December 9th

I cannot tell a lie. I love the Jazz. I'm not obsessed, by any means, but I feel like they are a part of my childhood and I feel at home when I watch them play-- therefore, I sport my jersey whenever I watch at home. After all, I was the one who convinced my mom to paint her acrylic nails green and purple during the NBA finals when I was in like, 5th grade.

So. The Jazz were faced up against the L.A. Lakers-- a hated, but worthy opponent. Even though I love my Jazz, I'm not going to lie, I thought they were gonna suffer a smackdown. IF my husband, Kyle Korver, was playing, I wouldn't have been so pessimistic; obviously they would've won...



Madyson came over and we ate yummy Mexican food, knitted some more scarves, and watched the game. The Jazz did an excellent job until the 4th quarter. But I don't hold it against them. Sometimes it's confusing, ya know? Like you know the game is almost over, but you aren't quite sure, so you just stop playing? It happens to the best of us. It happens to me in almost every basketball game I've ever played. Well, I guess the Jazz players just got confused and so they stopped playing. Easy mistake.

December 8th

So I took this beginning sewing class my Junior year at Utah State and by the end of the semester I thought I ruled the world. Basically.



Funny how fast those skills leave you:) Tiffany is like, gung-ho, amazing seamstress and she decided she was going to make a dress for the Christmas cruise!! What a woman... I spent Wednesday the 8th with her, trying to make a homemade dress pattern for her party outfit! It was s short little hangout and we were both freezing the whole entire time because the heater was off, but it was fun and definitely qualifies for my fun activity of the day!!

(She decided to go away from the dress idea, even though it turned out beautifully-- her final product was a STUNNING gold, sequin skirt.)

December 7th

I knit a scarf!!!

December 6th

Oh, the sabbath.

I just love Sunday. It was a little bit freezing, but I got new tights so I was taken care of. Fast and Testimony meeting was particularly hilarious... I'm really enjoying my ward. There's a light-heartedness, but you can still feel the spirit. I'm so grateful for the leaders and for the wonderful examples in my ward. I feel like I learn every week... The lessons have been beautiful, especially lately, and I love how I feel when I leave church.



(emphasis on REINDEER)

Sunday night was a continuance of the goodness... Britney and I went over to Sugar's for a little eggnog/reindeer-games party. I left before the games began, (had to catch my show on T.V.) but while I was there I met the newest member of Huntington Beach-- Stefanie Snow. That name has total star power, right? Anyway-- she's a fellow Aggie and it's been so much fun to get to know her better this month!

December 5th

Now I know the following image makes some of you a little uncomfortable, but just go with it, okay?



Saturday was an AWESOME day. Tiff and I went to Fashion Island and did a little shoppy-shoppy, and we even took engagements by the giant Christmas tree! (When she posts them, I'll post them). Afterward, we went and got manicures. I did such a bad job on mine earlier in the week that I decided I should just spend the money. Let the professionals do what they do. The thumb picture is just to show the beautiful holly-berry nail polish I chose... too bad it rests on such a fugly thumb... I'm so holiday.

December 4th

Ah-hem... Dance Committee of the year award goes to: Pierside.



Tiff, Arin and I decided to pre-party-- so we cruised over to Pei Wei at Bella Terra for some chow and some fortunes. Mine were: (a little blurry, I'm sorry)

1. "Your talents will prove to be especially useful this week"
2. "You will travel to many exotic places in the next few years"
3. "A pleasant surprise is in store for you in the coming month"

I sooo wish I took a picture. It was ugly sweater night at the HB dance and I must say, some of the outfits were pretty foul. The night was fun!! Only a few fellow piersiders decided to bust it on the dance floor, but some homies from the summer drove up from Murrieta and it was good to see some more familiar faces!

That night, I was pleasantly surprised with the turn-out at the dance, the lights from the dj booth were looking exotic, and my mormon-dance-party talents were especially useful.

December 3rd

Now for the real activity:


Okay, I already kinda wrote about this one... But all of us went to the House of Blues to watch Travis (man in the middle) and his band, The Sequence. Five girls in a red Ford Focus. Party in the U.S.A., anyone? It was a really fun night and we all went to in-n-out after. Music + friends + food = my kind of night.

