and so we walked.

this is how i'm breaking in my boots.

i pushed the stroller while my mom taught the little one on the right to puddle jump.

we made it around the block once but i'm making do with what i've got, rain and all :)

life lately

^^isn't he so dang cute?  and his laugh? i die.

i hang out with baby boy all day and, when he's not crying, is the cutest thing in this world ;)

 

said good-bye to my best friends from high school this past week. we don't share the exact same beliefs but i'm happy they're supporting me.

 

said good-bye to my extended family last week. so many people came to my farewell and i felt so much love and support.

 

i made a list of food i want to eat before i leave and we've been slowly checking them off the list.

 

we took family pictures the other day.....i'm not sure what it is about my family but every time we are put in front of a camera we get silly. so silly.

 

down to six days until i leave. seven until i'm officially a missionary.

 

so those thermals that i bought? been wearing them every day since.

 

i watched perks of being a wallflower. i cried.

 

looking all over for the perfect mission dress...and not succeeding.

 

 trying to tie up loose ends. taxes will probably be the last thing i do...

debating on what movie to go see before i leave. safe haven, oz, or jack the giant slayer? i only have enough pennies for one.

i've made santa fe chicken three times this past week (chicken, rotel tomatoes, cream cheese, beans, and corn over rice). my little brother is in love.


my valentines

happy valentines day! these boys are the only ones who will be getting any kisses from me today and i am a hundred percent okay with that. none of this "happy single awareness day" junk. i'm happy for those who have found love; the world needs more of it! it's been cute watching my parents exchange cards and remind each other of their love, it's sweet :) enjoy spending the day with your loves! because i sure will be. chocolate covered macadamia nuts, skyfall, and costco pizza ;) cheers!

of babies and kids

while i've been home, i've been lucky to find some part-time work watching kids in addition to helping out my mom with her nanny job. so lately it hasn't been an uncommon thing to have two to four kids at the house. but as grateful as i am for the extra cash, frankly, it's really tiring. i'm only on the job from nine to five; imagine if it was 24/7! i seriously tip my hat off to mamas for how much they do, how much they love their kids, and wearing anything but yoga pants and oversized shirts.

surprisingly, all of this baby time has been a happy wake up call. rather than feeling lonely and almost bitter left out for not getting married yet, i feel awesome! i'm clearly not ready to take care of littles or even take care of a husband but i don't have to worry about all that shtuffs for another two-ish years. i know a mission is going to be exhausting hard work but at least i won't have to change any diapers and i'll get a solid eight hours of sleep at night ;) so thanks babies for reminding me to be happy with where i'm at in life; my future babies thank you!

**this isn't meant to be offensive to anyone who is married and/or has children. this is where i'm at in life and i'm happy about it.

thoughts//mini update

from a high school photography class.

--realizing more and more that i could come home and be the only single one out of my friends. not the end of the world but while they're enjoying fun married shenanigans, i'll be either making my awkward way through the dating pool...or not at all.

--shopping for clothes has been so stressful. trying to find 6 to 8 outfits i can mix and match and not get tired of (ok, impossible) for 18 months has seriously worked the fashion brain cells. i've spent so many hours on pinterest trying to get ideas that i'm beginning to recognize the brands of skirts just by looking at them. and shoes? don't even get me started.

--today my dad explained to me that if i marry someone who is bad at sex, i'll have a very boring life. turns out he just mixed up his english and was trying to say something completely different.

--i felt so loved when jess told me that she was going to see me before i left and i didn't really have a choice in the matter. i really love that girl. and chipotles.

--target is bomb. i don't know why i'm still surprised every time i go there, i always spend more than anticipated. just need to accept that.

--i know what the weather is like in provo every day because people post videos and update their status' all. day. long.

--i'm going to be the craziest mama when i have babies. i kiss little rony (my mom is his nanny) about ten thousand times a day and take pictures of him and he's not even mine!

--the bummer about going to school is you usually don't get to take naps every day. so now that i'm not in school...naps whenever i want!

--maybe i'm vain but one of the hardest things about not being in provo is thinking that people have forgotten about me.

--my mom confessed something big the other day. i don't think she realized how much more i'd relate to her after knowing it!

--45 more days until i'm gone!

miss me? me either.

from 2012
and yes, that's purple in my mother's hair.

i'm not really sure where to begin. the three posts that are saved in my drafts? sorry i'm not sorry for not blogging for a month? hope you're doing well? well now that that's out of the way...
i spent two weeks in japan with my family and had an amazing time. it's been years since all five of us have spent more than two days together so that plus seeing extended family made for a wonderful trip.

i'm living at home again and surprisingly enjoying it more than i thought i would. i love my family (and not paying rent) but living on my own for two plus years has made me independent. i like living on my own, braving roommate drama, and going to school. but i've rediscovered something obvious: it's nice to live with people who have known me my entire life. not just liz who's going to college, but ME me. the me who danced for 14 years, who gets cranky, who loves to cuddle with cats and read. the chubby kid me, the awkward teenage me, and the trying to become an adult me. is this cheesy enough yet? the point is, in this key time when i'm trying to prepare for my biggest adventure and responsibility yet, i'm happy i have them by my side.

 

 to prepare, i've been doing a lot of reading and journal writing. my usual hour or two a day is nothing compared to what i will be doing but baby steps, right? other than that, i fill my time with helping my mom and playing with babies. i thought i would miss school and all that comes with it (social life, people my own age, you know) buuuuut i don't. sure, i miss a little male interaction with men other than furry ones and blood related ones but that's not really where i'm at in life.

so there you have it. you didn't miss much ;) if the internet cooperates and i can upload photos, i'll do a few posts on japan. if not, well you'll just have to believe me that it was bomb :)

back at home

well everything went smoothly. except for my two items of luggage, my life has been boxed up and put into storage. i left my apartment squeaky clean (well...the portion i cleaned) and said my good-byes. it was definitely bittersweet. i've met some incredible people the last couple of years and it's odd to think that i won't see them for almost two years. not to mention that they will probably be graduated/married when i get back. but that's how life works.

 

now i'm back at home, sleeping on a couch in the guest room. back to hanging out with my more-hilarious-than-i-remember parents, back to rain, back to baby duty, and back to cat loving. i've already eaten more the past two days than i have in the past week and it feels great. i leave for japan in 4 days and i am readayyy to go. but in the meantime, i'm going to enjoy me some of this.

 

 

**the baby my mom takes care of and the cat we're cat sitting.