Share Goodness Sunday

Sweet Todd has been gone serving his mission for over a year! Today I was thinking of two moments from the year we were at BYU together that prove he was simply the best!

#1: When I Needed a Blessing. I had been feeling pretty poorly and I was going to have my brothers give me a blessing for my sickness, but by the time they had it together enough to come help their poor ailing sister I was feeling better, but I still needed a blessing for other reasons. Ty made Todd give the blessing (for experience because the boy had just been ordained an Elder and he was about to leave on his mission) and he was so nervous. He didn't even know what to say really, but he gave me a blessing anyway. I can't remember what was said in the blessing, but I do know that I loved him for trying so hard and being able to give me that blessing! It was so sweet of both of my brothers! 

#2: When He Found Me Crying on Campus. I was headed to class from the Tanner Building to the Wilk after an incredibly stressful day of working on getting my future together and Todd was headed home to the dorms. It was a freak accident that we saw each other or rather that he saw me: I had been walking with my hair in front of my face and my head down because I was crying out my stress - Toddy pulled me off to the side of the sidewalk and broadened his shoulders to try and make a psuedo-wall so no one would see his poor sister crying and then he said some encouraging things and gave me a pat on the shoulder and maybe a side-hug? He felt so uncomfortable, but he wanted to make sure I was okay. Sweet Todd. I almost started crying again thinking about how great he was! 

I've been blessed with the best brothers! I'm so glad that Todd decided to take all the sweetness and faith and go to Africa to serve a mission to change the lives of the people that he meets there. It's not everyone that decides to go and it's not everyone that sticks it out when it's hard, but sweet Todd is doing his best to do just that and I'm so proud! 

Summer Days Driftin' Away!

I officially went home to Wyoming to see my Grandma and Grandpa as the Grand Marshals of the Cowley's Day parade! The bonus of this trip was seeing all my babies!! I've already put these pictures all over Facebook, but because they are THAT. CUTE. I'm posting them again!

These sweet babies look like they are parade ready. Which they were for the most part, but they were not ready to be robbed of their candy by some older children who kept running in front of them and taking it. So I had to step in and grab the candy first. YES, I stole from children, but then I gave it back to other children. So.. it's not as awful as it sounds? Right?

These girls had to resort to sneakier methods of getting their candy. We would often see sweet Camilla take off down the street following the trail of candy! It was so funny to see her in her own world collecting tootsie rolls (supervised of course) all up and down the gutter!

The whole crew!

Pig Tails!

The Grand Marshals Themselves:

My sweet grandparents did such a great job as the grand marshals! It was so fun to see them honored in this way. The Cowley's Day parade has always been a part of my life - every summer we'd go up to their house and sit on the curb as the best parade I've ever been to (speaking strictly in candy output) passed on by! To have my family members as part of this and recognized at the program, in the program and throughout the day was so fun! These people are quality! 

Picture with some local Celebs!!

After the parade and the program (pioneer themed speeches/talks and choir music baby), there is a lunch and kids races at the park that is just kitty-corner to the Lewis estate! My sweet Camilla was in a foul mood, but we wanted to see Aubrey and Brynny race, so we stayed.  Dawn eventually had to take Baby Henry home, so I stayed with foul-tempered Camilla. (Side story: someone asked me if Camilla and Brynn were mine. My immediate response: horror and "OH NO! Not at all!") As we waited for the races to start, I let all my sweet niecey's run pieces of pine needles through my hair and over my nails, playing beauty parlor. Our quick game of beauty parlor turned Camilla's attitude right around and she was suddenly willing to race! It was so sweet! All the babies in the race Camilla was in won a dime: She's so proud!

Winner winner!

After our sloppy joe lunch, I EXPERIENCED SUMMER for the first time all summer!  We played badminton and kubb. It was amazing. I love being outside. I love playing games. I love my family. I love babies. I love heat that doesn't oppress you! I love yard games! I just love love loved this day. See how fun it was:

the boys.

A Carefree Camilla! My favorite picture from my trip!

Great moms: Both of them!

It's a keeper!

Another great picture!

More to come...

My Bosom Friend Got Married

Sweet Stacey is one of my best friends (not my only best friend obviously, but certainly the quickest to reach that status!) - and ONE month ago she married the love of her life!!!!!!!!!! I was lucky enough to have a weekend free from work and a little extra cash, so I could show up and see the joyous day in person! What a blessing!

It was the quickest weekend in Utah ever, but a good quick weekend none the less.

Sweet Ty was the hero of the weekend - he picked me up from the airport, gave me his car for a night and a day, and let me stay in his house for an evening. Seriously - Ty saved my life and I am the luckiest sister in the world! We started my Utah weekend off well with Ty and my's place - Cafe Rio. Don't tell my Texan friends but Cafe Rio trumps Chipotle: allday, erryday. They are missing out in the South!

