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.

the turnaround...

I don't believe in shooting stars, but I believe in shoes and cars.

FINALLY, after weeks of walking up rusted spiral stairs, sleeping in a shed, being "the little sister they never had", and sharing the living quarters with 9 to 11 dirty boys (all of whom I love dearly), I found a home! Maddie and I moved into our new apartment on Monday and I seriously love it! We live with three other girls that are dope and two itty bitty baby kittens, Fez and KiKi. It is so nice to be able to walk around and shower in-home instead of at the gym and pool. We're a little farther away from the beach, but it's still just a five minute drive. Perfect!

(Relief Society Shoutout): Good news moment #2: I HAVE A JOB!! I sleep with Maddie, eat with Maddie, hang out with Maddie, and now we work together. Bomb. So, I'm an administrative assistant at a property tax firm in Costa Mesa. I listen to Ryan Seacrest in the morning during the commute, get to work and cook some oatmeal, file papers, organize documents, type, copy, go on breakfast runs. Perk: they provide all the snacks a girl could ever dream of and a refrigerator stocked with my D.C... It's not in my field, but it's work, and as Lil' Wayne says, "I love to work."

So. Guess where I went last night? The Fray concert!!! It was so so much fun-- we had awesome seats on the grass at the Verizon Amphitheatre in Irvine and it was probably the best time I've had since I got here! I went with my new BFF Garrett, my ex-roommate Larry, his lover Tiffani, her brother Troy and his cute girlfriend Jen, who sat in the orchestra which was far away from my co-worker Tanner and his cute girlfriend Daile, who is the sister of my roommate Maddie. All in the family, all in the family. If you ever get the chance to see The Fray live, do it. People gladly share their marijuana with you, and the man's voice is flawless. (Mom and Dad: you know I don't smoke marijuana, right? Right... Okay... Just checkin.)

Overall, the stress of the unknown is starting to go away, things are totally starting to settle, and I consider this week a major turnaround!!

Here are some pictures from the night. I'm saving my ticket.

His name is Larry-- I call him Lawrence (because I feel like Larry should be short for something) or Fairy (because I love rhymes)

Gare Bear--this dude is a stunner. TheForestLab.com

From L to R: Me, Jen (future hairdresser to the stars), and Tiff (#1 nanny).

Spirit Ring

"And then, for Hannakuh, my parents got this pair of really expensive white gold hoops and I had to pretend like I didn't even like them and... it was so sad!" -Gretchen Weiners.

Okay, so not totally related, but the quote popped into my mind, so... whatever that's worth...

Our family has this awesome Christmas tradition-- the 12 days of Christmas. We get a gift and a poem outside our door every day for the 12 days prior to Christmas. It started like 9 years ago when we were flying to Arkansas on Christmas day. My clever parents thought it would be kind to still let Santa do Christmas, so they spread it out over 12 days. It was awesome. And it still is.

So this last Christmas I had to stay up in Logan to work at the elementary school, so my mom and dad packed me up a box of gifts that sat outside my door, and each morning I got to open one!! I just love them... One of my favorite gifts was this amazing turquoise and silver ring that my mother and I deemed my "spirit ring". Ya know. Indians. Turquoise. Spirit. I've received more compliments on that ring than any other accessory I've ever owned, and I like to tell people it was a gift from my parents. It holds a pretty significant amount of sentimental value. Well, I wear that ring almost every single day. I love it. So naturally, I wore it yesterday. dun dun dun.

Off to the beach, I go. Travis, Larry and I are just swimming around, playing like little kids in the waves... Then right as Larry and I go to dive under a wave, he accidentally strips my finger of my Spirit Ring. My most precious has returned back home to the depths of the sea. Back to its mother (Mrs. Nature), on the wildest journey. After my initial fury, I decided to make peace with the fact that my Spirit ring was where it wanted to be. One with the ocean.

I have looked down at my right hand through teary eyes multiple times since I lost my baby. A small piece of my heart disappeared yesterday and will be lost forever...

(A picture of me and my spirit...)
I know what I'm asking for this Christmas....

Youth, Books, Rooftop Yoga, Zumba, and Dessert...

Caution-- I apparantly have A.D.D. today. If you can't jump from topic to topic quickly, don't bother reading this one...

Everyday as I'm heading out to the beach, Kui says, "Just livin' the dream". I'm gonna be honest; I get kinda defensive when I hear that. Yes, I am going to spend the afternoon relaxing and enjoying palm trees and sand, BUT I feel like the rest of the day I do a pretty good job at filling my time searching and applying for jobs, looking for housing, reading, planning, blah blah blah...

I came across a quote the other day:

"Young people are in a condition like permanent intoxication, because youth is sweet and they are growing."--Aristotle

I've gotta say, even though I like to think that I'm all grown up and taking on responsibility, I am stuck in a state of permanent intoxication. I love being young. I love knowing that I have time to enjoy myself, learn, take afternoons off to spend at the beach. I'm reading The Alchemist right now. It's all about fulfilling your life dreams, taking each day in stride, paving your own path, and recognizing that each experience is a building block. The more I think about my life, the luckier I feel, and I know it's partly because this "youth is sweet"!!!

I did yoga on my rooftop tonight... I can tell that I haven't moved my body in two weeks, but it felt good! I've got all these positive vibes flowin. In all actuality, it probably isn't the yoga-- I'm guessing it's the whole "legalized marijuana" thing. You never know what's in the air you're breathing...

Shakira, shakira, I registered for my Zumba workshop. Come August 24, I expect to see everyone outside my door ready for an hour of body rolling and shaking, well, everything... Hopefully I'll be able to find somewhere out here to teach and make some extra cash flow.

Today I ate Del Taco and a Reese's FastBreak... It's been my best day so far...