December 2nd

The girls all decided that we needed a little TLC. But on a budget. So instead of splurging for real manicures (and by that, I mean spending fifteen dollars), we went to the store, bought our own polish and painted our nails. Girl's night. The first of many this month :)

Unfortunately, my nails were stained a beautiful shade of blue from my prior paint job. So they didn't turn out so hot. Still a great night though in very good company.

here we go....

Okay. So I realize that this is going to be a lot of short little blogs, mostly depicting nothing more than a simple activity and a picture... well... maybe not even a picture. BUT. For me, this exercise is one of the best I've ever done. Ever.

So let's talk about creating my own fun. For those of you who are new to this, allow me to provide you a quick lil' update: I vowed to make December one of my favorite months of 2009. I wanted to do something fun every single day. Something that would make me feel like my life is more than my office desk, "see attached", and legal-sized documents.



December 1st: After enjoying a less-than-relaxing-but-more-relaxing-than-usual day at the office, I came home and watched a marathon of Grey's Anatomy with my roommates:) Chelsea got hired on as a freelancer for Bare Escentuals and so she's at home during more regular operating hours, which we all love. With a little spare time, she discovered what the rest of us were so obsessed with: Season 1, Grey's Anatomy. I maintain that this is still the best season. So wreckless. I love it.

concerts ... and stuff ...

So before I continue on with all of my December blogging, I thought I should catch you up on my new hobby! I LOVE GOING TO CONCERTS.

Since I've been in California, I've been able to see a show almost every month! Here is the documentation...

July: I went on a wonderful date to go see The Fray. I already posted about this... So go back and read that blog! Such a fun night-- outdoor summer concerts with good company are very hard to beat.



My friend from Utah/California and fellow Alta Hawk, Travis Van Hoff, is in a freshy-fresh band called The Sequence. You should check out their stuff. Me and Larry and Jen cruised to Chain Reaction in Anaheim to meet up with more amigos and to watch The Sequence do their thing. It was their welcome-back show after many long weeks of touring and it was bomb! I even got water spit on me from the lead-singer of the opening band. How memorable is that?



August: I went on another wonderful date to go see Lil' Wayne. I also already posted about this, but now I have some pictures!! This one is off my phone, so the quality isn't great. But you know that Weezy was on point-- seeing that there was FIRE on stage! You better believe that I was jumping up and down excited for this show. A many-year-long dream was fulfilled and I can cross that off my list:)



September: My friend and fellow Dance Committee member, Tiffani Albright, went to go see Citizen Cope at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney. What can I say about this show?... I feel like it changed my life... Okay. Maybe that's a little dramatic. But I LOVED it. His voice is so amazing and the show was so simple. Lots of love to that man. And was he wearing a light-olive leather blazer? Yes, he was. And was it amazing? Yes, it was. I spent a good hour or so the next day doing some online shopping looking for one. Tiff was so fun to go with!





October: Lucky me, I got to go to two shows in a week! My friend Jen Wall was like my life partner for a solid week. She came over almost every night and kept me great company! I love her so much-- she really is the best. Okay. So Jen and I went to go see Matisyahu at the House of Blues with some of my friends from work. It was AMAZING. The guy who opened for him had dreds down to his knees and the show was such high energy. Matisyahu is like, King of Beatboxing, and I could not believe how talented he was live! A Jewish Reggae Rapper... who knew?



Just two short days after Jen and I went to that show, I got a call from her boyfriend, Troy. That little romantic had arranged to propose to Jen onstage (again at the House of Blues) during his friend's band's concert!! So Jenny and I continued on our life-partners-for-a-week excursions... got dressed up, went out to dinner, and went to the show. The proposal was so sweet and I felt very much a part of it, as I was responsible for taking pictures:) Congratulations, Tro-Jen!



November: uh...

December: Okay, so Trav-dawg and The Sequence have been doing incredibly well.. They won the Pac-Sun Tour for Los Angeles and have had some really awesome opportunities! I'm so proud to know Travis. He is sooo dope and so kind. When I moved at the end of last summer, Travis learned one of my favorite songs on the guitar and played it for me before I left. He's so talented. Me, Madyson, Erikka, Britney, and Chelsea all packed into the car and once again, drove to Downtown Disney to support Trav. The show was so great. It was cool to see such a great turnout. The sound was incredible, they played my favorite song of theirs, and I just loved my night! It was fun to go out with the girls...



