not too much fun. I want you to miss me a little.)
The freedom to be able to work and choose how we make a living.
The freedom to make my own decisions.
The freedom to learn and be educated.
And especially, it being Memorial Day and all, the freedom to lay out and eat lots of junk and have pool hair allllll day.

I love America.
XOXO

adios, P.

2010-05-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Today marks my last day in P-Town. It's back to Las Vegas I go, this time for good.
I definitely need a little change, and a move to warmer weather and familiar faces is just perfect for me.
Things I will miss about Provo:
-The green mountains
-Burgers Supreme
-Pizza Factory
-My awesome ward
-My little kindergarteners :((((
-My precious apartment
-Being hundreds of miles away from my parents (Love you momz and fash!!)
-Nertsy with J and B and Muel

Things I will NOT miss about Provo:
-WEATHER WEATHER WEATHER
-My little closet
-Mariah Carey roommate, even though we recently bonded
-Couple City at all times
-BYU fans
-Being hundreds of miles away from my parents
-the sausage fest that is Belmont

Oh, Provo. We had some good times while it lasted. I'll probably miss you a little... but let's face it, we both knew our relationship would never last.

Las Vegas: Can't wait to reunite. Leave the lights on for me.

XOXO

remember this?

2010-05-14T17:43:00.001-07:00

I'm sad it's so small.
I'm feeling nostalgic. And I'm pretty sure this picture sums up my high school experience.
How did we all get so lucky?

mmmhmm.

2010-05-12T21:08:00.001-07:00

I LOVE these guys. Let me just tell you.
Picked in preseason to finish 11th in the West... and they end up with the #3 seed.
Didn't even make the playoffs last season.
Steve Nash is 35 years old and having a career year. Oh, and he can nail threes. After getting six stitches. With one eye closed. Top THAT.
They played the Spurs in the second round. The same team that eliminated them the last 4 times they were in the playoffs. AND THEY SWEPT THOSE BEASTS.
They're all super sexy.
Jared Dudley does the coolest videos inside the locker room on his twitter. I die for them.
And did I mention that my original basketball lover plays for them? Oh Louis... you shall always have my heart. ponytail and all.

Remember when I got to live this dream? I'm still obsessed with it. Just the fact that I exchanged words with Grant Hill boggles my mind.

Next up: the hated lakers. I'm hoping for a miracle. Plus, we all know purple and orange are MUCH hotter than purple and gold.

xoxo PHX.

threeweeks!

2010-05-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Oh sweet sweet summer. I just can't wait til you officially begin... three weeks for me. Three weeks til the little kiddies set me free, even though I will miss them sooo much. Three weeks til I make my return to my beloved 702. Don't you wanna celebrate with me?! Be my friend this summer. All of you. Let's play. I'm ready to get out and live my fabulous, wonderful life in the city I love. I plan on getting real tan (thank you swimming lessons), driving with the air conditioning blasting (considering I still have the heat on here in UT), enjoying the whole fam being in LV (thanks D and Shay bear for choosing to relocate), and... schooling. Which is okay with me, I need to catch up anyways.

I was looking at my pictures from summer last year. It's gonna be way different this year.
For one, this precious bffl is spending her summer across the country in Philly, and having the time of her life. It's weird that just last summer we were meeting creepy foreigners on the strip and setting Provo on fire with our coolness and now you're married and a temporary east coaster!

Two, my favorite Courtney ever is in Ohio. I know I always say that I miss her but... I really, really miss her. And I'm super jealous that Chase may get to visit her on the CHT this summer.

Third, this fool chooses to stay in P-Town this summer. Super lame, but I love her anyways. J you best be taking LOTS of trips to LV this summer because you know we do summers right.

BUT.....
I'm WAY excited to reunite with Ham Ham, who always brings out the crazy in me, and Bec Bec, my favorite sassy redhead. Yay for old friends!

And I'm equally as excited to get back to one of my favorite places ever. Which has gotten a little facelift, and I'm anxious to see it. As well as eat ridiculously delicious tacos at my favorite authentic Mexican taco stand with my favorite people ever... Thriller dance included.

Summer... can't wait to reunite with you. We always have a good time. See you in three weeks?

i need this.

2010-05-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this just look like heaven? Can I go here right now? I need a break. I need a break from school... which, thank goodness, is happening. I need a break from work, even though I love it. I need a break from responsibility and worrying and thinking and just growing up. I'm gonna be 22 next month and I feel like I'm still the same little girl who wants to do everything and nothing has no idea how to do/not do it. Except I'm getting older everyday. You know what I've realized lately? I'm really hate making decisions. Especially life-changing ones. Let me clarify: I'm in the middle of a pretty big decision right now. The good thing is that I'm unbelievably blessed and whichever path I choose, I know I'll be fine. But that's a double-edged sword because there's really no wrong or right decision, and that makes it even more hard to choose. It's so stressful. Sometimes I wish someone could just knock me on the head and tell me what to do. But isn't that the beauty of life? The fact that we GET to choose? Aren't we lucky that we have a say in what direction our lives will take? I often have to remind myself how lucky I am that I GET to go to school and be educated and that I GET to have a job that I love and that I GET to decide what career I want to eventually have. Even though it's sometimes such a burden and I can't sleep at night because I worry about what to do, it's all up to me. That's pretty amazing, right?
I'm so lucky to have parents that put up with me. I can't even count how many times I've changed my mind about what I want to do with my life and where I want to go. They've been so patient with me. They've realized that it's gonna take me a little but longer than most to get myself together. Mom & Dad, I promise I'm gonna graduate college... someday. Just bear with me :)))
Basically what I'm trying to say is, life is crazy. But we already knew that. I'm so glad I can go to my knees and get the comfort I need, whenever I need it. Decisions are hard, but they're there for a reason. I'm stressed. I'm worried. But I'm happy! Either way I go, my life will still be amazing and I'll still be able to do the things I want to. I'm just lucky.
And after all this, I'm going on a vacation. Where I won't have to do anything and the only decision I'll have to make is whether or not to have that second pina colada.
XOXO

PS sorry this was all over the place.
PPS picture from here

Current.

2010-04-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Currently watching: The Hills. Note to blog readers (if you're out there at all): If I ever talk about getting plastic surgery done, please slap me. Because Heidi Montag looks straight up ridiculous. Why anyone would want to look like they're literally made out of plastic is beyond me.
Currently doing: A secret project. I love surprises!
Currently eating: A jar full out unwrapped Smarties. They are SO good to me right now but the trouble is... they are right next to me at all times. So I eat them. Not very smart.
Currently loving: the fact that I'm done with school for the semester. That means I can come home from work and take long naps and not even feel bad about it! Oh how I love to sleep. I remember when I saw Twilight I hated the part when Edward says that vampires don't need to sleep... how terrible is that?! I would HATE not sleeping! Wouldn't you get bored if you were awake 24 hours a day?? Can I get an amen??
oh, and I love the cowboys on the Amazing Race.
Currently reading: nothing. I need a good read. Any suggestions?
Currently looking forward to: This weekend! Family getting together in Cedar City for my brother's graduation. I'm super excited to see my most favorite sister in law and just hang out. I love family.
Currently counting: down the days till I get to move home! I can't wait. I love Vegas. Provo has been good to me but I need to get out for awhile. Just a little change of scenery. If you're in Vegas this summer, be my friend :)))
Currently missing: My most favorite missionary Court Court. I miss her SOOO much. And I haven't heard from her in months so I'm checking the mail daily in anticipation!!
Currently admiring: My Al Pal. She had her farewell here on Sunday and gave a truly amazing talk. It was one of those where she said everything in such a clear and relatable way that you just felt so good about the message she was giving. And she definitely said some things that I needed to hear. I love her!!!
Currently listening: to nothing. I'm in desperate need of some new music. Suggestions are totally welcome!!

