memorial weekend fun

I started off my weekend on Friday with a fun lunch date with Elisabeth. we caught up on life over giant slices of pizza and plan to do it again in a couple weeks.

that night, a guy in our ward set up a huge screen for an outdoor movie. some people carried out their couches but most people brought out blankets and pillows. I can proudly say that I have finally seen Sandlot. it was hilarious. I would highly recommend it. afterwards, we rounded up some people from the ward for a quick Wendy's run. Ever ordered a Michael Jackson? {it's a frosty that is half vanilla half chocolate}. I never had and was a little skeptical but we ordered 6 and the guy didn't even hesitate before telling us how much we owed. once we got our goods, we blasted music while eating in the parking lot like high schoolers. it was grand.

that night, Ky and I were on our own so we decided to enjoy the warm summer night. we dragged all of our blankets up to the roof and giggled hysterically like middle schoolers. so those windows? yep they're boys apartments. we got a few comments like Sooo...how was sleeping on the roof? and So you're the ones who were out there! {hopefully they didn't mind the flash going off a thousand times around midnight hehe}

saturday was a pretty low-key day. I was a sack of lazy bones until early afternoon when I finally decided to go running. I love running in the rain but I was kind of bummed it was such a gloomy day. I read, napped, and waited for Ky to come home. when she did, we had some roommate bonding time-- better known as a we're-tired-but-so-hyper-we've-lost-our-minds kind of thing. when we decided to be normal again, we redboxed {yes it's a verb} the woman in black, which is the new daniel radcliffe movie. I screamed, Ky jumped, and Taylor, one of our guy friends, had to get up, shout, and walk around because he couldn't just sit and watch it. conclusion: the movie had no real resolution, it was lame, and dan the man should just stick to enjoying his harry potter glory.

sunday included church, more napping, and some reading. if you're ever looking for a thought provoking read,  c s lewis' book "mere christianity" is really good. we had dinner group where we ate possibly one of the best lasagnas I've ever had {sorry mama!} and this amazing chocolate dessert that had no gluten, no sugar, and no dairy.

for monday I had high aspirations of waking up early and going running. instead, I woke up two hours later than planned and had to run in the heat. for the sake of others, I would also not encourage anyone to eat over twenty-ish cookies in two days. I felt like I was running through molasses.
that afternoon, I went to tucanos with some friends and ate way too much. then we walked around, went to a toy store, played in some water, and watched a movie.

that night we had a ward activity. lots of volleyball, 4 square/9 square, popsicles, and sparklers. we have a great ward and it seems like everyone is friends with everyone. some of us crazier ones jumped into the pool afterwards but were kicked out because we were being loud and it was after pool curfew. woops! so we crashed a neighboring apartments pool and hot tub.

it would have been nice to be able to go to the graveyard back home and pay my respects to those who have served our country but I'll just have to do that when I go home. {23 days!!} I'm grateful for those who have served though and who are still serving.

too bad every weekend isn't three days long. life would be so much better. how did everyone else's weekend go?

not in the job description

you know you work with women when part of your job entails buying chocolate. lots of chocolate.

happy friday everyone! have a great 3 day weekend :)

life lately

disco skating with the ward. watching the eclipse with friends and super duper shades. bonfires.

friday

work has been so slow today.
I've perused a gajillion recipes to figure out what to make for dinner group.
I watched captain america in the conference room with some of the other staff.
I've checked facebook I don't even know how many times.
I bought a pair of awesome spandex.
I restrained myself from any more online shopping.
I ate lunch.
I started a book.
I've filed.
I humiliated myself via texting.
I've answered about 3 phone calls.

it has been that boring.

to make matters worse, it's overcast and chilly. all I want to do is curl up on a couch with a blanket and watch a movie.
thank goodness it's friday.

happy weekend all.

thoughts

current obsession: strawberries. I constantly crave them.

can't get enough of maxi skirts. the ones I own are worn at least once a week. they're like sweats but in skirt form

38 days until I'm home

my camelbak waterbottle and I are attached at the lips. I'm on my 7th refill of the day

I missed my mama yesterday. wish I could've shared mother's day with her

there are so many knots in my back and I reeeeally want a massage

prayer is powerful

Heavenly Father knows my needs much better than I do

the human body is impressive. most of what we think we can't do is merely psychological. learning to push past those thoughts and seeing what your body is truly capable of is fulfilling. and fun :)

call me shallow but a man's attractiveness goes up when he owns a motorcycles

choosing to stay in provo for the summer = best decision. "I love summer" comes out of my mouth almost every day

great conversations are born on warm summer nights

the tan lines from my t shirt combined with my one-strap swimsuit tan line remind me that I need to visit the poolside chairs more often

I googled random facts today...did you know that by the end of your life, you will have shed 40 lbs of skin?

