M&Ms for Breakfast

Breakfast of champions.

It was one of those mornings.  I was lumbering like a rushed zombie out the door to work. I looked around and managed one of the few words zombies can manage,

I staggered back to the counter and grabbed some of my roommate's pretzel M&Ms and put them in the pocket of my sweater.  For a split second I thought, "I'm a grown, 23-year-old woman for crying out loud!  I'm too old to be eating M&Ms for breakfast! I should be over this!"
Then I realized, there will probably never be a time in my life that I don't occasionally have M&Ms for breakfast.  That's just how life is.  YO to the LO. You sleep when you're dead. Not like I sacrifice healthy choices for kicks... I'm just embracing the imperfection of life!

Let's Celebrate!

Steve had lots of bubble wrap. Fun times ensued.  I don't know why it's SO FUN to pop bubble wrap. Good thing I don't work in a mail room I guess.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies-- YUM!

 I was in church and the girl next to me had trail mix.  The delicious smell of peanuts and chocolate prompted me to make this less healthy peanut butter and chocolate treat!

I just used the BH&G recipe for peanut butter cookies. Of course I skipped the chill time.  I rolled in sugar and pressed them out with a fork like normal. Then I put 5 chocolate chips on top and the cookies puffed up great!

So cute and even yummier than they look!

Luck O' the Irish

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!  I happen to love this (and every) holiday.  I think it started when we were little and I set up all kinds of little things to make Leslie believe leprechauns were real. (Like magically appearing pennies, and peanut shells, which, obviously, that screams leprechauns.)  We would make leprechaun traps in school and sometimes there might even be little green footprints when we got to school on March 17th! We were never clever enough to catch one though... 

I carried on the tradition this year doing some things for my friends and roommies. My favorite, though, are these cute little "pots of gold at the end of the rainbow" I put together for our top referring physicians at work. 

Happy St. Patty's Day!

The 7th Wonder of Provo: After Gym Adventures

Came home from the gym last night.  Just mindin' my own business.  Until Gabi asks if I want to go see the "7th Wonder of Provo."

Okay. Is it scary? No. Will it take long? No. Can i go in my gym clothes? Yes.
So I went.:)  Let me just say: it did not disappoint. Here's the thing: you can't know what it is until you go see it for your first time. So sorry, but I'll have to be shady on the deets here. If you want to know, you'll just have to ask me to take you. ;)

And after we went to Wendy's.  It just seemed appropriate.

Driving out to the "site"

Liberation!

Like many things of its "kind," it doesn't take to being photographed.

Post exposure

Can't beat Wendy's.

It's great, even late.  Is that the slogan? Well, it's definitely true.

Wow, they're not even a couple, but they look so beautiful...

Braces Week 13

So, today was my 2nd adjustment, 3rd official appointment and 4th unofficial appointment.:)

I got a new chain put on and a bend in the brace wire to move up my second right tooth, it came down just a little too far.

Seriously, my orthodontist at Orthotime, is the best! I cannot say enough about their office. I got a Target gift card today for having 3 appointments on time and with clean teeth.  That just makes my day:) But not as much as...

Talking about my exit strategy!!!

That's right!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! There was still a tiny gap when I came in, but as soon as the assistant put the new chain on, it closed right in the office:)  Dr. Watson said at my next appointment we'd just be planning my exit strategy:)  No more big fixes. Yay! I asked him if they would come off before the end of April, and he said yes, for sure!  Hallelujah:) Not that it hasn't been fun. We put my next appointment two weeks from now instead of three. He also brought up contouring the bottoms of my teeth so they're nice and smooth. I'm glad because that's something I was going to ask him about:)  My teeth are gonna look so good...;)

Bye, gap!

Grandma's Coral Necklace

Grandma had this necklace that she wore when I was growing up. She had lots of other jewelry, but this was one of her favorite pieces. She probably wore it once a week.  It was made of coral beads carved into roses. Maybe her love of roses and foreign things influenced her love for this necklace:)

A few months ago, I was thinking about this necklace and I tried to find it when I went home, but it wasn't in Grandma's jewelry drawer.  After looking for a while and asking my parents about it, we gave up and assumed it had somehow just gotten lost over the last few years.

Grandma passed away a few weeks ago.  The last time I went up to my house in Salt Lake to visit my family, Dad pulled me into his room to give me a couple of Grandma's necklaces that he'd found. One was a white moonstone necklace, and one was the carved coral necklace. I was so happy!  I thought it was gone forever.  I wore it on Sunday and I felt really close to her. I'm so glad that I'll be able to keep this special memento that meant so much to her, and now means so much to me.

Lent

In 2014, lent begins Wednesday, March 5 and ends Thursday April 17.

I'm a Mormon, and won't attempt to describe lent to you, so here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lent

Essentially, it's a period of time before Easter during which the faithful show increased faith, penitence, and self-denial.  It's not traditionally observed by Mormons, but every year when it comes around, I get inspired by my friends who do observe it as part of their religion.  I think it's something everyone can learn from.

So this year, I'm making a concentrated effort to give up a couple things "for lent" and be a little more generous.

The Resurrection of Christ, Carl Bloc

What about you?  Can you make a commitment to give up something to be a little closer to God over the next few weeks?
One thing I like about lent is that it doesn't last forever.  Because some things are impractical to live without forever, but they can be sacrificed for a few short weeks. Like buying clothes.  But for other things, it's a doorway into giving it up forever, like road rage or swearing.
It's just something interesting to think about.  It's like the "Christmas Spirit," but for Easter. And instead of overloading our lives with stress and buying presents, it's about simplifying and purifying our lives and hearts.