XOXO

3 Musketeers.

2010-04-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

Summer of 2008. I moved in directly across from my 2 BFFs, Courtney and Ally. One day, Ally comes rushing in, excited as ever. Why? There was a HUGE thunderstorm going on- we're talking POURING rain, mini floods, lightning, everything. The kind of storm that really only comes along every once in awhile. Ally loves the rain probably more than anyone I have ever met/will ever meet. She of course talks me and Court into putting on some sweats and going out to play in the storm. I remember this day so clearly. We were laughing hysterically while frolicking in the Belmont parking lot in the kind of rain that no one wants to get caught in... no one but us, of course. Luckily our friend Clark was outside to capture some pictures of the 3 crazy girls in the rain... they're probably two of my favorite pictures ever.

I woke up to a thunderstorm today. Of course I immediately thought of my fellow musketeers. They amaze me. Courtney is currently serving a mission in Kirtland, Ohio... probably the hottest visitors center missionary of all time. Ally is leaving in May to serve her mission in Houston, Texas. I'm sure she'll plenty of cowboys will fall in love with her while she teaches them the gospel. How did I get so lucky in the friend department?

Al Pal and Court: I love you guys. Can't wait for more storms together. Swords up, beanies on, all for one and one for all!!
XOXO, Lyss

busted.

2010-04-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Busted window, that is. On my little Vue.
Sitting in my driveway at home in Vegas. Some d-bag decided they want my purse. Which I left in the front seat... so I guess it's kinda my fault but still. People shouldn't bust other peoples windows. Luckily, there was only about 15 bucks in my wallet! No debit card or checks or anything else like that. But there was my camera and my wonderful baby ipod that has been my BFF since senior year of high school. Let me just tell you: It's not very fun waking up to your father asking you if you had anything valuable in your car... luckily it didn't get stolen, which was my first thought. But I must be living right because later that day, some guy (named Dan Scott, how appropriate right, one tree hill fans??) found my precious purse in his backyard and turned it in to the police, who were so kind as to bring it back to the house. YAY!! I got my purse back, I don't have to get a new drivers license, they didn't even discover the credit card in the back of my wallet, I don't have to replace my favorite lip gloss, and they left me the foreign currency that I have left over from trips to Australia and Europe. Score.
I'm would've taken a picture of my window (or lack thereof) and the deathly trail of glass all over the driveway, but unfortunately my camera and ipod are currently in said d-bag's possession. No camera= no pictures. Oh, and RIP iPod, I hope this fool enjoys your wonderfully random music selections and hot pink and green cover. Or not.

spots.

2010-04-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have lots of moles. freckles. whatever you wanna call them. My mom used to tell me they were angel kisses. I have hundreds, probably thousands of them all over my body. I don't really notice them. When I do, sometimes I think they're pretty. Sometimes I hate them. They're just... there. Anyways, it's been awhile since they've been brought to my attention. In the past week, I've had these three conversations with some of my favorite kiddos.

#1
Dominic: "What are all those spots on you?"
Me: "Those are my freckles."
Dominic: "You have ALOT of those."
Me: "Yes, I have them all over."
Dominic: "I think you should go to the doctor."

#2
Ethan: "Why do you have all those brown spots on your face?"
Me: "Those are my freckles. I have them all over."
Ethan: "Are those from the sun? My dad told me you get brown spots from the sun."
Me: "No, these ones I've had my whole life."
Ethan: "Are you sure you don't have swine flu? I heard you get those when you have swine flu."

And my favorite of all...
#3
Jacob: "What are those dots on you?"
Me: "Just my freckles."
Jacob. "Oh. You're beautiful."
Thanks, Jacob.

Let it be known: I've gotten my "spots" checked out by a doctor many times before. I wear sunscreen in the summer. I don't have swine flu. And sometimes I think my spots are beautiful, too.

lashes. surprises. family.

2010-04-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today I got some dramatic new eyelashes. I love love love them. My friend Brittan is the best.
My wonderful father took his 3 favorite children to the Sweet 16 in Salt Lake last weekend. We had a blast!! 3 epic games resulting in an underdog going to the final 4. So inspiring. So Fun. And I got to meet a very very handsome boy who shall remain nameless. Just trust that he is indeed very very handsome.
We also did lots and lots of shopping!! Luckily the weather was beautiful so we had a nice day at the Gateway and the rest of downtown. Lots of food too... I mean come on, we're Leavitts. It's all about the food!
We threw a surprise birthday dinner for Jessica! And boy, was she surprised. We arrived at Tucanos where 16 of her closest BYU friends were waiting in a back room... it was so funny. She had NO idea. Shoutout to my homegirl Yarm for organizing and spreading the word! We're good.
This morning I woke up to my door tied shut. Happy April Fools from the roommate. Thanks for making me late to work :)))
I definitely got kicked in the shins today by a kindergartener. He was mad that I wouldn't let him use his backpack to surf around the halls. I'm pretty sure he left a bruise, but that's okay. He's real cute.
My mom and little boots were here for a few days and we had soooo much fun! More shopping. More eating. A couple movies. A little hot tub. Oh, and my mom's tires on her new Denali got slashed. Salt Lake is real hardcore like that. They just left yesterday and I miss them already! And my mom introduced me to the magic that is melatonin. I've been sleeping amazingly ever since.
Have I ever mentioned how much I loooove Nordstrom Rack? Seriously. I get all my jeans there. I found a couple shirts and some sweats there this weekend. And the cutest coach shoes for 30 bucks. I LOVE. Shopping's always fun when you find things on sale.
Moral of the story: It was a good week. But now all I ask is that Spring comes quickly. I'm done with this snow business.
XOXO

loving march.

2010-03-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Oh, blog. I feel like I've been ignoring you lately.
No pictures to post.
No super fun adventures to write about.
At least, not yet.
I've just been sitting on my badonk watching basketball and loving March. Specifically the madness it brings. Even though I DESPISE Ali Farokhmanesh... if you know me then you know why. Oh well, there's always next year.
PS my bracket is still looking pretty good. I'm optimistic.
Today was the kiddo's kindergarten program... they sang a bunch of cute nursery rhymes and songs for the parents. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the whole time. I love love love them.
I know I talk about my job a lot, but it really just makes my life so much better that I can't help but talk about it! Funny story: The other day, these two little boys got in a fight. Seth and Jacob are best best buds but they are both so stubborn. Seth was already having a bad day and when Jacob refused to let him help collect the carpool numbers, that tipped him over the edge. He tried to run out the door and I had to restrain him as he was bawling and yelling at Jacob. Luckily Jacob's ride came then, before any further damage could be done. As he was getting into the car, he turned around and yelled, "Goodbye Seff, and Good Widdance!!" It was the cutest/funniest thing I've ever seen, even though Seth was pretty upset about it. Oh well, they were back to being buds the next day. I love them.
You know what else I love? Fruit. I'm on a big fruit kick these days. By the way, is it weird to keep bananas in the fridge? My roommate thinks it's really weird, but I like my fruit cold. Any opinions?
Have I told you about crazy roommate? She's obsessed with Mariah Carey. And I mean, OBSESSED. Like she's 29 years old and still has Mariah posters covering her walls. Oh, and she offered me singing lessons the other day. For a price, of course. Really, crazy roommate? If I wanted to learn to sing, I'd probably find a professional, not an MC wannabe. It's really irritating. And she only plays 6 songs, everyday at 4 when she's getting ready for school. The same 6 songs. every. single. day. Can you tell that I love crazy roommate? I'm learning a great deal of patience.
This weekend= Sweet 16 games in SLC with my pops and brother and sister. Suuuuper excited. Hopefully the games will be as exciting as they were last week!! Have I mentioned I love this time of year?!
And with that, I leave you with this pretty picture.
Can't remember where I found it (probably stolen from someone else's blog, sorry :))), but it's in my iphoto event called Pretty Things. Every morning while greeting the kiddos, I get to watch the sunrise over the mountains. Breathtaking, really. Just another one of my many blessings.
XOXO

