What I've been up to

So a funny thing happens when you decide to move across the country in only two weeks. Suddenly you become horrendously busy. Even my down time is filled with activity of some sort and there are lists. Oh my are there lists. Some of them are just in my head and others are really just part of a giant packing master list.

So Friday was spent working and figuring out how I was going to get to Utah. That part is done now. Megan is coming (huzzah!!) to drive with me and it will be what we are now calling the "Nerdiest Road trip in History!" (NRH?). Although now that I think of it, there probably have been nerdier road trips, but ours will have play lists and crocheting and GRE word lists! Party!

I think I started packing Friday night then Saturday I picked up a few things from Wal-Mart and went to chillax with the kiddos. Here are a few highlights:

A tea party lunch with grilled cheese and tomato soup.

After all that fun I came home and...yep, you guessed it, packed. I have a lot of bins full of junk. Clothes and knick knacks and linens and crafts and anything else a person accumulates through life. Luckily, when I moved from Utah I got rid of a lot of stuff. Turns out moving is very good for de-junking and inventory. I've got five bags of trash just from the last four days. You should all take a moment and be proud of me.



Okay. Sunday I spent the morning cuddling with my Bug and realizing I was spending my last Sunday at my home ward (conference is next week and then I'm gone). So that was a bit sad. I've really enjoyed being at Calvert and will miss a lot of the friends I've made.


So then I came home and did laundry and finished a tutu for a friend (which I forgot to take a picture of. darn.) and made a blanket and pillow for Monkey. He needed something more appropriate for a big boy. He liked it a lot...more importantly, Elmo approved. That is what it's all about, right?
So then I did lots more packing and de-junking. I scanned old photos so I could leave them behind and organized old letters and cards. I emptied four bins of things and re-packed them with something else, threw things away or put them in a pile for Lauren to sift through. Tonight I will be packing clothes into suitcases and sorting shoes. That's right, I have to leave some behind. So sad. I guess there's always a casualty or two.

So as of right now, as I sit and type this, here is what my room looks like. I'm amazed I'm getting any sleep.

More Info

So here's the sitch. I am indeed moving back to Utah. I have been thinking about the following things for quite a while now (1) I miss my friends (2) I miss having an active social life (3) Maybe I should think about what to do with my life (4) Grad school might be a good idea. So, somewhat organically things were set into motion.

I am looking into grad school for library science. It makes sense if you think about it. I am going to take the GRE and start applying to start summer or fall 2009. I have been getting a lot of information and talking to lots of people about all of this and I get more and more excited about it the more I learn. I could be a librarian in two years! At least I already have the librarian glasses.

So. Then I was thinking, I will move to Utah or Texas. These are places where I have family and/or friends. The more I thought about Utah the more it made some sense. I would be with people who are in a similar situation (going to grad school) and I would be reunited with the majority of my bestest pals. Although it means leaving my family, which I know is going to be harder than I can imagine...and I can imagine it would be v. v. difficult, I need to make choices that are good for me and my future. So I decided to put my resume out there and see what kind of response I get figuring I wouldn't get much and it would probably take three or four months to find something. So I thought January. That's a good time to move.

Well, today I had some conversations that facilitated more conversations that I was worried about having. I came to the realization that this could move very quickly. I could be offered a job that wanted me to start as soon as possible and I would have to pack up and leave. The more I thought and talked about it, the more it made sense. It's scary. I'm still freaking out just thinking of the possibility.

I mean, honestly. I just made this decision. Things never happen this quickly for me. I am taking it as a sign. I've been struggling trying to figure out what to do with myself for months. I have been praying about where to go and what to do and nothing has ever made sense until today. I'm in no ways counting on anything that happened today coming to pass, but I got a phone call that made me consider moving quickly. I talked to a friend and my sister who were so supportive. I decided that I had to tell my boss. He was also so supportive as were my coworkers. My mom and my dad were both on board. It was so reassuring and confidence building.

Last week this was all just an idea that maybe I would do. Now it seems like the right time to be putting these things into motion and changing things. I am so excited to see what happens.

I am still freaking out a bit. Just thinking about leaving my family makes me want to cry. And the hard work. And the chance I will be quite poor. And not seeing my family every day. And going back to school. And did I mention NOT seeing my family? I'm going to stop thinking about that.

So basically, I am so incredibly grateful for a Heavenly Father who really listens and cares and loves me. Today was just made for me and I love my Heavenly Father for it.

