2011 Spectacular Favorites:

Can I just say what a great year 2011 was?! So many great memories and fun experiences all rolled up into just 365 days. Here is a little taste of what I got to be a part of during this year...

Oregon Duck Football &

Arguing with Tyler at work about Oregon Duck Football

Starbucks Peppermint Stick White Chocolate Cocoa with Kortni

Reading with Maggie...&...

Maggie all the time

Criminal Minds

Zupas Chicken Enchilada Soup

The Portland Oregon Temple

(I'm going there someday...)

Dinners with Katie and Cami

Draper Boutiques

Road Trips with my Mom

"That's what I love about Aibleen,

she can take the most complicated things in life

and wrap them up so small and simple,

they'll fit right in your pocket."

"This obsession with dignity

can ruin your life

if you let it."

A Little Bit o' Tim Please?!?

I'm in love. I'm in love with a married man! AND I find that I would compromise any of my values, become a Jolie-type home wrecker and steal him away in a minute. This is the guy:

Some of you may have heard of him. TIM MCGRAW! Seeing him in concert last week may or may not have changed my life. I've decided he is one of the three sexiest men alive. My wonderful summer family, The Minnicks, invited me along to the concert for my birthday. It was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Best concert ever. Besides looking at Mr. Hottie all night he has great music that is just a blast to sing-a-long too. Second best part of the night, was when Whitney, Tanner and I started Usana Ampitheater chanting Tim's name so he'd come back for an encore.

Third Best part of the evening:

We Kick Balls!

I played Kick Ball this year with a group of friends from my church. We were the best in the league...not to brag or anything AND we had a whole lot of fun while winning! It was a great chance to get to know people outside of church. Our team name was The Kick Balls--which was made up late one night by my good friend Amber Tuckett (you can see her pictured below). Although kick ball is neither a real sport or am I any good at it, the experience was awesome. Hopefully the team overlooks all those balls I dropped out in the field and will invite me to play again next year :)

Friend Moments

Lately I've been watching the T.V. series Friends in bed at night before I fall asleep. Then during the day I'll be in a moment where I want to say "the same thing happened to my friend Joey!" or "Rachel talked about that movie with me last night too." I think I need a reality check?!?

I AM 27 DRESSES

Now I typically don't allow myself to even think this way and/or remind myself of all the disgusting bridesmaids dresses I've worn (please no one take offense to this--when I say disgusting I don't mean YOUR pink, blue, black, orange, or yellow dress...I just mean everyone elses!) but tonight I make an exception. I will be honest though and say that many of my friends have in fact chosen fine dresses and even let me choose my own dress but it's the symbolism of what the apparel represents that seems to "disgust" me--not the fabric or design itself.


I'll include photos so you can feel my pain with me.


Some of my most memorable moments have happened during the 12 hours I spent in these dresses:


Very first was my friend who was married on my birthday awhile back. When her family sang happy birthday to me at her wedding reception I actually burst into tears. Was I sad? Yes! Do I have any idea why? Nope.

Then was a wedding where my friends Mom looked at us both at the end of a REALLY long day and said: "the two of you look like strippers named tuti fruitie!" We were in Vegas. On the strip. I got nervous walking around after that. Didn't want to give the wrong impression!


July wedding in Utah? 102 degrees
June wedding in Vegas? 110 degrees
September wedding in Arizona? Extremely H.O.T.




I flew down to Mesa for a good friend's wedding. To avoid missing work, it was a "spend less than 24 hours in the arrival city" sort of a trip...and I managed to do it, yep, WITHOUT my temple recommend.

I was in an out of state wedding where I knew no one. And I mean not a soul besides the brides parents. So I sat by myself, in a corner, in the back of the reception hall yard, in the dark for 2 hours. I had just a perfect enough view of the happy couple through these windows that somehow managed to assist me in a more accurate realization of how pathetic I must have looked. Proud moment.

I started out young too! I was a flower girl when I was 7ish. But this time I actually got to walk down the isle. Were the people divorced? Yes. Were they divorced before I even really knew what divorced meant? They sure were.


Now if you haven't seen the movie 27 dresses let me explain with the following phrase: "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride." And it feels good!

We Were Five

Why am I lying awake at now 3:00 am thinking about this? When I was a freshman in the dorms at BYU I met 4 girls that became some of my very best friends. They are wonderful, beautiful, amazing girls all of whom I love like sisters. We would spend hours talking about who would get married first. But as if that wasn't enough--we would predict which order we would be married in. And I never imagined, even in my wildest 18 year old nightmares, I would be the last. The first was our sophmore year. Then one our junior year. Another our senior year. Leaving just two of us for the last 2 years. It was doable being single because with her we could whine and complain together. I had a sweet tender mercy honestly sent from the Lord. After all, being single and alone, in Utah, is probably one of the MOST traumatic things a 24 year old girl could have to endure, right? ;)

My Dad used to tell the two of us when we would complain to him, "saved the two best for last!" He's so sweet. He doesn't say that anymore. Now I hear, "Are you EVER going to get married?" In fact, last week I actually heard him vow to not go to anymore weddings until one of his daughters got married. Even he's run out of faith for me!

Then There Were Two

Well--my tender mercy has ended. She's getting married this week. And to a wonderful person. I keep telling her I wish he was a jerk so I could give her good reasons not to marry him. Blah. So now I really am the lone man standing. Wo-man anyways.

Side note: I L.O.V.E. every single one of the girls in the above mentioned description of my personal hell. You girls, if for some reason any of you see this, are THE BEST. I can't imagine my life without you and I would not have traded to share these "moments" with you for anything....well...almost anything! ;)

Just Can't Win

I'm looking for a way to deal with those that cheat the system. We all know them. They're pathological liars who refuse to face reality. Today at work I had a woman come to me saying the apartments next door were offering this remarkable deal--one that I can't and don't want to match. I have good reasons for this. Although it's likely no one would ever know, it ends up hurting me and those around me in the end. Don't take shortcuts! Do it right the first time. And be honest in the process of getting it done. Why can't people reach beyond themselves to see the consequences of their actions? But seriously...I'm looking for answers!

This blog should also be called: "entitlement"

What is up with people feeling entitled to EVERYTHING good and ONLY the good in the world? To them, I would like to say the following:

1-you CHOOSE to be happy or unhappy. Look for the good. I promise if you're upset with a situation, there is something you can do to change YOUR OWN PERSONAL VIEW!

2-you are not owed anything. Just because you have a difficult situation, does not mean you should be given free handouts. It's nice if they come along, but don't expect them! And don't be unhappy when you don't receive them!

3-Stop with the selfishness. Reach out. Touch someone else's life. Do good.

4-Also, the bullying has got to stop. I am so tired of people coming into my office thinking they'll bully their way out of the rules. You're not special. You're the same as everyone else. Thus, you will abide by the same rules as everyone else. No exceptions.

Now, I suppose this blog could be about me as well. I feel entitled to certain...shall we say "blessings" that have not and may not ever come along for me. I am constantly forcing myself to take a step back, reminding myself I am owed nothing. I don't live by my covenants in order to receive something in return. I do it because it's the right thing to do. Phew. So much easier to write than live at times!

But seriously people, look around and see who you can help. I promise if you want to do good you can and it will feel WAY better than getting $100 knocked off your monthly rent payment!