my mornings

2010-03-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Let me just paint you a portrait of my mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. First off, I pretty much dread them. More so now that I've lost an hour and my body is still telling me it's 5:45 while the clock says differently. Hate that! Anyways, my alarm goes off at 6:45 AM and I push the snooze button approximately 5 times before I actually wake up. I'm one of those weird people who sets her alarm extra early so that I can press the snooze button without actually feeling bad about. By the way, have you ever heard your alarm somewhere other than by your bed? Like, my alarm for years was wake me up before you go-go, and now whenever I hear it on tv or something, I get instantly pissed because I feel like I have to wake up. Weird.

Anyways, I wake up and hurry to get ready. Probably look pretty grizzled but whatever, it's 7 in the morning. I grab my pop tarts and cranergy and head out the door, hoping its not TOO cold and that I don't have to scrape my car window because I'm already running late. I blast some good tunes to wake me up and arrive at work around 8. I go in, drop off my purse and grab my two favorite orange cones. Now, why would I be grabbing orange cones? Well, let me just tell you, I have the pleasure of helping out with carpool in the mornings. Which translates to, I have the pleasure of standing on a busy street at 8 in the morning in the freezing cold. Such a privilege, right?

Actually, despite all the sarcasm above and being ridiculously tired and freezing my royal rastafarian nay-nays off (movie, anyone?), I acutally kind of maybe love it a little. Because there's all these people giving me really weird looks and wondering what the hail I'm doing standing on a street corner at 8 in the AM. And lets be honest, it's pretty hard to miss 6 feet of blonde white girl standing randomly outside. It makes me laugh when I see their expressions. The old people always wave, and I love that. I love seeing all my littles come to school. There's Canon, who's proposed to me multiple times, and he starts waving at me half a block away and makes funny faces when he gets closer and makes me laugh. There's Devin, who gives me a dirty look and then turns around and gives me a shy smile that lets me know he really likes me, as much as he would like to be tough. There's the mom with the hugest smile who waves so enthusiastically. There's these two little first graders who always point and laugh at me and for the longest time, I had no idea why. Then last week their mom rolled down the window and told me that they're always laughing because they call me Misses Smiley and love to see my smiling face in the morning. I love that! I'm so glad someone thinks I'm always smiling. So even tough I dread them the night before and I freeze and get weird looks and sometimes when it's windy my hair goes all over the place, I love these mornings. They're the perfect way to start your day off right. I wouldn't change them at all.

one day.

2010-03-02T22:31:00.000-08:00

I will learn to arrange flowers. And go to a flower market and spend hours picking out my favorites and make beautiful pieces for my beautiful home. And by that time I will also have learned photography so I can take beautiful pictures of my beautiful flowers in my beautiful home.

Add it to the bucket list.

newness.

2010-03-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

I have a new roommate. Her name is Shannon and she is the nicest person, possibly ever. So genuinely kind and sweet. She reminds me alot of my sister in law Shay. She's been through a lot and I think she'll be able to teach me some things. And be my good friend. Oh, and she makes up for all the crazy that my other roommate throws at us on a daily basis... but that's another story for another time.
I need new music. Open to suggestions.
I need new eating habits.
I have a new appreciation for chicken flavored rice-a-roni... yum. I may or may not eat it almost every day.
Going on a field trip tomorrow with the kiddies to see a play. We have to walk to the theater so pray for some good weather!
Speaking of the kiddies, I love them. And I have a new appreciation for people who go into special education. I have to help out an autistic boy in the afternoon class sometimes and he is the sweetest but it takes a lot of patience.
I'm already craving a vacation. And spring.
I can't wait to go home for the mwc tournament next weekend!! Go rebs!
I saw the movie Valentine's Day. Twice. Don't judge me... I kind of loved it!
I need some new books to read. I miss reading.
I want to go everywhere. Every time I see some new place on tv, I just wanna go there. They went to St. Lucia on the Bachelor and it looked beautiful. I still really really wanna go to Greece. I'm jealous that Yarmington is going to Africa this summer. And I want to do the Amazing Race, but I have a feeling the lack of sleep wouldn't work well with me. Lets plan a trip please!

Oh and I really miss this.
Everything about it. I wish my hair was still that long and dried like that. I miss kori sosososo much. She knows and appreciates the real me. And of course I miss this place. Oceanside, you have my heart!

relaxation at it's finest.

2010-02-18T14:51:00.000-08:00

This past weekend: San Diego/Oceanside.
I experienced a new airport: Long Beach. Super old school. Baggage claim was outdoors. So were the gates. Weird, but kinda cool throwback vibe.
Javiers. Have you been there? It's INCREDIBLE mexican food. Well worth going out of your way for. There's one in Irvine and one in Newport... I suggest you get yourself down there real quick.
Read 2 whole books. I'm a speed-reader. BTW, I highly recommend The New York Mormon Regional Singles Halloween Dance (the book)... VERY entertaining. Thanks ma for letting me borrow your kindle.
Got a little color in my skin. Thank goodness... my poor epidermis has been UV free for far too long!
Ate WAY too much.
Had two wonderful breakfasts at the 101 Cafe...delish.
Had a fun little get together with cousins and friends and watched the worst dunk contest in the history of basketball.
Took a grand total of one picture... I love this woman
Fretted over trade rumors of Amare to the cavs/heat... but don't worry, trade deadline is up and he's still around! HALLELUJAH... at least for the rest of this season
Went to the rebs game... I'd rather not talk about it. Although SDSU does have fantastic kettle corn.
Literally took planes, trains and automobiles to get back to P-Town (booooo)
Sat on the backyard steps and got splashed by the crazy waves and laughed harder than I have in a long time!
Played lots of cards
Didn't worry about and thing
and loved every second of it.

oh, weddings.

2010-02-16T22:05:00.001-08:00

My bestest friend Brittan got married on January 2nd. We were worried about being outside in the middle of winter, but the day was SO beautiful! We didn't even need coats. She couldn't have picked a more perfect day. It was a little strange for me because I was the only one waiting outside in the lobby while all the other bridesmaids were able to go to the sealing, but no worries, my time will come soon enough (but hopefully not too soon)!! Britt looked gorgeous and we all love her husband Trevor. He's so funny and sweet and treats her like the queen she truly is :))) Her reception was unbelievable and had so many touches that are just so Brittany. I had so much fun making their wedding slideshow, which I love doing by the way, if anyone happens to need one! The wonderful Jennie Slade was the photographer for the day and took some gorgeous shots... she's very talented! Here are some of the cute bridesmaid pics... I love my friends. They are gorgeous. And I miss Courtney. Weddings are fun and marriage is great but friends, I miss you!
PS Isn't Britt's dress amazing?!