There's a lot more to tell and I think there are probably questions, but it's late and I'm tired. But there's the basic story.

Also. I could be eating CAFE RIO in October. That's a happy happy thought. AND JAMBA! oooooooh. Another happy thought.

Big News

Here's what I have been keeping from you.

I'm moving back to Utah. Provo, to be exact.

I'm not really sure when. It could be November. It could be January. I could show up on your doorstep with all my worldly belongings in tow three days from now. How's that for unpredictable? I'm a loose cannon people!

Also, I'm really not sure how to spell cannon, like on a pirate ship or the civil war.

Also, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

There is a lot more to say about this but mostly I just had to share it with you as I just told my boss and co-workers so it is no longer top secret.

I'm excited and freaking out, but in the best way.

Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuts

The title has nothing to do with this post - I just happen to be eating one of those right now.

I've been thinking of some things lately. Big things. Life changing things. Now I am going to put some of it out there because I've reached the point where I can no longer mull them over in my own mind and get anywhere productive.

Moving. That's right. I said it. I've thought of it dreamily for the last couple of months. Things like, I am going to move to England. And I've actually looked into doing so, but when my brother-in-law quit his job I went and told them that day that I would go where ever they did. I knew he would start looking out of state for jobs and it just felt like a good idea. I could still be near the boys and my Sissie. I LOVE living near my sister and I have a feeling I will find a way to finagle such an arrangement for the REST OF OUR LIVES. I am quite serious.

But now here are my questions.

Do I actively start looking for jobs in Dallas/Fort Worth and Utah?

Do I just wait to see where Wil gets a job and just pick up and leave with them THEN find a job when I move? I have looked around a little, but nothing too serious since I already have this job here in Maryland.

What if I get the answer that I should move but Lauren and Wil don't?

Am I prepared to get that answer and live away from my family again?

Am I brave enough to do so?

Do I really want to live in Utah or Texas? Seriously. Those two places do not top my list of places I want to live (no offense to those places or people from there, there are just more exotic and easternly locales I would like to be placed in) but they are the two places I am considering, mostly for social reasons.

What is life really going to be like for me here in Southern Maryland?

Do I really see myself finding a husband (or even a boyfriend) here? Let's be honest - I'm not marriage hungry and my life does not revolve around finding a husband, but isn't it important to at least put yourself in the position where the opportunities to date are there? Those opportunities are not very plentiful here and the distance alone from my house to my singles ward to the homes of my fellow ward members causes a lot of distraction.

Obviously this is something I am praying about and trying to figure out what is best for me and where I need to be - I just need to find the right questions to ask. That always seems to be the hardest part for me - forming the correct thoughts. Do I ask if I should move with Lauren and Wil to Texas or do I ask if I should move? Specific or blanket statement? Perhaps I'll ask it all till I get an answer. I'm fairly confident I have made the right decisions thus far in my life - I just need to keep trusting that.

The pros of moving to Texas or Utah would be these:

Closer to friends. Texas has the Murrays and Utah has, well, all of my friends from college except Mike and Jamie.

Wider social circle and more social opportunities.

Change of pace, change of scenery.

It would be a new and exciting adventure. I love those. It could also suck - but at least I will have done something!



Finally, here's something I haven't mentioned to ANYONE. I've been casually thinking about school again. I don't really want to pay for school and the cost alone could keep me out of there - but going back to grad school for something more specialized seems a tiny bit more appealing to me now than it has in the past. I can't even begin to think what I would need to do to figure all that out but thought it was a significant enough change from my previous "I'm so glad to be out of school I'm never going back again" mentality.

Pizza Pizza

This post is not about Little Caesars or Brick Oven pizza. I'm talking real, honest to goodness, tres delish pizza.

When I was in Utah in March for Miri's wedding, I went out to dinner with Curt. Curt is one of those people who is totally content and not weirded out by going out to eat or to the movies alone. He goes and looks for new, fun places to eat. That's how we found "our place"(Ultimate Broiler and Grill - delish Greek food) a few summers ago. He texted me a while back and said he found a fancy new place to go to when I came to visit so we went HERE. Pizzeria 712. It is hidden in that new complex on State street in Orem, one of the only things open there when we were there in March. But it was SO GOOD.