That's all.

I'm a December baby.

So there is this great Ingrid Michaelson song called "December Baby"... I don't know what it's about, but I like the song and the title:)



MORAL OF MY STORY: October and November are currently ranked as my least favorite months of 2009. So, I've made a goal for December to be my most highly favored month of 2009. I'm trying to do something fun every single day. Doesn't have to be over-the-top or anything, I just want to spice up my month!



We all know (because I'm a vicious advertiser) that my birthday is December 14th. That's a Monday. Put it in your calendar. I always get an amazing birthday dinner, care of La Perry Familia. But this year, I'm away on my birthday. Nevertheless, I think it will be a great day! Even when I never do anything big to celebrate, I still wear a smile on my face the whole day. I. Love. My. Birthday.

I have some fun events already on the docket for the month... And I've already had a great time, even though it is only Day 4. I will catch you up on everything later.



I hope your December is perfect. I love the holidays and spending time with people you love. I love the music, the yummy candles, the spirit, the giving, the parties, the decorations. I love it all!! Remember to tell your friends and family how much you care about them. I always worry that I don't do that enough... So, everybody, I LOVE YOU!!

Love,

Your December Baby

continued...

I saw the movie Blindside with my family and I got to sit next to Baby Perry, who was a PERFECT little gentleman during the movie:) Speaking of gentleman, I forgot to add how gentlemanly my friend Tony is. He opened my door EVERYWHERE and escorted me to and from the car. Amazing. Okay... back to the movie. Bawled my eyes out at multiple points. I was so overwhelmed with how generous that family was! Someday, I want my household to be like that; accepting, giving, loving, etc. What a difference a little bit of kindness can make! Go see the movie.



Saturday was the BYU vs. UTAH game, and let me tell you, there is nothing holy about that war. I watched with Katie and Chris Hogue and Chelsea DeVisser. It felt good to be back at the Arbon (now Hogue) household again. Went home pretty early to prepare for my drive back to CA the next morning!

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Anyone who knows me knows how much I like being in a car. About a zero. I won't say much, but I will say that what was supposed to be a 9.5 hour drive miraculously turned into a 14.5 hour drive.

Being back to warm weather is nice:) This week should be fun. My friend Travis is playing at the House of Blues in Downtown Disney on Thursday. What an accomplishment! So that will be a good show:) And then Friday night is the HB dance. I am now a proud member of the dance committee, so needless to say, it will be poppin.

Life is good over here on my end. I feel more blessed every day and I know that the big guy is looking out for all of us.

"Love, live life, proceed, progress." --my only Lil' Wayne quote that will stick around for a long time:)

time flies...

I can't believe it's been three weeks! I feel like I just posted.... Guess not.



Well, time flies when you're working hard! Here at the ol' tax firm we've all been putting in our overtime. Our deadline for filing our appeals was yesterday, so appeal season is officially OVER! I wish I could express how happy I am. The only problem is that now I get to deal with all the clean-up and all the mail we're going to be getting and all of the follow-ups and crap. But at least I'm under no pressure-- our whole office was breaking a sweat yesterday trying to finalize everything. My coworker clocked in 57 hours of OVERTIME. In addition to his 75 normal working hours. Can you believe that? Now he's suffering from some type of stress-induced flu. Haha!! Just Kidding. That's not funny.

Last week was a little hectic. A bunch of really long days. Wednesday, in fact, never ended!! Hopped up out my bed, came to the office, worked til midnight, then drove through the night to get to Utah for Thanksgiving. Mom, I'm sorry I didn't help at all with the cooking. I could've done the French Silk Pie, but I couldn't keep my eyes open!! I got home early in the afternoon, slept for an hour, ate a DELICIOUS meal with my family and my Kordsiemon cousins, and then got to hang out with some of my nearest and dearest.