5 year-old wisdom.

2010-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

In kindergarten, they're learning all about Presidents and the White House. The other day, they had to take a picture dressed as Abraham Lincoln and then say what they would do if they were President... cutest. thing. ever.
Here are some of my favorites:
Desi: "If I were President, I would make it so everyone has to be nice to all the black people and all the apricot people." (Can anyone tell me what an apricot person is??)
Oscar: "I would put a karate studio in the White House." (Can you imagine Barack doing karate? Haha, funny mental picture I guess!)
Jacob: "I would make it so on Thursdays, everyone would get free tacos." (You're a man of my own heart, Jacob. I'd vote for you.)
Grace: "I would make a law that you can't kill any dog unless it's not your dog." (So you can pretty much kill any dog but your own? Hmmm...)

I just love these little ones.

let's talk about me.

2010-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's my blog, right?
Here is me these days.
-Kinda got some bummer news today: no subbing at the end of the year. They fought for me, but the state said there has to be a certified teacher in the room, so no teacher Alyssa. And the kindergarten aide is a certified teacher so they're in the process of moving me from 3rd grade to kindergarten... which requires switching my whole schedule. Luckily it still works out with school. Kindergarten will be a lot of fun, it's just that I LOVE my third graders and teachers and I'll just have to start all over with two new teachers. Oh well, everything happens for a reason, right?
-I'm antisocial/bipolar. By that I mean I don't like going out but I wish I had friends. Not that I don't have friends, I just don't have ones that aren't married/on missions. I'm not shy but I get really awkward/nervous around new people. I would definitely change that about myself.
-I heart the pure cheesiness that is the Bachelor. Jake is kinda dumb tho. I love Tenley and HATE Alli and Vienna... they both need to grow up. I thought Elizabeth was sooo gorg but weird. Loved Kathryn. Rozlyn's a skank. That about sums it up.
-Hate all things BYU, specifically bball
-Love all things Rebs, specifically bball
-What the hail did Heidi Montag do to herself? Sad sad sad. She's only 2 years older than me, ya know.
-Brittan got the most precious puppy Bora. Makes me want one/not want one.
-CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER
-Can't wait to go home next weekend... but have a Super Bowl dilemma? Want to watch it in Veg but timing is off. Love the Saints.
-Can't wait to go to San Diego in two weeks!!!! Sounds like heaven right about now.
-Love cousin nights
-Love Hallelujah by Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris from the Hope for Haiti telethon. Get it, you won't regret it (that rhymed).
-I wish my body was on a better sleep schedule.
-I wish the Suns would stop blowing huge leads!
-This picture is very sexy. I love his swagger. And the fact that his arms say God's Gift. Excuse the jungle fever.

That is all. XOXO

TMI much?

2010-01-22T12:29:00.001-08:00

So yesterday at recess some of the kids were asking me about where I've traveled and such. We all started talking about where and how far we've been across the country. This one boy Sam was telling us how he's been pretty much all over the west coast, like Arizona, California, and Oregon. Than he says, "Oh, and my mom told me that I was made in a jacuzzi in Washington, so I guess I've kinda been there too."
REALLY, SAM'S MOM? Do you mind NOT telling your 10 year old child where he was "made", especially raunchy details like the jacuzzi? Gross. But it was really funny because the kids had no idea what he meant... I'm still kind of laughing about it. And super grossed out.
Oh, the joys of elementary school.

Sexy Suns.

2010-01-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

I've lived a dream, my friends.
Okay, maybe I have really weird random dreams, but let me tell you, December 17th was a little slice of heaven for me.
Why? Oh, just because I flew to Portland with my bestest friend on two really funny flights next to lots of army men and a dog escaped on the flight and we walked 50 miles gate to gate in the Phoenix airport and had a very interesting cab ride in Portland.
Oh, and we also sat courtside at the Blazers/Suns game. Directly next to the Suns bench.
Like I said, dreams come true.
I love the Suns. Since Vegas has no NBA team, I reserved the right to pick my own loyalty and its whole-heartedly to the Suns. Even more now that my former Rebel love Lou Amundson plays for them... yeah, he has that girlish ponytail these days, but ooooh I still love him so.
Let me just show you how cool we were.
Warm ups. Super giddy. Amare Stoudemire gave me the nod when he was adjusting his goggles... I loved it.

Like I said, right next to the bench. Grant Hill was practically sweating on me every time out. And fun fact, the Suns coach is super funny. He made little comments to us when he would get frustrated. I officially love him!

Yeah, that's Steve Nash just walking by as we snap a picture. No big.

Taylor Griffin loved to do his stretches directly in front of us. I didn't really mind it.

Leandro Barbosa.... oh. my. gosh. He is sooooo beautiful and his outfit was perfect and Court was even attracted to him... just wow. I'm in love.

Best part of the night? The fact that this conversation happened.
Background: Last year, Grant Hill tossed a ball to Courtney during halftime warmups. She shot a 3 and airballed it. So, during halftime this time, Grant was sitting right next to us and she talked to him.
Courtney: Hey Grant, remember when you let me shoot last year? I totally airballed it.
Grant Hill: Yeah, and we lost, didn't we?
Court: Well yeah, but maybe this time I'll make it!
GH: Yeah, that's not gonna happen this year.
He pretty much blamed their lost last year on poor little Court! It was hysterical.
The game ended up being really good. PHX was leading the whole time, but Portland came back and won by 3. Disappointing ending, but it was sooooo fun and I'm SO glad we went. Oh, and Reggie Miller walked right behind me out of the arena (the back entrance, of course. Wattles do it big). Kinda cool.
Oh, and I love Court. And now she's on her mission and I already miss her alot alot alot.

2010.

2010-01-07T18:41:00.000-08:00

I'm not really one for New Year's Resolutions... I never really keep them.
Instead, I have two new mottoes for this new year... a year I'm kinda scared of, as I'm pretty much completely on my own for the first time ever. Not living with friends, not depending on anyone but myself. It's definitely new.

"You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle."
-Paul Coelho

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the things you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
-Mark Twain

Happy New Year.

Normandy.

2010-01-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

Finally, the long-awaited Normandy post.
Our day started out at 5:45 AM... or, for most of us, it was really just a continuation of the day before because we slept for maybe an hour. We went to this FREEZING train station and caught a train to a small countryside town called Bayeux, which was so gorgeous. Luckily, we picked a beautiful, clear day to go, even though it was sooooo cold. Our dear guide Oliver met us at the train station and we were on our way to Omaha Beach.

This is us at Omaha, one of the strips of beach that the US invaded on June 6, 1944. In the second picture you can see that Omaha consists of a beach surrounded by a huge bluff, which was German territory, and hence made it very easy for them to just sit up on top and mow down the Americans storming the beach. It's very humbling to think that the majority of these brave boys were just 18, only a year older than Chase. Can you imagine running off a boat, seasick and scared, only to see german guns and cannons lining the bluff right above you? Gives me chills.
After that, we went to the American Cemetery. There's a certain amount of acres that were given to America in memory of D-Day and are actually US territory. Very cool to be back in America in the middle of France.