It's small and cozy, but posh. Something you would expect from NYC. The chefs and the oven are clearly visible behind the bar and there are as many tables as possible squished into the space. Curt loved the bathroom. haha. He made me go into the ladies room before we left even though I didn't really need to just to see the design. It was really nice. It reminded me a lot of Paris. They brought out small glasses with carafes of water. The pizza was amazing. Simple and yummy. We had what amounted to a meat lovers - only the meat was prosciutto and something else I can't remember how to spell. If you live in Utah (or are ever in Orem) - go to Pizzeria 712. It's a fun atmosphere with delicious food. (check out the menus - and the times. Nothing more than $12)

My next favorite pizza place is California Pizza Kitchen, but not because of the pizza. Although the pizza there is very good (it doesn't compare with the above mentioned pizza) my heart belongs to the Thai Crunch Salad (half size, with avocado) with a Hummus appetizer. It's good every time. I love all the crunchy bits in the salad. Thai crunchy noodles, peanuts, and those weird white crunchy things. And it has edamame. So. Freaking. Good.

So now that I've made myself incredibly hungry so these specific foods. I'm going to go pretend it's not only 10:30 in the morning and try to make it to lunch time when I will probably be feasting on the tres chic Way of the Sub.

The "S" is for Sucks (now with photos)

That title has nothing to do with Miri's wedding except that Megan and Miri introduced me to the "The 'S' is for Sucks" song this weekend.

So. Wedding. I have a feeling that some of you are curious and dying to see photos. I've been holding out on you on purpose! Muahahahah! No. I'm a liar. Really I wanted to send out the photos to Miri before I posted them, but that's not happening. Also, I'm a pretty busy woman. I've got parties to plan and work to do and blog posts to wri...oh, yeah...back to the wedding.

Thursday night I hung out with Curt. He took me to a VERY delish pizza place on State Street in Orem. We watched The Office and generally enjoyed each other's company. It's nice to hang out with a normal guy. It's sad that, at current, Curt is really my only example of a "normal" guy. haha. I love how into new restaurants he gets and how he makes me watch something funny and new when I visit. Last time was Dimitri Martin and this time it was GI Joe voice overs.

Friday, Megan and Jennie and I went shopping to collect fun and fab gifties for Miri and Mike to make their wedding day (and night *winkie face*) special. We made a wedding preparedness kit (tissues, hand sanitizer, shout wipes, fruit snacks, mints, etc.) and a Memory Bucket full of funny things to remind Mike and Miri of (who else?) US! References to Hot and Spicy, HSM, NAPC, Ramen, M&M, etc. were loaded into a pretty blue bucket and given to the deserving couple. It was well received come Saturday morning.


So Saturday (May 3, 2008). We woke up early so Lili could curl Jennie and Megan's hair. I put on their make up (they both looked gorgeous!!) and we headed out to the ceremony.


It was a small, but beautiful ceremony. I got a little teary eyed (tears of joy) - Mike got more than a little teary eyed, which was sweet and cute, and Miri "manned-up" and took it like a champ. No, really, though, Mike cried and Miri never stopped smiling.

She actually squealed with joy on numerous occasions, but not during the ceremony as that would have been frowned upon. We sneaked to the car to give them the Memory Bucket and take pictures with the viking hat and veil. Then Jennie and Megan and I went to pick up the cake and bring it back to where the reception was.

Jennie made an amazing and beautiful cake. I took more pictures of it then I did of Miri - but not on purpose...I just couldn't really see the pictures I was taking so I just kept taking them to ensure I would get good ones...which I did. So it was four layers. Rice Krispie base, funfetti, chocolate and lemon - white fondant (the layers looked like fluffy pillows) with a colorful ribbon.

Megan thought of adding a bow and I made the bow (Megan also helped stir and add eggs and such - I contributed by making witty remarks such as "that's the cake trough" when a pile of discarded cake was placed on the air mattress in the middle of the living room). Once we got the cake set up, we got to work helping Miri's mom get everything else ready. We wiped down chairs and spent some time making the flower arrangements. I made the nosegay for Miri to toss and people started arriving. The weather was kind enough to cooperate as well so yay for Mother Nature and her kind ways.

The reception was fun. It was good to see old friends (my old bishop was there! he is awesome and so is his wife) and catch up. It was fun to see how truly and genuinely happy Mike and Miri were. The most important thing to do on your wedding day is to enjoy the moments and I'm pretty confident Mike and Miri had a fun day. Non stop smiling - except for when they cut the cake. Those are the best pictures. Mike sticks his tongue out, Miri makes a face, then they smash the cake everywhere, but they did it tastefully. There was also some glass smashing (Jewish tradition) and a Hoopah (which probably is spelled wrong). and an ice cream bar!! that was a great idea...and delicious. All in all, it was a pretty good day. I got a little sunburned - Jennie and Megan got a lot sunburned - hopefully Miri didn't get sunburned because that would not make for a fun wedding night.