I wish I had pictures!! My b.f. Jordan was in town from Hawaii for the day and I got to spend some good quality time with him. Jordy has been so good to me!! I love him and his family so much. They are such great examples. SO. Jord and I went over to our dear friend Jake's house. Jake is a ten, ladies. If you want someone who is righteous, hardworking, athletic, smart, and who has beautiful brown eyes, look no further. Jakey, I love you. After a little bit of time at Jake's, our good friend Tony came over. Tony goes to West Point in New York and so it is a rare and blessed occasion that we get to see him! Over the summer, Tony broke his wrist and so he couldn't attend one of his field trainings. This, in addition to our mutual state of unemployment, made for three weeks of one of the best summers I have ever had!! I loved being in the Day Club with Tony. He, like his 'twin' Jake, is a ten. I'm going to New York to visit him soon at Hogwarts... Can't wait! Tone bud, I love you. Later that night, T and I went to Reese's house. As we all know, Reese was my first date, and I remind him every time I see him that we've been dating for 7 years:) He's so tall and so kind!! Of course, Cook was also over there. I had a crush on Ryan Cook from 1st grade until 6th grade. For some reason, I just can't get out of the friend zone! ahhahaha! Cook, I love you too.

Hm. I wasn't planning on writing about my friends... But I guess, why not?! I've known all of these boys since elementary school. So, I'm gonna round up and say I've known them my whole life. I've been very blessed to be associated with such a high caliber of men!! Boys don't blog. So it's safe to brag about them here:)

My good friend Neil Aboshamaa taught me that making your blog too long makes it boring. So I'm going to start a new post. But my thoughts are just going to continue... haha

Lately...

People that I love ALWAYS, but especially LATELY.
(and I love all of you, so don't give me that)...

1. Hayley and Nikki. These two were my roommates my last semester at Utah State when we all lived on Penny Lane. These ladies are sooo funny and are always willing to lend a listening ear!! I love them and miss them very much.





2. Ian, Rhett, Skankey, Strong, Spooner, Kevin, Skyler. Never in my life will I forget the dance parties, trips to Angie's, Jazz games, trips to Firehouse, the red elephant trunk, etc. These boys made my time at USU the greatest and seeing them last week reminded me of how blessed I am to have met the FINEST men that the state of Utah has to offer.





3. My Family. We had a good laugh last week at my cousin's wedding reception when Keith decided to screw up the family photo by going cross-eyed. I love laughing with my family!! I'm so grateful for them.





4. Baby Perry. This little one is perfection. He is so sweet and likes to hold my hand when he's sleeping. He gets that from his auntie. The perfection part, the sweet part, and the hand-holding-while-sleeping part. Mm hmm.





5. Katie and Chris Hogue. This beautiful couple has had such an amazing influence on me. They are such a good example of love and friendship and they are both willing to do anything for anybody. Love you mom and dad!!





6. McKall, Katie, Chelsea, Jill, Kellie, Sarah. "High Five". 'nuff said.





7. Chelsea Bastian and Britney Bellows. My roommates have been SO great to me... I love our house, I love staying up late, I love that they are such great listeners and how we always have great conversation!! Their fun-loving personalities have seriously brightened so many of my days and I love them!





8. Cassidy. I am so happy for gchat because it keeps our marriage alive!! I get to chat with Cass all day every day at work. She has been such a great friend ever since we've met and I always miss our one month of paradise!! (Oprah, sleeping in til noon, painting plates, running at the track, sonic BIG gulps, calling in sick to work). Wifeys forever!!





I've been thinking a lot lately about all the great people I have in my life. Everyone in California, everyone in Utah, everyone everywhere!! If I don't see you often, please know that I think of you often. I've said this a million times before, but I'm totally convinced that everywhere I've lived and at every stage of life I have been fortunate to find the BEST friends in the world. What would I do without you guys?!

If you need me, call me. I'll be awake.

it's for the children...

I did something tonight... something I swore to myself I would never do again...

I donated blood.

Okay, I know, I know-- what's the big deal, right? Well please allow me to take you on a trip down memory lane. This is a long story, but I can't spare any details at the risk of making it seem any less dramatic/traumatic than it actually was!

My first week back at school, sophomore year, Utah State University. I'm walking through the student center and see this big, red, felt/cotton blend, blood-drop-resembling mascot dancing around. So, I get all excited. You see, I came across this drop of blood the year before as a young 17-year-old freshman, and even though I wanted to, I couldn't participate in the "Blood Battle" between the U of U and USU because I wasn't old enough to donate. So now that I was "of age", like there was any chance I was going to pass up this opportunity! I decided to donate at the end of the week (as this was an all-week battle) so I could go at a time that fit better into my schedule.