This place was super cool. Kinda like a mini Arlington Cemetery, much more intimate. The families of the bodies they identified after the war were given a choice to either be shipped back to America or buried here, right above Omaha Beach. I think about 2,000 chose to be buried here. It was such a quiet and strangely peaceful place, and it's kind of ironically fitting that these people were laid to rest at the spot they courageously died for their country. I've never really given much thought to World War II or anything, but this place really touched my heart and made me realize what these people did so that I could have the freedom that I enjoy today. Can you imagine what would've happened had the Axis won the war? Chilling, really.

The next stop was Hok Point. It's a hill that's completely left as it was back then. There is still debris everywhere from German bunkers being blown up. There are still holes from bullets in the ground. Just 15 years ago, some of the ground sunk in and they found old German weapons still buried under the ground. It's a historical landmark, so they can't dig for more, but I'm sure there's still lots of crazy stuff down there.
Yase with an old German tank, still in the exact spot it was back then.
Old German Barracks at Hok Point
Me and Boots in a bunker

One of the coolest places we stopped was this old church. In 1999, a man came with his family on a tour and stopped at this church and he recognized it. It turns out that he and a fellow soldier made it into a medical station and saved over 80 people in that church. The Germans found them but saw that they were taking care of some German soldiers as well, so they left them alone. No one remembered this story until the man came back and remembered and showed everyone the holes from bombs still in the ceiling and bloodstains on the pews where they laid people down. Such an amazing story, it's crazy that it just recently came to light. Since then, the town made some new stained glass windows in their honor, and the man comes back every year on June 6th.

Another wonderful memory was made at this church involving me, an outhouse, and a pressing need to go to the bathroom. Really, though... a literal outhouse with a path coming down from the church. I don't think it's been used in a hundred years. Keep in mind that this church was built in the 13th century... you fill in the blanks.

Can you see that guy caught on the steeple of this other church? Okay, so he's not real, but that really did happen. The guy played dead so the Germans couldn't get him. Smart.

So this is at a old farmhouse pretty much in the middle of nowhere. See that top picture my parents are holding? I'm sure you've seen that before. Some American soldiers got ahold of a Nazi flag and had a little fun. Well, if you look closely, you can see the window behind them in that picture, which just so happens to be the same window my parents are standing in front of. Pretty cool, huh?

Our last stop was Utah Beach, another area that was stormed by American soldiers. Utah beach was much more successful than Omaha, partly because of the lack of a bluff here. And in this picture you can see Oliver... we loved him. He was super funny.

We headed back to Bayeaux, and Oliver took us to this amazing pastry shop. SOOO delicious. And the town was all decorated for Christmas and everyone was out shopping and I just fell in love. Oh, and there was a really cool old church here, too... definitely no shortage of those in Europe.

And that was Normandy! Really though, I can't give an accurate description of how awesome it really was. And I wasn't interested in going at all. If you ever have the chance to go, you have to!

the lou-vray, chestnuts roasting, and some skulls

2009-12-25T14:23:00.000-08:00

Time for another update! I still can't get the Normandy pics since they're all on mamas camera, so you're just gonna have to keep sitting in suspense for that one. Wednesday it was time to visit the Louvre, or as we not-so-eloquent Americans like to call it, the Loo-vray. AKA That big glass pyramid in the Da Vinci Code.

We of course started out with the Mona Lisa. Yung Keiff warned us that it was very small and everyone crowds around it taking pictures, and lo and behold, he was right! Point YK. But hey, still super cool to see the original. They guard that thing better than they guard the president. But we were thinking, why exactly is Mona so famous? She's pretty much just a creepy woman who stares at you no matter which direction you view her... or the most famous painting ever. You choose.
Did you know the Louvre used to be a palace? Because I didn't. It's BEAUTIFUL. Not even just the art, but the rooms! So pretty. We saw Napoleons apartment and the chandeliers were to die for! Please look.

We also got to see the Venus de Milo, aka the really famous statue that has no arms.

After our adventure at the Louvre, we went to this really cool ferris wheel at the base of Champs. We went on right as the sun was setting, and it was SO gorgeous. Panoramic views of Paris at sunset=PRICELESS. We could see the Notre Dame, the Sacre Couer, and everything in between. And the Eiffel Tower at sunset? This picture doesn't even do it justice. Definitely something I'll never forget.

We did a little bit of shopping on Champs, since we pulled names for christmas. Yase and Jessica got some sweet shoes, Dixon, Shay and Mom got some Nike store swag and me, Hannah and Father will be smelling sweet this year with our parisian scents. And we all tried Chestnuts that were literally roasted on an open fire, which I wasn't too fond of. Tasted like weird potatoes to me!

Yesterday we split up. Dixon, Shay and Hannah went to Versailles, while the rest of us explored the Sacre Couer and surrounding areas. The church was HUGE... so pretty and all set up for Christmas Eve mass. There were candles lit everywhere and it was kind of cool to be in this very reverent place in the middle of the city. There was this pipe playing statue guy outside that loved me and Jessica... sorta creepy.

We also went to the catacombs! Very cool. We went down this narrow spiral staircase way under the streets of Paris. The walkways were all lined with skulls and bones and it was weirdly really cool! They also had all these cells that were used to store prisoners... I couldn't even imagine that... SO scary. And they didn't even have electric lights back then... all candlelight. Truly terrifying.

Today we went to the Notre Dame... more on that later. Tomorrow, off to London. Cheerio!

Sacre Bleu!

2009-12-22T13:47:00.000-08:00

Remember that time we went to Paris for christmas? Oh wait, that's right now!! Yes it's true, I'm writing this from our lovely hotel here in France. We got here Saturday evening, and it's been quite the adventure ever since! We missed our connecting flight from London, so that was fabulous. Oh and of course with my luck, my bag (and my dad's) didn't make it from London, so that was fun, too. We started out at a hotel outside of Paris, and after the discovery that the train workers were on strike and it was a very lucrative 45 minute commute into the city, we decided to peace outta there and move onto bigger and better things. We woke up to this on Sunday morning...

Beautiful, but FREEZING! However, once we got into Paris, things warmed up a bit. We came out of the metro station only to see this gorgeous number... The Arc de Triomphe. Amazing.

We took a little stroll down Champs Elysees and loooved all the christmas stands at the market. So pretty. The Champs during Christmas is amazing! All lit up and gorgeous... this picture doesn't do it justice so just use your imagination.

Even though the trip started out a little rocky, experiencing the Champs all lit up made it all totally worth it. Paris is magical.

Yesterday, we had another crazy adventure thanks to my very entertaining mother. She was convinced that there was some kind of Louis Pasteur museum we could go to while my dad was off buying train tickets. Why anyone wants to see an exhibit on the man who figured out how to cleanse milk is beyond me (and I'm probably gonna get in trouble for saying that!!). So we walked all over this neighborhood and up a huge hill trying to find this place that ended up not even existing!! BUT... When we turned around to walk back down the hill, we saw this:
Um, hello perfect view of the Eiffel Tower!! It was soooo cool, since it was our first tower sighting. Made all the frustration worth it! I am still blown away by how beautiful the Eiffel Tower is in person... and HUGE. Sooo cool that I saw it with my own eyes.

We then headed down to the tower to get a closer look. While we were there, it started to get suuuuper cold and drizzly. Did that stop us from going to the top? Of course not! Even though we all were freezing our Parisian bootys off, the top was incredible. It was sooo cool to see ALL of Paris being blanketed with snow. We got our first spotting of the Notre Dame and the Louvre and took some pretty cool pictures.