And now a smattering of my favorite photos from the day:


After the reception, Megan and Jennie and I went home to change then met Todd, Jason McGee and Curt at Village Inn. It was fun to just chill out - even though I haven't lived in Utah for nearly two years now (yikes!), it was like nothing had changed. Except now I own a Prius and a Mac (Bullet and Cheese, thankyouverymuch) which, according to Jason, Todd and NPR, makes me "snooty" and an Obama supporter. I say, so what if I prefer to eat my grapes with the skin peeled off and tiny finger sandwiches made with cucumber sans crust? I drink my tea with my pinkie in the air like every red-blooded American. My husband will, no doubt, wear Gucci loafers and our yacht will be modestly sized. So what if I already have the perfect gold-plated dog food dish that will surely be used by a chiuaua named "Princess Snugglekins"? Is this not the land of the free and the home of the brave? And by "free" I mean "rich" and by "brave" I mean "snobs"?

None of that is truth, btw. I love America and I am not snooty in any way...at least I don't think so. I just like saving money on gas and having awesome graphics at my fingertips. I promise Bullet will not be sporting a Mac or Obama tramp stamp anytime soon.

Finally, Sunday afternoon, Jennie, Megan and I went to Miri and Mike's new apartment and played "wedding elves." We cleaned all the surfaces, made up the bed with some surprises (nothing like laying down on your bed after your honeymoon only to hear "Getcha Head in the Game" from High School Musical emanate from under the pillow of your marriage bed) and decorated with whatever we could find that was unpacked. Miri and Mike called last night to say thank you, but it was the least we could do. We love them and wanted them to be happy. Start your marriage out right with tons of happy memories and fun stories.

So there you have it folks, Miri's wedding.

Utah part one - Bridal prep and Krissie's Birthday Party

So off I went to Utah for five days...if you've noticed the lack of posts there's your explanation. After a fairly quick plane ride Thursday morning, I arrived and Megan and Krissie picked me up at the airport. We ran into each other's arms like silly, silly girls and that made me pretty happy. haha. Then we went to Cafe Rio. That's right, not even an hour off the plane and I'm picking up some Cafe Rio. Yummy. We took lunch to Miri's new place and sat around enjoying some girl talk and catching up. I'll keep the blog G for those of you with sensitive constitutions. So then we went and picked up Jennie and went to Jamba Juice. It was delish. Here are pictures...



Fast forward to Friday night...Krissie's Birthday party in the park. Jennie dropped me off after a day of running around shopping for wedding essentials for Miri. Randon and Mike and Aaron were there and we sat around enjoying...that's right...more food! It was fun to just hang out with each other again. I miss those guys. Also, I missed Krissie. Randon also played his guitar which made me happy. And now more pictures...



And stay tuned for more pictures and stories from Miri's Wedding Day!!

So close....

Those of you who lurk on other people's blogs know by now that Miri is getting married. This is good for several reasons including: 1) it is fun to say "Miri is getting married;" 2) she will soon benefit from eternal companionship and all that jazz; and 3) it gives me an excuse to fly to Utah.

I know, I just visited Utah in November. This would be a shorter trip (May 1-May 5) and I would be relying on all of my wonderful friends to drive me to and fro the places I need/would like to be. I miss my friends quite a bit and this would be a good chance to see them all in one place at one time before everyone really grows up and goes off to fulfill their heart's desires. and by that I mean before everyone gets the heck out of Utah. I still haven't purchased my plane ticket. That is turning out to be difficult....but I need a vacation so I need to suck it up and just do it before the prices go up and I REALLY can't afford it.

Goose and The Little Lady

I finally got around to uploading my last pictures from Utah. These made me miss a certain pair of adorable children...


Goose had a good time taking pictures by himself with my camera so I have quite a few wonderful pictures of Heidi's living room as well.

Cafe Rio and 'Creds.

This post belongs in with the Utah posts. I just don't feel like making it fit in order right now. It's about our weekend in Utah (Nov. 9th, 10th, & 11th.

