birthday picnics and instax

my friend lexi is amazing. lit'rally.
she is so talented and generous and loving and genuine.

and lesbehonest, way cooler than me.

and she turned 18!

so she threw a picnic and made caprese salad and pina colada and it was sweet and totally picture perfect.

story time

One time I was in California, and we were walking the Huntington Beach pier.

I saw a group of people: an Asian news reporter & an Asian cameraman, interviewing an Asian man, and there may or may not have been some observers (who were Asian).

And I said,
"Guys! Maybe we'll be on Asian television!"

And Kyle said,
"Um, that's ABC News."

And it totally was.

to those like me

This is Maggie (and me).

She is my best friend.

And a doll, obviously.

She is much more talented than I,

and has started her very own etsy shop!

If I could buy everything from A Mingled Yarn, I'd do it in a heartbeat. 

But also we're friends so she makes things for me, 

like that headband I'm wearing.

This is the kind of thing I would do a giveaway for

if I was popular and rich.

Because she's that great.

check it out!

dirty thirty thursday

this new tradition was the perfect boost to a weird day.

thursdays are my new favorite.

thanks, wes!

(like, I seriously can't stop thinking about how great it was)

my roomies are leaving me

To us, this is the funniest video in the world.  

Jess is so happy she doesn't have to go to the Provo MTC, and that she's not going to Norway.

Her family is freaking out (that's her mom screaming) because her mission president in Spain is their neighbor! Her mom served in Finland and they have lots of Norwegian heritage, so we had been teasing her for weeks that that's where she was going because she really didn't want to.

As Jill was opening hers, Jess joked that they were saving Norway for her.  And they did.

And then Jess is all over the place.

I seriously can't watch this without tearing up.  I am the most emotional roommate ever.

There's a reason I'm not posting any pictures of us. :)

hey, internet

best friend hannah and i are starting a vlog!
we felt like we had things to say, and we like ourselves.

keep your eyes out for future embarrassment.

i actually did some things a long time ago.

For McClane's birthday at the beginning of July, I sent him a box of sunshine.

It was random and mostly yellowish.  In theory it was awesome, 

and I wonder if he even got it, but I felt like I was being happy & supportive.

Then Maddy and I joined (several times) our dear friend Daniel to pick raspberries in his back yard.

I may have spent just as much time playing with Lily the sweetest dog as picking, but that's how I roll.

We took those millions of raspberries to Smithfield 

where we babysat & I made my first ever batch of jam!

I'm pretty much a domestic goddess now. 

(Also, freezer jam is the easiest thing ever.)

We also had some Aggie Blue Mint, cause how can you not?

Jean's Dream Machine 2012

In exactly two weeks and one day, the last of my more manly friends will be leaving on his LDS mission to the Philippines. (see previous goodbyes here)

I've been telling everyone lately what an awkward time of life this is!  It's not that I don't want to make friends with men older than me (trust me, I do), but it's just that all of the sudden, these boys I grew up with are all gone, and I'm trying to replace them one by one.  I don't necessarily want to, but it needs to happen.  

To celebrate his growing up and our freaking out, we road tripped it to Bear Lake this weekend!  I had never been, so at the beginning of the summer I causally suggested that we go.  Then all the sudden we were making plans, buying food, and test driving the Party Bus/Jean's Dream Machine!

We headed up Friday night after the Bountiful Parade (which I did not know existed until this week.  Pioneer Day just isn't a deal in FL, okay?!), but it lasted a lot longer than anticipated. However, we just had to stay and watch all our boys march with their fellow "2,000 Stripling Warriors."  I'm pretty sure I would have been more excited about it if I wasn't crabby about waiting to see the lake.  

 We watched them walk by twice and it took a long time.  

One day we'll find out if 2,000 of them actually showed up.

 We finally left and I took up residence as DJ.  Everybody loved it I'm sure.  Karlie took a nap because she works hard during the week making sure her pre teen campers don't die.  She's the best.  

Luckily, she slept through a scary tale about the abandoned nunnery in Logan Canyon, that Justin thought would be good to relate at 11 pm whilst driving through said canyon.  Awesome.