Now I wish I could continue on with all the funny stories and pictures, but I only have 2 more minutes of internet left! Whoops... next time you'll hear all about our unbelievable trip to Normandy. Really, I was pretty anti at first because we had to get up at 5:00 for a two hour train ride, but it was beyond worth it. Seriously up there in my life experiences.

We are having so much fun but will miss all our family on Christmas! We love you guys!!
Au Revior

3rd Annual G-Bread Houses!

2009-12-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

I love this little tradition. Every year since I've lived in Provo we have a little gingerbread house competition with our friends. Let me tell you, it get pretty heated... you know, frosting flinging everywhere and graham cracker crumbs covering the floor and people arguing over who gets the last reese's tree. Its super entertaining, really. Anyway, this year proved to be a huge success right off the bat because my house actually stayed intact! No epic collapse this year, my friends! Once we were all done, we had a third party, unbiased judge known as J-Lev come choose a winner. Let me show you the houses before I tell you the results.
Me and Jackie made these little beauties.

Brittan made this PRECIOUS dog house...

...complete with Santa walking a pup

These two little lovers made...

This sweet little bow house

And there were two more that I didn't get closeups of but you can spot them in this lovely group photo... the green monster and the one that looks like it belongs in a gingerbread trailer park.

So who was the winner, you might ask? Well, after long and careful consideration, Judge J-Lev chose... ME! Holler... I am the g-bread house CHAMP. And I now have bragging rights for next year, which I am pretty stoked about. I know you want to admire my masterpiece further, so her she is up close.

I know what you're thinking... It's only the most wonderful gingerbread creation you've ever seen! I'm pretty proud.

another reason why I love my job.

2009-12-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Read this article about Annika, one of my little 3rd graders. Tell me it doesn't amaze you that a 9 year-old can make such an unselfish decision and try to change the world, one penny at a time.

Isn't it comforting to know that there's still such sweet and genuine love in this crazy world?

21.

2009-11-30T12:35:00.000-08:00

What's that, Coaches Poll? You think the UNLV Runnin' Rebels are the #21 team in the nation? Why, how observant of you!
I loooove these boys. You probably didn't know that.
They played incredible and fought really hard to beat Louisville. And it was soooo fun to watch them do it, even though me and JLev had a slight seating mishap and switched seats 5 times. It turned out to be good luck, I guess! I just love that feeling when your team just won a big game and everyone is celebrating and at that moment, nothing else really matters. Just the victory. BEST. FEELING. EVER.
We love our rebels.

PS We met Holly from Girls Next Door at a game a couple weeks ago (don't act like you don't know who she is!). She was super nice and loved to be a rebs fan for the day before she had to run off to her nakey show.

giving thanks. Dixon style.

2009-11-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was precious. The Dixon side brought lots and lots of delicious food, and some great company. I made a few new little cousin friends. Love them... shout out to Emily because I know you stalk!! I just love thanksgiving... everyone is in a good mood. And it's an excuse to eat a ridiculous amount. Have you ever tried the chocolate satin pie from Marie Callendars? I recommend it. Highly. You know what I also recommend? The Blind Side!! It was incredible and just made me want to do every good deed in the world. Oh, and adopt a black child. It's on my list. I'm thankful for cool family and amazing friends and good food and inspirational movies. Oh, and pictures too.

wanna know a secret?

2009-11-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

I'm secretly obsessed with the Glee soundtrack.
I secretly looove to put extra sugar in my Grape Nuts. Gives em a pick me up.
I not-so-secretly miss my friends. The married ones.
I secretly wish I could wake up dressed for the day. I haaaaate dressing myself.
I secretly want to be a teacher.
I secretly watched Khloe and Lamar's wedding special... twice.
I tease Court about missionary stuff, but I'm secretly really really proud of her.
I secretly wish a man would come sweep me off my feet.
I have a new secret Rebs crush.
I secretly wish I was Taylor Swift... she has a cool life.
I secretly admire my little sister Jessica.
I secretly hate showering. Well, the whole process after showering.
I secretly LOVE to eavesdrop on people's conversations.
I secretly enjoy watching old seasons of One Tree Hill.
I secretly have really big dreams.

Don't tell.

all hallows eve

2009-11-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Oh, halloween. I just don't really like you that much! I mean, it was really fun seeing all the kiddos parade around the school in their cute little costumes. And having elementary school halloween parties with lots of candy and treats and games. I like that part. But grown up halloween just isn't that cool! It's stressful figuring out what to dress up as, and if you don't dress up, you're considered really lame and boring. So, me and Britt improvised with stuff we already had and decided to be our most favorite Dillon Panther, Tim Riggins. Well, the girl versions of Tim Riggins. If anything, H-ween is a fun time to wear more makeup than you ever would in your life and take lots of pictures. It's also really entertaining to see people suddenly turn into skanks for a night and loooove it. So strange. Anyways, party hopping was decent and we had a really great time throwing candy at party-goers. Good times, good times.
Some of our friends dressed up as secret service agents and one was Obama... it was hysterical. He would stop the parties and give speeches and some Asian tourists at Denny's totally bought it and were taking pictures with him... classic.

Oh, Halloween. We have such a love/hate relationship.

love today.

2009-10-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Six new Taylor Swift songs. Blasting the heat in my car after a freezing recess. New episodes of Flash Forward. Laying in my super comfy bed and getting cozy warm. Finding my favorite sweater packed among my winter wardrobe. CPK with KB. Good conversation. A slick new phone cover. The NBA is back! My room is finally somewhat organized. Oh, the simple pleasures of life.
I love today.

PS Check out Yase Bear at homecoming last weekend... what a stud. And did I tell you he has a gf these days?!

in the past week...

2009-10-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

-I went to Vegas again... round three
-Got a little bit sick
-Went to First Look and looooved it. Rebs season is fast approaching!
-Fell in love again with all rebs
-Loved playing Beatles Rock Band with Boots singing all songs in an english accent hahaha
-Watched Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band with father and boots and realized that although the music is amazing, the movie is really creepy and weird
-Made some super delicious and adorable halloween cupcakes with Boots and Tess and Bryn
-Attempted to make cupcakes from scratch and failed miserably
-Realized that Paris and London are only two months away!
-Enjoyed the amazing Vegas fall weather. I seriously don't get why people say they want to live somewhere with 4 seasons. I'm perfectly fine with two: hot and not so hot. That's enough for me!
-Courtney got her mission call!!!! She's going to the Cleveland Ohio mission and will be working in the Kirtland visitor's center. Which means she gets to wear some real cute pioneer dresses. Hurray!! I'm very very excited for her but I will miss her sososo much.
-School school school
-work work work
-Jessica and Kori stalk me and I secretly love it
THE END

chocolate chip collection.

2009-10-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

This conversation took place today between me, the very serious, responsible aide that I am, and Canon, the first-grader that apparently wants to marry me these days.

Me: Canon, why are you picking the chocolate chips out of your granola bar?
Canon: I'm saving them for my chocolate chip collection.

Hmmm... okay, whatever floats your boat. Then I come back two minutes later and the little pile of chocolate chips is gone.

Me: What happened to your collection?
Canon: Well I keep my chocolate chip collection in my stomach, DUH!

Great idea, Canon. I keep my Cafe Rio collection in my stomach, too.