The weekend in Utah was fab. On Friday we drove up to Bountiful to see Miss Amy and her family. This was the first time I met her two adorable children, Boo and Yaks (obviously not their real names). I found a new friend in Boo. She is a smart, confident, and beautiful little girl. While I was getting ready to head up to Logan to visit friends she helped me pick out my earrings and watched me put on my makeup and fix my hair. She asked me questions all along the way.

"Are you doing your eyes?"
"Are you fixing your hair?"
"What are you wearing?"

It was pretty cute and made me anxious to have such moments with my niece (and future nieces).

Boo also asked about me while I was gone and was pretty happy to snuggle with me and Monkey while we watched "Creds" (The Incredibles) on Saturday night. Every time I got up she would tell me to come right back.

Yaks was a little more wary of me. I don't think he quite knew what I was doing in his house, chasing after Monkey and tickling his big sister. I was most often met with a puzzling look when I spoke to him. Still, it was the cutest puzzling look around.

He liked me when I started taking pictures, though, so I only have photographic evidence of him liking me so that's the story I'm sticking with from this point on. Monkey and Yaks were playing basketball together. Monkey loved playing with Yaks - a boy his own age to pal around with! Here they are taking turns playing peek-a-boo with me and my camera around the pole of the basketball hoop...



and here is a picture of our new basketball star...

It kind of makes me think of a Pampers commercial...but cute all the same.

It was so good to see Amy again. It has been years and that is just way too long! It was fun driving to pick up Cafe Rio** with her and then inhaling said Cafe Rio while talking with Lauren around the coffee table. Amy really did help me out when I didn't have a place to go and relax and be around normal people and I will be forever grateful to her. I am so happy that Lauren made friends with her so I can share in the awesomeness!!

**Did I mention that this was our second Cafe Rio meal in two days? I introduced Lauren to the Cafe Rio salad on Friday before driving to Amy's and Lauren was suggesting it for dinner on Saturday. A girl after my own heart!**

My fun times are coming to an end...

...and oh how sad it is. I am SO happy that I got to take this trip to Utah. Not that I missed Utah, but I missed my friends. It made me realize how truly incredible my friends are and all the reasons why I loved them in the first place. It reminded my why I had such a fun couple of years toward the end of college and even after graduation.

But now I must return to my real life. I will be heading back to Maryland and going back to work. I will be thrown back into my life of 40+ hours a week, babysitting, and countless other obligations. I told Miri and Megan last night that as awesome and as nice as it is to lounge around their apartment talking and Giant Journaling or just hanging out in the same room together, I have to remind myself that that is not the way it would be if I were still living in Provo. I would have to be responsible and go to my full-time job...they would have to be responsible and go to class and study...we could not stay up till the wee small hours of the morning simply to enjoy our time together.

I also told Sheryl that I was glad she was in Maryland waiting for me to come home because it makes going home easier...having someone to make plans with.

All in all, this was a great trip. Seeing my friends again and having things be just as they were when I left a year ago is something I will always have. Something to boost me up on those icky days. Now, I just have to convince them to come visit me in Maryland!

Hey, I have an idea! Let's spoon!

Miri, Megan and I have special times together. They make me smile and laugh even when I really don't want to...I should say especially when I really don't want to. Thursday night we were up until 5:30 and I woke up at 7:45 the next morning.


Two hours of sleep, but it was more than worth it. When will we ever again be able to have that time? It's a sad thought, but also a happy one because at least we had it in the first place. Now, as I go back to Maryland and they work toward graduation and such, as we leave each other not knowing when we will see each other again, we have an endless amount of insane pictures, quotes, and memories to keep with us forever. I'm done being sappy now.




So, first we hung out. I borrowed music from Megan, who has awesome taste in music and was nice enough to share.
We Giant Journaled and watched The Office. I got tired of NBC telling me to go green...so much so I said, "I feel like littering RIGHT NOW!" I don't like having opinions forced upon me. Later, we were heading out to go see Stardust at the dollar theater. (Great movie, btw). There was a scooter, so naturally Megan and I jumped on and said, "Come on Miri, let's go!" That would have been a true adventure.
After the movie we drove home. Pictures were taken with the VW Bug I am renting. It was a squeeze getting in and out to say the least.



Then there was the hill with leaves and the lamp post. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Then my krilifis made a guest appearance...



Overall, it was a fabulous night. Just what the doctor ordered. I love these girls (including my krissie)...they GET me, they know just what to say and do and when to laugh and when to hug and when to be their amazing selves. I can't say enough good things.