I showed up at the temple bright and early because I was the lucky gal assigned to be head baby-sitter - at least that's what I thought, but it turned out sweet Stacey had planned ahead and had her oldest niece and a few of her friends there ready to handle the babes. All I did was manage the masses - especially the crying ones when things got rough for the older gals!

After my gig as head baby-sitter finished up, I became a fangirl of the bride and groom! The meant following them around - telling Stacey she looked like a bridal beauty - giving them my water - taking pictures with them - telling Stacey she had a bridal glow - offering my support in general. Also another fun gig. I loved getting to see my bosom friend with her man and them being so happy and so natural and so right. They are just the perfect two for each other. I loved being their fangirl - and I will continue to be one I'm sure!

Pictures of me and the other bridal friends/fangirls: (two of which are my own former roommates - wedding reunions are the best reunions!)

After the luncheon - which the sweetest, kindest Stacey totally had our backs at and didn't make us make a speech on the spot about how perfect Brett and Stacey were for each other (I could have said many things about that topic, but not without prior notice and not in front of Stacey's family and especially not in front of Brett's family... thanks Stacey you're the best!) - I headed back to Provo city to pick up my brother. While we were there we did Provo things like getting ice cream from the Creamery.

It was nice to be back in Provo, because it helped me realize again that I like being not in Provo. Texas is a good home for now, and I'm glad I got the chance to leave Provo City to try out a new home for awhile! 

The reception was so great. It was in the backyard of this wonderful little place. It was so cozy with the trees and the tables and the bride and groom waiting to greet everyone. Stacey hired one of her roomies to sing songs of love in the background with her guitar and it added the perfect touch. It was one of those receptions that was just pleasant and perfect. The weather was perfect - the music was perfect - Stacey and Brett were so comfortable and kind - and you could just tell that people felt right at home. I loved it!! Stacey is a wedding reception planning extradinaire. She's a pro. Seriously. The reception was AMAZING!

See how happy they looked:

I also want to include this series of photos because I think it's the only proof I have that we were all together, despite how awful I look. I can probably add these to an album of pictures (albeit a small album ;) ) with the title "Proof that I'm Not Photogenic."

 

 

The stunning bride and groom tower over and look 10x better than me, which is how it's supposed to be, but..... still.  

I'd gladly take more awful photos with the bride and groom if it meant I got to witness this joyous event again. I'll admit that I did shed a few tears - which was an interesting thing for me. Usually sweet Stacey is the one crying about changes and life being different, but that day it was definitely me. It always gets me at reception time how my friendship with the bride is suddenly going to be different. A good different for sure, but still different, which leads me to tears. Which this go around was a little embarrassing because the moment struck in front of my brother and some of my friends... but it was nice to know I care so much!  But if I had to loose my best friend to anyone - Brett's the best guy out there for the job!!! 

Realizations

Realization #1: So.. I just did a mini-Facebook stalk of myself (I'm waiting for traffic to die down a bit before I go shopping), and I realized that most of the pictures of me recently posted are me eating food. Which really shouldn't be a surprise because eating out is one of my very favorite things to do in the whole world. BUT I'm thinking maybe I shouldn't take so many pictures of it?

Food. Food. Food.

Realization #2: If eating is my favorite thing to do in the world, maybe I should get better hobbies.  Quick Google search and I'm already a whole step ahead to discovering my new hobby: http://discoverahobby.com/

Realization #3: Remember in this post where we laughed together about my flash-induced lazy eye? Turns out I was lying to myself! I'VE GOT A LAZY EYE ALL THE TIME. Upon seeing the picture below, one of my very first thoughts was I need to start parting my hair on the other side so that it doesn't accentuate the lazy-eye syndrome that is my face!! Does anyone out there even think that will help?!? What's a girl with a lazy eye to do?

Realization #4: Sometimes things you look forward to are even better than you imagined! Like going to a food truck downtown with my co-workers and having the most wonderful time in the world! It started raining just as we were leaving work, so I prayed a quick pray that it would stop. PRAYER ANSWERED. Then we followed our GPS to the address the Waffle Bus's twitter indicated and BOOM-BA-DA-BING - we arrived to the location to find not just ONE food truck BUT SEVERAL food trucks! I seriously was freaking out! It was like a food truck utopia. As we were approaching the Food Truck Utopia a man called out to us: "Try the lobster rolls if you go to (dirty-named food truck)!" It was a food truck community! People coming together sharing tips on where to eat - so sweet! We ordered our food - I followed my southern appetite to the chicken and waffles, while my friend instead got the Vietnamese-fusion chicken tacos.  We drove back to work jamming to a few of our current favorites including "Turn Down For What" you should all give the clean version a listen - it's a pretty good car-dancing song. Then ate our food together - it was actually delicious until I got to a weird part of the chicken - y'all know how I am about chickens - but the brightness of the rest of the day definitely out-weighed the weird chicken parts! It was seriously one of the best lunch breaks I've ever had! 

The Aquarium

I went to an aquarium in downtown Houston, 

and I left with a picture of me and a tiger.  