I love my job.

whirlwind of a weekend

2009-10-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a super crazy fun tornado. I love being busy. This is what it consisted of.
-A drive to Vegas
-A mad dash to be fashionably late to a wedding
-Which included the MOST beautiful bride I've ever seen in my life. I've always looked up to Emily. Her wedding was unbelievably gorgeous and also really fun. And her husband is hot.
-A drive to Newport Beach and perfect weather
-A venture to Jack's, which resulted in a really cute hat
-Spending the time in between conference sessions at the pool... is that bad? I don't think so.
-A super delicious pina colada and gossip magazines while getting a tan (or a sunburn, depending on your outlook).
-Elder Holland's talk was amazing.
-JAVIERS. If you haven't been, go. Best mexican food ever. Just beware, you'll see more cougars and trophy wives than anywhere else on the earth. I swear I was on an episode of the OC... I even heard a lady refer to Newport as "the bubble". Brought me right back to the Seth Cohen days.
-Disneyland fireworks
-Disneyland cupcakes and chocolate covered marshmallows
-Disneyland corndogs
-Disneyland churros
-Oh yeah, and we rode some rides too. Don't worry, I beat boots at toy story.
-Drive back to the 702
-FINALLY getting rid of the nasty roots in my hair... yay for being blond!
-Discovering father's face in the newspaper was a THRILL. Be loyal. Wade is.
-A short flight back to Utah and a stop at Paradise Bakery. Perfect end to a perfect weekend.
And here's the photographic evidence. You know you love me.
XOXO

flower and tower.

2009-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

See this flower in my hair? I'm obsessed with it. I wanna wear it everyday. It keeps the hair out of my face and looks pretty while doing it.
And then there's the Eiffel Tower in the background. I loooove this print in my room... thanks little J. She left it at our old apartment when she got married, so I stole it. Free game. And, it's a beautiful reminder of where I'll be spending christmas this year... I can't wait!! My European Christmas is gonna be amazing, I just know it.
It was frigid today... and we had outside recess and all the poor little ones were frozen! No bueno. I just told them to run around and chase each other so they'd get warm. It worked well.
I saw Fame the other day and looooved it. Go download the songs from the soundtrack by Asher Book... you won't regret it. I'm in love with him!
That's all for now. The Ruins starts tonight and I'm soooo excited! I love those challenges.
Goodbye♥

dream coat. it's okay to be jealous!

2009-09-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

This little beauty is currently in my closet. And I'm OBSESSED with it. It was discovered on Saturday during a little trip to Anthropologie in the Gateway. I usually refrain from going in there because I love everything and can never afford it. And this coat was the first thing that caught my eye... love at first sight. I loooove plaid. And ruffles. And coats. And it was super depressing to leave the store without it.
Then yesterday, my most favorite loving father came in town and took us to dinner at the Gateway, and so I took him on a little detour to see the coat. And now, after promising to take my Juice Plus everyday, it's hanging in my room!! Just waiting for a winter storm to roll in. I can't wait.
Hey guess what? Only 52 more days till Rebs season opener!!! I am getting super anxious for bball season. I do love football, tho... even though the Patriots are sucking it up these days. Remember a few years ago when they were unstoppable? I miss those days.
Oh and I still love my job. I really really wish I could take pictures of these kids because they are SO freaking cute. There is one that reminds me so much of my cousin Jakey... his name is Taylor and he used to have a black eye and he has no front teeth and a little lisp. I love talking to him because he says the funniest things and loves to chase all the girls. And I love wednesdays because it's pizza day at lunch at they bring out the leftovers for the aides... free lunch, can't turn that down!
I learned this weekend not to go to Cafe Rio after a BYU football game. I've never seen so many dorky BYU students in one place at one time. Seriously, I think I was the only one in the place NOT wearing a BYU shirt. And just so you know, if you wear anything BYU, I WILL judge you. I'm just saying. And the cougarette uniforms are heinous... I most definitely would never wear them out in public. Go rebel girls.
That is all. I'm gonna go admire my coat now.

i'm SO hardcore.

2009-09-17T15:46:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it's true. Why?
Well, maybe it's because I've been keeping Jay-Z's Empire State of Mind on repeat. It REALLY makes me wish I lived in/was from New York (shout out to my girl Aubrey... I want your life.) Okay, well I guess that doesn't really make me hardcore considering it's the number one download on iTunes and we all know that rap can't be hardcore unless it's underground.
So this is why I'm hardcore...

Yeah that's me, brandishing a .22 and protecting my hood. I run these streets.
Oh wait, that gun is pink... does that make me any less hardcore?
I think not.
Lesson learned: Guns are fun. Don't point them at people. And i would be really scared to have a loaded on in my house. And big shotguns have lots of kick. And I'm really bad at clay pigeons.
You better not cross me.
:)

fall?

2009-09-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Today I wore my new boots to church. With leggings. And then I came home and turned the AC extra cold so I could wear my favorite old faded sweatshirt. And cuddled under my favorite blanket while watching football.
What does this mean?
I think I'm ready for fall. Normally I mourn the passing of summer, but I kinda miss my winter wardrobe. I know I'll be reading this in a few months when the snow is covering the grass and i can see my breath at noon and I'll probably ask myself, What was I thinking? But for now, I'm looking forward to it.
It's my first year participating in fantasy football. My draft strategy was to pick names that I recognized... Tom Brady (my love), Reggie Bush, Brian Westbrook, and TO. I probably won't win, but oh well?
I've been desperately craving Pei Wei lately. They REALLY need to build one in Provo.
My bffl/roommate Brittany is engaged! All I can say is another one bites the dust. And her ring is to die for.
My other bff Courtney just put in her mission papers. I'm super excited for her. She'll be THE most amazing missionary. And call me selfish, but I'm secretly rooting for her to be called to Temple Square so I can "accidently" run into her every now and then. Is that bad?
Lately I'm addicted to Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. Go ahead, judge me! Then download it and I'm sure you'll be addicted in no time.
I'm currently watching Never Been Kissed. How exactly did the teacher fall in love with Drew Barrymore? She's seriously homely in this movie. And he's smokin. Why don't teachers look like that in real life?
Speaking of teachers, I got to teach for like 15 mins the other day! It was so fun except the kids were really rowdy and I laughed at them when I really should've been reprimanding. They are SO funny! And I love when I walk in in the morning and they say "Hi Miss Leavitt!" It's my favorite.
And the other day at recess, this little girl came over and said, "Canon told me he wants to marry you!!" Canon is this cutie little first grader. How precious is that?!
I love my job.

Littlest Boots

2009-09-06T23:24:00.001-07:00

Boots is the best sister. She just posted on her blog 10 things she misses about me so I think I will do the same for her!
1. Her wonderful dancing, specifically to "Hey Jude"
2. Her knowledge of everything Beatles
3. She's ALWAYS willing to go on a food run with me
4. Dressing up in Jessi's clothes and dancing gangster
5. Talking about all her lovers
6. She always tells me I'm ridiculous when I say I look fat!
7. Showing me random youtube videos
8. Her cooking skills that are very advanced for her age
9. When I walk in the door and she says "Aleee!"
10. Most of all I just miss seeing my little boots every single day! Even if she does get crabby and sick of me I still love her so so so much and I hate to see her growing up so fast. We have so much fun together, even though we are 10 years apart. I love you Hannah!!!

PS You all should check out her new blog. I can guarantee you it will be very entertaining.