 We dropped by Rachel's brother-in-law's condo to get directions to the property.  At 12.30 am we pitched our tents in a beautiful meadow, then decided the bottle opener in the van needed to be used.  That moment, sitting in a crazy van with an IBC and some of my best friends, was perfect.  

I'm pretty positive that set the mood for the rest of the weekend.

Saturday we partied on the boat all day long.

Karlie was the most photogenic and beautiful of us all.  Even after getting wet.

 Justin got up on the water skis for the first time and became a real Keate!  We are so proud of him.  Karlie made a valiant effort, and I decided to be lazy.  I was raised on a sailboat, so even when I get the chance to be on a party boat, I can't help but just relax and enjoy the sun and wind.

 For the record, I did spend a good amount of time bobbing in our homemade waves in my dead baby life jacket.  The water never felt better.  And as the palest one in attendance, I feel it important to mention that I was the only one to come away without a sunburn.

Saturday night, we may have made Justin light his own birthday candles and barely managed to squeak out "happy birthday!"  Oh, wait. That was just me.  I managed to go from happy & tired to so sick in about 2 minutes.

Sunday morning I made everybody wake up earlyish so we could get out of there and back home so I could shower and make it to church to hear my sister speak in my aunt's ward (twist!). 

Once I had a good long nap and actually thought about the crazy weekend I just had, I couldn't believe how wonderful it was.  As my dear uncle always says, it was "a little slice of heaven."

one day

READ THIS.

Aren't they great?

I want that.  I would do it right now.
I'd book a ticket and go to New Zealand.  Or Thailand.

I think about it and then I can't.

Because what if I should do it with my husband?  What if I don't get married for a while?  

I'll just finish school first.  I hate school, so I should enjoy life.  

I can't afford it.  I can't afford a lot of things, but this would be worth it.  

I'll work when I come back broke.  

Anyway.

I'm praying that one day I'll get the inspiration to just go.
And I won't worry, because I won't need to.

I'll keep you updated.

say what?

Jill kindly reminded me that I have been absent from this here jig.  She's in Alaska and I think she misses me.  This is us eating JDawgs during happier times (study break, right?):

To make Jill happy, I'm going to share the best quotes from our first year at the Y.  Are Mormon girls the only people that do this?  Quote walls?  No idea, but we ran into many in Ptown.

---

In sacrament: 

"My topic is Christ in college. Probably not this college because beards are frowned upon here."

PoliSci Prof:

"BYU grads have issues with ambiguity."

Ryan James Waite, the Great:

"The CIA installed a camera in my pants, ok?"

Jess:

"No, he was more than a cow!  He was a bull, or a horse..."

Jill (& Barney Stinson, right?):

"Year awesome.  Awesome is my favorite word."

"They say you are what you eat.  I don't remember eating a SEXY BEAST this morning."

Taylor:

"I feel like I just ate a small seal."

"What if he had a beard on his elbow?  Scar, beard, elbow all in one place!"

And, yours truly:

"Do not let your light so hide under a bushel."

"The mustache brings him special power."

"I'm exotic!  I'm like European or something!"

---

Notes:

I'm sorry that more people didn't witness our hilarity this year.  Cause we're dang funny.  And we obviously need to work harder on the quote wall.

Jill does like saying awesome.  She's awesome.

The mustache in question does not, in fact, belong to Ammon the RA.

I miss being weird and being accepted.  Fall '12 baby!

Okay, I'm done.

this is my family.

i am a huge fan of family home evening groups. 

these kids are some of my favorite in the ward.

(also, please notice how I can't be normal in a picture ever)

this is our darling brother roberto, who was shopping or something while we photographed.

we still love him,

recovery

Hey!  I'm alive.  I slept for about 72 hours straight, waking only to take all my drugs on schedule.  It was awesome.  I did bunches of catching up this weekend (a little much on the social end, not enough homework).

My favorite sushi: the caterpillar!

I took a test on Saturday and did awful.
We went to a baseball game!  I miss going to the fields so much.  I was craving sunflower seeds something major.

We went to a St. Patty's Day root beer kegger.  It was a party fo sho.  

Jill and I ventured to Cville for Dakota's farewell.  Where we didn't take a picture with him.  Oops.  Homecoming, maybe?  BUT, guess who I ran into at his church?!

Oh heyyy, McClane.  He pops up everywhere, I swear.  I love it.