I'm a little bit frightened that the crazy part of this picture isn't the fact 

that The Downtown Aquarium feels it appropriate to include tigers in their fish exhibit

 but rather me--I AM THE CRAZY PART. 

Despite the whole lot of cray-cray oozing from above photo, I super enjoyed the Aquariam. 

• I touched a few sting-rays: 
• they are some smart and scary creatures. They'd flap their 'wings' at us if they thought we had food. And they'd come close and I'd touch them and scream a little. I just kept thinking about the Steve Irwin, and so I was a little hesitant. But I conquered that fear and touched those nasty slimy things. It may have been a first and last!
• Road the ferris wheel - which was a significantly more pleasant experience than the Park County Fair - much less rickety. 
• Observed some fish. Good times!
• And checked one more thing off my Houston Bucket List!

Throwback Thursday - 1 Year Later!

One Year Ago

My Family looked like this:

My mom was still rocking the Stay at Home Mom title. My dad had JUST left IME. Toni and Sage only had two beautiful daughters. Dawn and Bryan only had Camilla with an un-named baby on the way. Bryan still worked at Goldman Sach's.  Ty was a lowly Junior at BYU. Todd still lived in America. And I had no real future.

Today: 

My Family looks like this:

CONGRATS TY!!! I'M A VERY PROUD SISTER!!! YOU'RE SO SMART!!! AND HANDSOME!

My mom is the newest and BEST Support Specialist for the Powell area Institute. Pops has not only rocked Granite Engineering - he's now on his way to REAL ESTATE MOGAL. #baller  Toni is now the pregnant sister and un-named baby boy is coming REAL soon! Ty's a graduate and has a JOB!

 Dawn and Bryan dropped out of the Goldman life and living as college students in Pittsburgh - and Henry is a human being.   

Todd is sharing the Gospel in Africa! 

And I have a career and a life in Houston.

Another person who was a huge part of my graduation day/life:

Last year Sweet Stacey was hugging me and wasn't officially dating anyone - yet!

This year:

Sweet Stacey is graduating and has her arms around the man of her dreams (who only has eyes for her) and is going to marry him in less than 2 months!

It's amazing the difference a year makes!

Anecdotes From A Pleasant Week

• A client at work made me a mixed tape that he put together himself. He told me I was his favorite lady, and he laughed at all my jokes! NICE!
• As I was listening to the mix tape on the way home from work - it was mostly Johnny Cash - I had two windows down and I was loving my life. As I pulled up to a stop light, with my windows down, a man in the lane next to mine was shouting at me. I finally figured out that it was me he was talking to and I turned down my music - "I grew up in Dubois - where are you from?" - startled I shouted back "Powell!" One of best reasons to register my car in Powell once more - the chance to keep having these wonderful encounters! 
• As I was pulling up to another stoplight on another day - I started to un-peel an orange - it's a long light. But... it just happens I stopped right next to a homeless man - with my windows down and the music up. AWKWARD. I turned down my music and then after 10 seconds I looked over apologetically to the homeless man (H.M.) - 
• K: "I -" 
• H.M."You don't have to give me anything. Don't feel bad."
• K "I have an orange. Would you like an orange?"
• H.M. "Sure if you want to give it to me."
• K hands H.M. orange.
• H.M. "I'll eat it right now." (begins to unpeel it)
• Silence
• H.M. "Do you know Spanish?"
• K Um... trying to figure out if I look like I know Spanish for some reason.. "No, I don't."
• H.M. "I'm know f-ing Spanish" (he didn't censor)
• I raised my eyebrows in surprise - but his face was down so he couldn't tell.
• H.M. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to say (pause - trying to figure out how to apologize for cussing without saying it again) that word."
• He then went on to tell me about how on the streets you have to learn Spanish and that he's pretty fluent - until the light turned green. Then mid-sentence, as the light-turned green - he held up his hand and said "Bye."
• I was at another stoplight (I only have a 20 minute commute - even though it sounds like I'm ALWAYS driving) on another day and saw across the way a Wyoming-ite from county 10 or 16 - my eyes are going bad, don't judge! I hardly EVER see any cars not from Texas and yet that is second siting of a Wyomin'-ite! Love it!
• At salsa dance class this week, I moved from super beginner to regular beginner because I finally reached FLOW status! I really felt the dance - instead of just doing the steps. My favorite dance partner told me I finally got it because I added a little bounce to my step - which was true because I finally found the beat! YEAH!!!!!!! Now I just have to find places to dance that aren't totally sleazy.
• At Wal-Mart yesterday, I was walking in and a middle-aged man from behind me says - you have something on you and he points downish. I looked at my bag which was on the backside of my leg and didn't see anything. He kept pointing and then was like - someone else is going to have to get it off for you. My roommate looked at booty and saw a sticker from her car on my skirt and pulled it off. I was left feeling really weird that a man would be telling there was something down there. Was it weird or kind that he mentioned it?