Day of. It was a Friday and I remember it perfectly. I woke up, had a water bottle, went to my dynamic fitness lab and ran Indian Sprints, (shoot me), had another water bottle, rested, and then went to my regular classes. Now, because it was a Friday, I also had my Human Physiology lab to attend in the afternoon... No biggie. It was the first week anyway so I figured we'd be doing some short syllabus reading, maybe playing my favorite getting-to-know-you games, and then be done. I planned it all accordingly, and I got to the blood donation set-up about two hours before my Phys lab.

Upon my arrival, I drank another thing of water, answered questions about my travel/medical history, and then sat in a very long line of college kids that were about to give the gift of life along side me. So naturally as I'm sitting there they have this movie playing. Almost like the adopt-a-refugee commercials you see. "Donate a dollar a day and you will receive a picture of an orphan". Yeah.... But I was moved. Now I had a purpose (other than beating the Utah Utes)... I was about to save a child.

The took me to my chair, no big deal, needle in, blood out-- you know the drill. I felt great! I kept thinking, "Good thing I drank so much water today. I'm like the best donor ever". I grabbed my bag of oreos and a cup of juice and walked across campus to my Physiology lab, proudly sporting the hot pink medical tape wrapped in a criss cross around my olecranon process...... (Okay, I had to throw that in there just to remind you all that I did do more than just play around at college and I did learn scientific things)...... So I show up and the instructor told us "the real work would start the next week and today we're just going to watch a movie". Perfect. I get to relax after saving all those masses.

I start eating my oreos and I got this overwhelming tired feeling! We were just watching a movie, so I decided I could lay my head down. This one decision began the downward spiral of my health.

Next thing I know, I wake up with half-chewed oreos in my mouth. I was thinking, "Woah, this is weird. I should keep drinking water and keep eating". Fell asleep again. Woke up with oreos still in mouth. Repeat this process like 4 times.... Finally, we were excused and I went to leave the building but I didn't make it. Middle of the hallway in the Veterinary Science building, there I was just throwing up in the trash can. I don't usually puke in public. I'm not down with that. I knew I was in bad shape, so I went upstairs to the bathroom. Fell asleep while using the bathroom. Woke up and attempted to walk to the bus stop so I could go home. This was when I ran into my brand new neighbor, Chris. Nice guy. I had met him like 2 days before because we had all just barely moved in. He said, "Hey, are you okay?" I must've looked pretty bad.... but I told him I was fine, just not feeling well. I kept walking to the bus stop and while waiting for the shuttle, fell asleep. I woke up to Chris. He decided to ditch out on class to make sure I got home okay. Like I said, I must've looked pretty bad. So I rode the shuttle home with him. Fell asleep on his lap. Had him carry me up the stairs to my apartment. Ran to the bathroom and threw up again. With the door open. Sick..... After thanking him and apologizing a million times, I was feeling a little embarrassed. I mean, I barely knew my new roommates who all just heard me losing it, and I passed out on my neighbor boy who was practically a stranger. Anyway, I just decided to take a nap... After putting like 4 blankets on top of me because I was FREEZING, I finally fell asleep. I woke up about 3 hours later in a hot sweat. Was I menopausal? Was I suffering from something life-threatening? Because believe me, I knew it right then and there that I wasn't going to make it.

Oh yeah. During that 3 hour nap, I peed the bed. Here I was, an 18-year-old girl, almost woman, peeing the bed. Dope.

Can I just tell you that I was MISERABLE? I was miserable. And from that day forward I promised never to give blood again.

Come to find out, the red cross asked me if I had been drinking a lot of water the day before too, and I hadn't had any water for like 4 days prior to my donation. Woops. My bad.... You'll be happy to know that we beat the U that year so I guess it was all worth it. Not. I don't even care about school rivalry.

I'm not sure what inspired me to sign up for this blood drive tonight. Maybe it was something about that orientation video I saw while I was in the waiting line 3 years ago. Maybe it was because it was for church. I don't know... But I can proudly say that tonight, I DID IT!!!!!!!!

You proud of me? What can I say....

It's for the children....

important things...

Does my blog get updated on very rare occassions? Yes, it does. I need to be better about that...