Cheers to a crazy few weeks and going back on my no soda for Lent after a night full of Mormon beer.

if I woke up from a coma and Channing Tatum told me he was my husband, I wouldn't question it.

Now that most of the world has seen The Vow, I will review it for you.
For us, it started like this:

being a little cray cray because we were on a spontaneous midnight adventure.

covering the beard and the cleavage. 

our true feelings about what we were about to do.

Anyway, I loved it!  I laughed, I cried, I saw Channing Tatum's behind for way too long, and I felt it was different enough from all other similar movies that I would watch it again.

And I have to watch it again because I passed out with about 20 minutes left.  I had to pee really bad and when I got back I got super dizzy and I fainted onto the seat in front of me.  Taylor rubbed my back and I just hung out until I could stand up.  So, I was informed how it ended, but I have no recollection.  

College is great.

my day

Today I turned 19.  It didn't feel much different (I still had to take my quizzes) until my Russian class sang to me, and I was told I'm 'so young' by the one person I wish wouldn't think that.

I took myself out to lunch and had the best waldorf salad.  As I was shoving fancy leaves into my mouth, I watched a homeless man arrange his bags outside the door of the (slightly overpriced) restaurant.  The cute college girl behind the counter immediately left her patrons in line and brought a glass of water and a telephone to this man.  They both smiled and she went to the counter as he settled at a table.  Unfortunately, I was just finishing and had to leave, but I wish I'd had more time to see what happened.  If she gave him food, if they talked, if I could buy him food.  It was sweet--and I felt gently reminded that I am so lucky to have lived these 19 years the way that I have.

I got a cupcake from roomie Jill and watched a movie for my government class.

Now, I'm settled in my warm bed listening to the voicemails I missed, reading facebook messages from those I love and those I never talk to, and thinking about how blessed I am.

Sometimes I wonder how I got such great friends.  I got a letter from the missionary yesterday.  He seems to always know just what to say, and I'm so grateful for that.  And today, my best friend left me the sweetest note.  Actually, like four of them.  That's how great she is.

It was a different day, compared to past birthdays, but I guess that's part of growing up.  Different isn't bad though--I'm pretty sure all those things above made the best birthday gifts ever.

Also, I always think about my mom a lot on my birthday.  It's kind of a huge day for her too, obviously.  So, thanks Mom, for being in pain 19 years ago, just for me.

preparation

Last month, on the supposed luckiest day of the year, the fearsome fivesome convened for a celebration.  One of our own will be leaving us for two years, so we took it upon ourselves to create a party good enough to last us his next three birthdays.  It was hard (not really), but I definitely think we did a perfect job.

We started the extravaganza at Airborne in Draper.  Dude.  DUDE.  A room full of trampolines and foam pits.  I'm down.  But when they tell you to not to dive into the foam, don't.  Scary.

Then we took him to Texas Roadhouse and made him sit on the saddle.

We learned that Chase moves a lot faster than Rachel.

And then we had cake.

&& made the best wishes ever.

So, basically we're the best friends ever.  Love you Chase!

fresh meat

The weekend before classes started was New Student Orientation.  I don't like orientations.  Campus tours in a group of thirty is not my idea of fun and I hate group games (so much).  Luckily I had a pretty great group and my leaders only insisted we play getting to know you games, which I can deal with.  I still don't like everyone knowing I'm a freshman though.

Anyway, it was a good time, but a long time.  I was done and I needed to see a friend.  Hannah is a smarty pants and had already been in Ptown for a week.  We met up for food one afternoon and it was the best time I had all weekend long.  

As we scarfed our Taco Bell (naturally), the most darling woman came up to talk to us.  Her name is Nancy, she has down syndrome, and she works in the CougarEat.  She's also very high functioning and hilarious.  Imagine a sweet & silly grin and a twinkle in her eye and you got her.  After chatting for a few minutes, this happened:

Nancy: What do you do during orientation?

Us: Well, basically, they just talk at you a lot.

Nancy: How do you make them stop?

then

Nancy: So are you guys busy tonight?

Us: Sorry, but we are!  For orientation they have some fun things you can choose to do tonight for free, and we're going to the science museum.  

Nancy: What's the fun part?

For real though, this girl is hilarious.

I love meeting new people.