the sun is shining.

 

it's conference weekend and i have a friend who lives two minutes on a bike, away from me. we found a trail that follows a river. we made no bake cookies, found the perfect trees for climbing. and we water colored. p.s. i can't wait for my summer tan, even though it takes all summer to get.

songs that have been added to my bike riding playlist:

little talks: of monsters and men

you go to my head: billie holiday

aint misbehavin: fats waller

as time goes by: jimmy durante

the walls are coming down: fanfarlo

blood: the middle east

whirring: the joy formidable.

another week has passed.

do you know what i consider a blessing? 

i consider it a blessing that a year has passed since what we refer to now as "the d day." yes that was this weekend. when he called the wedding off, i couldn't picture one minute without him, let alone an entire year. it was impossible to picture what my life was going to look like in a years time. i was so worried that time was going to pass slowly because i was sad. i consider it a blessing that the opposite has occurred. time seems to fly by. i used to cry a lot. now just every once in a while. i finally stopped counting the days since the incident. i consider it a blessing that i have friends who understand why i hate walking out of barnes and nobles and looking across the street to see michaels craft and peterson medical supply. i hate those stores. i am glad to have friends who know that the plain white t's suck and the first unofficial day of fall is now destined to be doomed. i consider it a blessing to have a family who is supportive and loving. i am grateful for the diet coke and ice cream runs with talks that will never be forgotten. i consider it a blessing to have a knowledge of the atonement. i am grateful for the book infinite atonement. i have such a better understanding of my Savior and His sacrifice. sometimes at night i just sit and ponder about what Christ must have went through, because of His love for me. i am grateful that He is the only one who really knows how i feel. 

i consider it a blessing that life goes on.

something to look forward to.

madame tussauds.

hollywood. i have been several times. i once saw the premiere of memoirs of a geisha, although i didn't recognize any of the stars because they were asian. i once hiked to the hollywood sign with my two kindred spirits...a three mile hike in the heat. we kept crossing our fingers that there was going to be a lemonade stand at the top, but to our dismay all we saw was a chain linked fence and the back of the sign. nothing spiffy. i did however get to cross it off my bucket list. this past weekend my family decided to go to madame toussauds, the wax museum. i was skeptical at first but turns out robert pattinson and i look positively perfect together. who knew?

the happiest place on earth.

  (new memories)

(tower of terror. coolest family front and center)

(just minding my own business walking down the street with donald. hello friends.)

(the jungle cruise and the "crummy" jokes about cookies)

(lunch as promised at the blue bayou.)

(my dad tells me i drive just like mr. toad.. on his wild ride!)

(this girl with her favorite princess..)

(...and my new favorite ride)

disneyland tips (from my own personal experience):

1. stay at the candycane inn. its backyard is literally the tower or terror plus they have a shuttle to the park and plus they have complimentary miniature candycanes on the shuttle.

2. go the first night with your two best friends. laugh to keep yourself from throwing up, while on the teacups, and point to the two brightest stars in the sky while saying, "second star to the right and straight on to neverland."

3. make reservations for the blue bayou. lanterns, crickets chirping, monte cristo sandwiches, and watching people ride by on boats headed on their way to pirates of the caribbean makes for a great meal. all i can picture is a certain wedding of mine (far future) looking something similar to this. maybe minus the boats filled with strangers.

4. go during spring break. although you may be taking summer classes, you still need a break. 

5.  sing zip a dee doo dah at the top of your lungs and mean it. feel free to dance in the streets and look like a lunatic. everyone does it.

6. diet coke although by itself is absolutely delicious, in disneyland is ten times better. i promise. i think there is an added ingredient that mcdonalds is missing. drink plenty of this. it will give you extra energy. also just breathe in the air. it smells real nice.

7.  the firework show is the best ever. hands down. i'll thumb war you if you say otherwise. it starts off with a song about wishes, and then all the disney characters start telling their wishes "...i wish i was a real boy...genie i wish for your freedom...i wish my prince would come...i wish i was a part of their world... ect."  the castle then lights up, fireworks everywhere and it leaves you with goose pimples and watery eyes. oh and they happen to have my favorite fireworks..grandmother willow fireworks, or the ones that leave trails in the sky. awesome.

8. eat a mickey mouse ice cream sandwich.

9. and another one.

10. and another one.

11. sit in the front row of screaming over california,

the back row for splash mountain (if its chilly)

far left hand side of indiana jones,

the right hand side of thunder mountain (or you'll get squished)

and just be sure to go on peter pan.

12. make wishes for love in snow white's wishing well next the the castle..

13. take a picture with ariel. she is just so pretty.

14. have the time of your life and promise to come back soon.

oh and future note to self: take a picture of the castle. 

here is what my weekend looked like.

1. i finally can drive around with my windows down without catching pneumonia.

2. a blt with avocado that was eaten here with some people that i love.

3. a game of bowling.

4. my family waiting at the airport what an exciting day.

5. welcome home elder jenkins!

6. one of my favorite cousins returning from his two years spent in russia.

(things not pictured above:

...yet still worth mentioning...

 a sacrament talk that was given in which i was inspired, tales of the past two years in which some tears were shed, realizing that lips can bruise when hit with a car door hard enough..yes bruise, the peery hotel room that was haunted, a blind date that i am actually excited for, a free twelve pack of diet cola, and the best part is tomorrow i am off to the land of anaheim california where i will soon be seeing mickey mouse. 

bon voyage).

a murder mystery party.

 

last weekend i dressed up as a pirate serving wench

and attended a murder mystery dinner party.

walking around with glass bottled root beer,

talking with a pirate accent,

 and drawing a perfect mustache on a friend with a crayola marker,

made for a perfect evening.

oh and one more thing,

whats a pirates favorite cookie?..

ships ahoy!

ARRRRRRG!!!!

so excited..

one week from tuesday,

 at 1:00 i have reservations for this place...

the blue bayou in disneyland!!

luckiest gal in the world!!!!