I've had a multitude of thoughts floating about in my head lately, trying to organize themselves, and it seems as though I either need some A.D.D. medicine, or my brain just turned off the "focus" function and I need to be patient until it gets turned back on! So. I'm going to share some of these thoughts with you... Mostly on the things I believe to be very important.

1. Family. Everyone has a different family, comprised of different members with differing personalities; and while all families are different, their purpose is the same: to support and promote growth. I feel particularly blessed to have the family that I do and for the great people that they all are. For example, my mom and dad can read me like a book and even from 900 miles away, I still feel like they know when I need to hear their voices. I'm going to call them: inspired. You only have one family. Treat them well. They are an important thing.

2. Friends. I know that my friends are the best. I have a queue of people that I can call anytime and for any reason... My friends play so many roles: party animals, listening ears, comedians, wisemen. You have the opportunity to connect with very few people on a bestie-basis, so treat them well. They are an important thing.

3. Gospel. Sometimes, especially when I'm distracted with other things on my mind, I don't pay close enough attention to the thing that has the greatest effect on my life. I am so grateful for the church and the role it plays in my life and I don't think I say it enough... The learning tools, the books, the activities, the leadership, the people, the opportunity for growth-- I love everything about the church. I believe that the gospel is happiness, and for me, this is the MOST important thing.

Today, I am your Yoda, and I say, "Think about your 'important things'..."

Loveys...

Miss Dahl

Have you met Katie Dahl?

She's this curly-haired, firecracker who likes to get physical....

I'd like to take the time to thank Katie for being so inspirational. She peer pressures me into blogging without photos, she encourages relationships, she moves to Hawaii whenever she wants, she can dance like no one else I've ever seen. I want to be like her.

Katie likes to watch T.V. shows on her computer at work. She has great taste in music and swimming suits and will let you borrow...

Kate-Dahl, I've never had more fun on a lake powell trip. My stomach hurt from laughing so much. Your little mexican accent, mixed with laughing like a french-man, mixed with laughing like a farm animal, mixed with quarters and water is one of my favorite memories... I need to borrow some sweeeeeaaats.!!! hahaha

I only have one thing left to say:

"Screw you guys, I'm outta here" --LP 2009

of roadtrips and weddings...

First of all, I need a new camera. I feel like I have no documentation of my fun events over the last few months... So. If anyone is feeling like they want to sponsor a sister, feel free.

After I vowed to myself never to get in a car that was headed in the direction of Utah ever again, I got in my car and headed in the direction of Utah. Of course. FORTUNATELY, I didn't have to drive by myself... driving through the night by your lonesome is not a good idea. Don't do it. But 11 hours after embarking on this hellish adventure (that turned out not too hellish, actually), I arrived in Sandy, UT 84092... I hate going to bed after the sun comes up, but my morning nap was much anticipated and very much appreciated.

Day 1, Thursday: Hopped up out my bed, turned my swag on, went downstairs, made french toast and eggs, went to a tennis match, hung out with Jordan Schipper Anderson, went to Gardner Village for my wife's wedding dinner, ate deliciousness, shed some tears, watched a movie, blah blah blah. It was a great day!! Cassidy looked gorgeous, Trevor looked handsome, I got to see my most loved friends from Alta High School, home of the hawks. It was a beautiful dinner and it got me so excited for the bride and groom:)

Day 2, Friday: I must've gone to bed super late on Thursday because I woke up super late on Friday. My mom was preparing for my sister's baby shower and she had to stop by the bakery to get some blondies and brownies; so she sent me a text message that said I should go in and say hi. (History: I worked at Hagermann's Bakehouse Cafe for 4 years-- they're family, for sure). Garrett and I went to the bakery and were treated to a delicious lunch by Dave, my bakehouse Grandpa. Seriously, I love going in and seeing everybody! The best part is seeing all the customers that have been coming in 6 days a week for the last 5 years. I got a big kiss on the cheek from Bill, one of the faithful followers, and lunch was BOMB. So overall, successful meal. Friday night Cassidy had a last little bachelorette get together so I went there and then after I went to Taylor Moody's (aka Big Basic) house. Picked up G unit, came home, peaced out.