Fasha.

2009-09-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is my number one Dad. He is the coolest.
He came to help Jessi move in.
He bought me lots of dinners.
He bought me cute boots for the winter.
He gave me money to buy new work clothes.
And...
He bought me jewelry. I'm a spoiled girl.
BUT
That is not why I love him!!
I love him for moments like this...
And this...
And of course this.
My dad is the best. The end!

moving on.

2009-08-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

I moved in with my little Brittan. We love it.
Our apartment is super cute... I will post pictures as soon as its fully unpacked and ready. I bet you can't wait!
I started my new job and I really like it! The kids are cute. And sassy... I love that. Except they have to call me Ms. Leavitt. It makes me feel old.
It kinda makes me want to go back to elementary school again! But then again... not. I'm SO glad to be done with mandatory school. Now if only I could get through college...
Church was cancelled on sunday. We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication instead... and it was really good. I went into it thinking it would be boring, but I got a lot out of it. Funny how that works out, huh?
School starts on Wednesday. No comment.
I have a cold. Great timing, huh? I just need to rest and sleep but I have SO much to do!
Summer is over. I have to say, I'm kind of glad. This has been a really weird summer for me... fun, but weird. I'm excited for a fresh start.
A lot of things in my life are gonna change in the next few months, and I'm scared about it. I've never been very good with changes. I like my life to stay consistent and I get sad when people have to move on... for my own selfish reasons, I guess. I have a lot of walls and it's hard for me to get close to people. My goal this year is to open up and make more new friends... not just acquaintances, but friends. Wish me luck!
Last but not least, I love this picture. Little Boots started middle school today. I literally remember the day she was born. And Jessi is moving up here this week... little college girl. Where has the time gone?

this weekend i...

2009-08-18T21:16:00.000-07:00

-Had a delicious dinner with my father at Pizza Factory... two thumbs up
-Took my biology final. Didn't ace it but who cares? C's get degrees!
-Drove to the 702
-Made a little stop in Hurricane to visit cousins
-Was enlightened by my cousins Bryn and Jared, both 7 (I think?), that they're saving up their tooth fairy money for a flat screen tv! Way to set the bar high, guys!
-Bryn tried to stow away in my car and said, "PLEASE just take me to Vegas. It's my hometown!!" I miss that girl. I hope she never grows up.
-Discovered that Baskin Robbins is not allowed to make shakes with more than 1 flavor of ice cream. Because it's just TOO complicated, right? Add that to the list of things I don't get... it's long and distinguished.
-Watched many a movie with little Boots
-Went to Town Square on a quest for a new work wardrobe. H&M is always good to me.
-May or may not have detoured to CPK and Yogurtland.
-Speaking of food, I've come to the conclusion that the Cafe Rio in vegas is not as good as the one in Provo. For some odd reason. And it's like Target, you can't go there without seeing someone you know.
-Went to Stake Conference
-Ate my most favorite mother-made meal... parmesean chicken. DELISH. I'm salivating just thinking about it.
-Went to the hood to see Becca and Davis, only to discover their power was out. Their house was really cute in the dark? Okay, I guess I'll have to go again when I can actually see it!
-Came back to the 801 to start my new job this week... yaaaaaay! Finally employed. Elementary school, round two! I couldn't be more excited about it!

Defying Gravity.

2009-08-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

Spontaneous things are the best. Especially spontaneous trips to Wicked in San Diego! In case you didn't know... I love musicals. I rock out to them all the time on road trips. Phantom of the Opera, Dreamgirls, and most especially, Wicked. If you haven't seen it, get your tush down to the nearest theater. It's worth the money! It was my third time seeing it, and I love it more and more every time. I seriously get chills. I was satisfied with everyone this time around, and we were very happy to see that Fiyero was tall and strong like he should be. We saw the real Elphaba and Galinda outside after the show, and you never would have guessed it was them! Apparently the costume people do a great job. We hit up a super cool restaurant at the Hard Rock after the show... I don't remember the name of it, but if I did, I would recommend it highly. GREAT burgers and a really funny menu. Basically the day was amazing! I can't wait till I get to see it again.

This was Galinda... isn't she pretty? No one knew it was her!

And Elphaba. She was super sweet. Too bad we didn't get to meet Fiyero!

GBP... Mexico Style.

2009-08-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

The Leavitt side of the family has been going to the beach every summer since before I can remember. Gram LOVED the beach... I don't know any other grandma that would go boogie boarding with her grandchildren! Some of my best memories are at the beach with my cousins, digging holes and eating junk food and perfecting the lost art of body surfing. I remember some of Jake's epic wipeouts on the skimboard and the time when the beach was infested with dead jellyfish... which of course didn't stop us! With Gram's passing in January, it seemed that Gram's Beach Party might not happen this year.
But alas, we prevailed! Gram would be proud, even if it was moved south of the border. There was lots of reading, lots of laughing, lots of games and even a little family yoga. And the fireworks made a comeback after a near arrest in O-Side a few years ago... it was SO good to have them back!
So, without further adieu, here is our Mexico Edition of GBP in pictures, thanks to Janae and Tiffany!
Boots convinced me to go out in the cold water... and it was very worth it!

We HAD to make a little visit to Tacos Cantamar! My favorite. And I learned that Cantamar is the name of the town, not just the taco stand!

Love my sistas.

Wii Fit... it's a family affair. Unless you're Yase, in which case you Wild Cherry Pepsi it instead.

THRILLER! When this song comes on the ipod, we have to break it down. Similar to the year we all broke out in The Carpenters in the middle of a restaurant. Don't lie, you wish you were there!

We took some family pics since we were all together. Don't mind my lack of pants... it's a swimsuit. Naturally.

I pretty much just loved spending time with my favorite people! We missed Jake and Yung Keiff... next year we'll be complete. LOVE GBP!

thriller!

2009-08-04T22:42:00.000-07:00

You know what they say...

A family that does the Thriller dance together, stays together. Especially if done in matching shirts.

Just a little preview for you on the Mexico/Oceanside trip... I bet you can't wait.

PS- Tiff, thanks for the pics!

Happy P-day.

2009-07-26T23:00:00.001-07:00

Pioneer Day, that is, not to be confused with mission p day. July 24th! What a day. Well, it was actually a VERY boring day at first. Then my friend Britt called and said they were waiting outside in the car to go watch fireworks in SLC. I hadn't been dressed all day or showered or anything (lovely picture huh), but how could I resist fireworks?! Therefore I threw my favorite lumberjack shirt on and hopped in Rocky's ridiculously huge truck. BTW, Rocky is our friend in the picture below, and let me just tell you, Rocky is the perfect name for him... just look at him. He is truly everything a Rocky should be, and he loves himself as much as the girls do... whoops. We love him anyway. Now back to the point. We first went up to this GORGEOUS house in the Avenues. It had the best views around... you could really see the whole valley. Not that we stayed for the fireworks or anything! We had to move on to bigger and better things. We went down to Liberty Park and some sweet soul helped us avoid the crazy traffic and let us park in her driveway. I just love people like that. So we camped out on the lawn and watched us some fireworks! Not the best show ever, but quality. It was worth the drive and everything. Then we went to this super fun dance party in Sandy... loved it. Got my groove on. Met some fellas. You know how it goes. And the night ended with a little rain and some Jimmy Eat World. Perfect? I think so.
Thanks Pioneers, for settling in Utah and giving me an excuse to play!