I also now understand the difference between steel-cut oats and rolled oats

when there's a lull at work, I browse recipes. I even adapted one and made an amazing dinner. peanut sauce, broccoli, tofu, and noodles? yummy.

I think it's funny that saying "oh you're so domestic" is a common compliment here

we're having a once upon a time party tonight. it's gonna be bomb

that's about it and now it's time for me to leave work.

cake batter(ing)

last night a friend had a birthday party. we all went to the park to celebrate but rather than eat cake, we threw it at each other. we ran around yelling while there was full-on wrestling, tackling people to the ground, and gooey hugs/high fives/face grabbing all around. cake batter got everywhere. in the ears, nose, underneath shirts, eyes, you get the idea.
when you're baking and a little batter gets on a finger, you usually just lick it off and don't think too much of it.
lemme tell you though, when it gets everywhere that stuff is sticky. I have never been so messy in my life. this made the festival of colors seem like a pleasant walk in the park. the strawberry and devil's food cake batter made me smell {and taste} like a lip smackers chapstick. but once my shorts starting gluing themselves to my legs and my hair started drying into a solid blob, it was clean-up time.
hose water is always freeeezing cold and last night was no different. it was a warm night but it sure didn't feel like it. the guy in charge of the hose was ruthless but I returned the favor when it was his turn to be sprayed down. cleaning off was by far the worst part, but who knew getting messy could be so fun. happy birthday kj!

Before

After 

**there were about 30 people total but those before&after pictures and pictures with the birthday girl were taken on someone else's camera. there was no way I was going to put my camera at risk.



not all play

last summer I worked a couple jobs and combined, I worked full time. I'm only working one this summer and rather than chasing around littles and arguing with tourists, I'm spending my time at a desk.
it's a little different.
no more making mac n cheese all the time, no more free seafood from the fish guys at pike place, and no more telling children to keep their sticky hands off of honey sticks {why do these all have to do with food?}.
no more unlimited trampoline time. no more coming home so exhausted that I just want to sleep. no more driving an hour to get to work on saturdays. heck, no more work on saturdays!
these days, it's more along the lines of "BYU travel, this is Liz. I'm sorry, they're unavailable at the moment. Can I take a message?" and making sure the 19 poinsettias in our office stay alive. I'm faster than ever at stuffing envelopes {and getting paper cuts}, filing, and making copies. I even hung up pictures of my family up so I get to look at their faces when I sit in front of the computer :)
I'm trying really hard to not pick up habits from my co-workers. I get the feeling that if I started saying "holy martha!" or "sakes alive!" I would be mocked even more than when I started saying "oh my lanta." I'll stick to having just one grandma phrase.
there are some definite perks to the job though. we had a potluck today and there was so. much. food. there was tons of chips and salsa {aka my weakness}, pasta, fruit salad, hummus, fried chicken, cookies, salad, and two amazing cakes-- tres leches cake and a chocolate eclair cake. needless to say, I ate too much. we're also having a birthday party this friday for someone in my office and we're going somewhere for lunch. basically, we're all food lovers.
my boss is really relaxed and is letting me take work off to visit home. he also likes to crack jokes and it's always a great day when I successfully pull one off ;) although having my name tag on upside down for a couple of hours and accidentally answering the phone "BYU travel, this is Todd. I mean, Liz. My name is Liz"   wasn't done on purpose.

goodbye work-free summers, you were really boring. my job is fun and entertaining. and I like having money. love, liz

life lately

 {a bit of family time at Kneaders. some water volleyball fun. rugby admirers. yummy dinners. a bunch of crazies hiking the Y}

dear summer, feel free to stick around. love, liz

staying in p-town for summer

summer is here! staying in Provo was definitely the right decision. I had my reasons for going home last summer and it was a great learning experience but, as much as I love my family, it's not something I'm going to do again.

so far, I've gone from part-time to full-time work. the more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to learn. but my co-workers and boss are great and thankfully, hilarious. I'm the youngest in the office by at least 20 years but these guys know how to have fun {even while dealing with indecisive and cranky people}.

having no homework to come home to is one of the greatest feelings ever. without homework, I have time to play! bike rides to the lake, lounging by the pool, movies, making healthy dinners, ultimate frisbee, soccer, naps, and long runs. even fhe was a party-- we played water balloon v-ball, blew bubbles, had the biggest water war that led to a pool party after I got thrown in, and watched megamind. summer really brings out the laid back side of people {including moi} and I'm loving it. can't wait to see what the next 3 months bring :)