Day 3, Saturday: I avoided my mom's muscle blast class like the plague:) Got ready, drove to the temple and watched my beautiful Cassidy and Trevor come out of the draper temple, happily wed! She was such a perfect little bride and I am so happy I was able to be a part of her special day. My sister, Jen, had a baby shower for baby Perry at our house later that afternoon and so I got to visit with a bunch of family friends and cousins and such. My cousin, Brandi, got engaged and I was able to see her and her beautiful ring! Congratulations baby cuz:) I lost track of time (of course) and rushed over to Draper Historic Park for pictures and the reception. It was an awesome night! I loved being able to visit with everybody and I loved the pineapple slushies. I loved the handmade puff ball decorations, I loved the cake, I loved the hanging pictures from the trees, I loved the colors, the flowers, the dresses, the groomsmen, the rick-rack, the centerpieces... EVERYTHING!! Cass-- you did an AMAZING job. All that stress was worth it:)

Day 4, Sunday: Drove. Drove. Drove. We made a pit stop in St. Geezy and I got to hold the prettiest little baby girl!! It got me so excited for my little pear bear to come. There was a lot of singing, a lot of rapping, a lot of visiting, a lot of downhill-- I was so happy to get home; I think G was getting a little scared from all the road rage... But the car ride was actually pretty fun:)

Note to friends: Please don't get married anytime soon. I can't afford to come out, but my heart can't afford to miss your wedding. So please, for my sake and for my bank accounts sake, just hold off for a little while, okay? Sarah Jane-- I'm praying that my baby comes the day before your wedding so I can make it:)

random occurrences...

My wife left me recently for a man-- I'm still not totally sure how I feel about it... But she gave me this idea while I was reading her blog. She mentioned how she always sees super strange things and never tells anyone about them because she never remembers. So I'm following in her footsteps and I'm going to write something brief.... Californians are nuts.

1. I'm driving to work, and I saw 6 big guys, sitting 3 and 3 in this tiny truck. It was hilarious. And their vehicle was driving SO slow... almost like it was weighed down or something. I laughed out loud.

2. Same day: I stop by the post office and there was some lady bickering with the worker about getting her P.O. box taken away, and she's like, "Oh great-- it's not enough that I have someone trying to kill me, but now my mailbox is getting taken away!!" Okay, crazy lady. Time to go home and get some counseling.

3. Same day: Evening commute, I look over and see this marijuana leaf air freshener hanging from the rear view of the car next to me. Do we think that smells like pot? I'm going to stick to my bright orange, french vanilla tree.

4. I drove down to San Diego for the Zumba workshop, and I stayed out in the parking lot while I was waiting for it to start. I spot this old woman carrying a McDonald's bag and I just figured she was walking to a place where she could sit and eat her breakfast. But of course, she walks up to a pine tree and stared at it for like 20 seconds before she picked a pinecone and stuck it in her bag. What the crap? Why did she do that?

Anyway, moral of the story is that I've started noticing some of the strange things occurring around me... Keep an eye out in your neighborhood. Lock your doors.

weezy f baby

GUESS WHO SAW LIL' WAYNE AND THE WHOLE CASH MONEY RECORDS FAMILY IN CONCERT?!?!?!?!

To anyone who has known me longer than one day, you realize what a monumental event this was for me. I've been DYING to see Lil' Wayne-- especially after he cancelled his show in Salt Lake that I was totally pumped for. So my good friend Matt (who hooked me up with the SLC tickets) sent me a message to remind me that Lil' Wayne would be in California in August... I was like, gotta get tickets, gotta get tickets. Of course, August 13th rolls around, and I never got tickets. BUT THEN.......

I got a text from my hoodrat friend, Garrett, early afternoon-- "What are you doing tonight?" blah blah blah... "Be ready at 5 o'clock." blah blah blah... So I had a feeling that we were going to do something fun, but NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS did I think we were going to weezy, especially since he still needs convincing that ma boy is all that....

So he comes to pick me up, and with a little grin on his face, I heard: "We're going to Lil' Wayne". Oh my gosh, somebody call an ambulance, my heart is about to stop and I might pass out from the excitement. Honestly, I'm not exaggerating. I was positive I was going to need to sit down and take a twenty so I didn't end up in the E.R. instead of rockin it with the Fireman (F-Fire-Fireman).

We drove to Universal Studios, got some yummy dinner, and then hit the amphitheatre... IT. WENT. DOWN. Young Jeezy opened up and we put on for our cities (on on for our cities). There was some hilarious German sitting by us. I still don't know how I feel about him, but he and G became good buddies...

The lights turn down, and on the screens, we see my man Lil' Wayne walking up to the stage from his pre-party. HOLY CRAP. It was like being reunited with my best friend... except for the fact that we've never been united before...

Bottom line: I can't express how in love I was with this show. I loved that it was a surprise, I loved that there were a million artists there, I loved that I almost climbed over a railing in the parking garage to take a shortcut and fortunately got saved before I fell to my death, I loved the fire, the dancers, the bass pounding in my heart.... It was like, unnnn-believable.

So straight up, I know that I sound a little overdramatic, but whatever. I love Weezy, and I'm conviced that he loves me.

Here are some words for thought.

The man is brilliant.

"Even Gwen Stefani said she couldn't doubt me."

"Cuz my seconds, minutes, hours go to the almighty dollar."

"Love, live life, proceed, progress."

"And if you leave, you're leaving the best. So, you would have to settle for less."

"Gotta work everyday, gotta not be cliche, gotta stand out like Andre 3K, gotta kick it--kick it like sensei."

"Your boy ain't good enough-- style ain't hood enough."

I'll try to snatch up some actual pictures/footage from the night and when I do, I'll get them on here!! Cuz you thought Lil' Wayne is Weezy, but Weezy is Dwayne. Word.

entenmann's donuts=crack donuts

Holy. I've been busy.

I have some thoughts:

1) Weddings: My lifelong since elementary school got married in Utah last week. Kellie Carter is now MRS. Kellie Whitaker!! I flew back to Zion for a few days and got to party one last time with all my crazy girlfriends... The wedding was beautiful, she was a gorgeous bride, and they had freakin churros and soft serve ice cream. BUENO, Kellie. Well done.

2) Missions: My cat-lady friend, Jill, left on her mission today to Argentina. She is seriously one of the funniest people I've ever met and I miss her already! Hopefully she comes back with Argentine Tango experience so she can be my teacher... I think that's good material to impress men...

3) Stitches: I got cut. SLC is a dirty, scary place and so naturally I got in an all-out BRAWL with some crazy chick downtown and got shanked in the back. A million stitches later, I'm good. On my way to a complete recovery. You think I'm kidding....

4) Activities: I find myself spending more and more of my time at Cherry on top, Yo yum yum, Yogurtland, and any other trendy self-serve shop you can think of. I love them. Good dessert+good friends=a happy Jaime. Ya know what else makes me happy? When my mother comes to visit!!! Sister Perry treated the besties to a yummy dinner at Macaroni Grill last night. My mother and her friend Jackie are in Anaheim for the IDEA Fitness Convention. Someday when I'm rich, I'll spend my money on working out. Until then... I'll dance off those kcals! Usually my dance parties are in the car... by myself... uh... forget that I told you that. BUT, last night after dinner we went to Ocean's in Laguna Beach and went 80s dancing. Best part of the night: watching the cougars hit on all the drunk men, and eating a bite of Garrett's Ice Cream Snicker's Brownie.

5) Sleep: Over the last 5 days, I've had 17 hours of sleep. Calculators everyone: 3.4 hours/night. Uh-oh... But here's my thing-- Sleep when you freakin die, ya know? I've experienced some great conversation, the fastest commute to work in my life, a morning spent getting lost on the freeway, resorting to eating a fastbreak for breakfast... (<--- Did anyone catch that?)... dope...

6) Donuts: I know, I know. My blog is centered around food and the snacks I'm obsessed with. Is everybody listening? I have great news-- I'VE FOUND THE BEST DONUTS IN THE WORLD!!! You can find them at Albertsons, currently 2 for $5.00. No lie, I can POUND a box of these donuts in like less than an hour. That's legit. I was called to dietary discipline by one of my friends, who reminded me that my poor arteries will clog, and I will look like a donut if I keep eating full on boxes of Entenmann's. As a result, I'm in reform. No more old-fashioned, glazed for me. I'm eating string cheese and steel-cut oatmeal now. Moral of the story: since I can't eat them, YOU should buy a box today and eat them for me.

SHAWTY, YOU A TEN.