white elephant

I have just been brainstorming and trying to figure out a good white elephant gift for our schools christmas party tomorrow..

so I just sort of looked around to see if there was anything in my vicinity that I could bring..

then I saw this .. 

& started laughing . picturing everyone fight over my gift. then opening it up to see this.

haha

I think I'll keep looking

while you were sleeping

dear sister.

you fell asleep downstairs on the couch tonight while I was watching santa clause 2 .. 0r 3. if there even is a 3. it's the one with the weird plastic santa that is a little freaky.

anyway. after I got bored with the movie and decided to go to bed, I went over to you and shook you a little and got you up.  we were walking upstairs and you were mumbling to me... here's how it went.

you: alskdjfa;kdf;

me: what???

you: akjkdjfjijjafkjcar right now

me: bailey what did you just say??

you: jdsjkfa I don't want to go to the car right now

me: what are you talking about?? we're going to bed

you: I thought you were going to take milk to someone

me: milk to someone?? go to bed. 

i love when people are funny while they sleep. & bailey is the funniest.

don't fall asleep in my presence. I will most likely take a picture of you & pull it out a year later. 

you won't even know!

I thought I burned this.

I just came across these pictures.

let me explain.

my mom once made me go to a dance class with her where I was lucky enough to dance with 15+ men all over the age of 40. all the men got in a circle and it was basically playing musical chairs except with women. & I was one of them. 

seriously mom??

I.was.dying.the whole time

you would have been too.

boring post. but it's what I do.

before I went to school to learn how to do hair I was always that person that when my stylist was done cutting or coloring my hair, I wanted to run out of the salon because no one knew how to style my hair as good as I did.  I just wanted to go home and do it myself.  but now I drop anything to have someone style my hair.  It is my favorite thing. & it also is one of MY favorite things to do on someone else!

If you have a date, or a party, or something to look fabulous for.  Come visit me and let me style your hair.  I promise you won't regret it.  I have practiced so much with blow drying & even though I am not perfect at it, (brag moment) I think I'm pretty good at it. 

Renaissances charges only $5 for a wash & style. it's worth it. so call renaissance or call me to make an appointment : )

oh yeah, I also love to cut hair. color hair. do eyelash extensions. and waxing as well. 

one hairstyling tip: use your nozzle on your blow dryer.  I never did before school.  But it works wonders when you are trying to get your hair smooth.  which is most of the time.  I never use a flat iron anymore, on anyone.  You can get the curliest hair straight with your nozzle and the right brush.  Especially use your nozzle when you are putting your blow dryer really close to the hair.  it protects it! that's all .

hope everyone is as excited for Christmas as I am!!

it's coming up real soon!

tithing.

so dad was teaching this little one what tithing is just in time for tithing settlement.  they gathered his allowance and took out 10% to give for tithing.  dad was trying to explain to dane what it was all about and that we give to the Lord 10% of everything we earn.  dane seemed to be fine with it and got it all in an envelope and off to tithing settlement they went.  well during tithing settlement when the bishop was talking to them, dane grabbed his envelope and poked a whole in it and was trying to take some of his money out.  but then felt bad so left it in there.  

on the drive home dad asks.. "kids do you understand the importance of tithing now?" and the two little ones then answer.. "yes we do." 

then dane follows by saying..

"but I want my money back."

oh the joy of having these little munchkins around.

so happy to be here with them.

free wifi.

right now I am in the sky.  it is a bumpy ride tonight on this delta flight, but it's okay, I have always liked roller coasters. usually on plane rides you would find me passed out even with my head straight up.  I can sleep anywhere anytime and it seems that whenever I get on an airplane I fall asleep before we even leave the ground.  talented I know. but tonight I can't sleep for whatever reason.  it may be because I saw so many people with cowboy hats on today. naturally. it makes me think of a certain cowboy.  who would have thought seeing a bunch of hicks would make me miss someone. so here I am fighting my thoughts sitting in seat 20d typing instead of sleeping.  my ipod is up and I am listening to FLO RIDa (club cant handle me right now)  it's keeping me from thinking too much about the past and it also is reminding me that I will be in FLORIDA very shortly. it works right? I never listen to this kind of music when I'm not just rocking out in my car. but it's kind of fun.  I am tempted to get up in the isle and start dancing. how funny would that be? seriously, picture it. if you want.

 ....... so glad it's not a school night for me tonight.

and PS. guy in 18d, you are smelling up this plane. and lady to my right, I know you are reading this.. but you agree with me I know you do. 

december must do's

• go sledding
  
• drink hot chocolate with whip cream
  
• go to temple square to see the lights
  
• go to sundance & eat tortilla soup
  
• go snowmobiling 
  
• go christmas caroling 
  
• go ice skating
  
• make a gingerbread house
  
• read a christmas story
  
• cuddle by a fire
  
• watch elf & grinch
  
• go cross country skiing
  
• build a snowman
  
• shovel someone's driveway without them knowing
  
• send a loved one a note expressing my thanks for them
  
• write 2 missionary letters
  
• get a new car
  
• help out a family in need
  
• make christmasy cupcakes
  
• rock out to christmas music
  
• do something I have never done.
  
• go to florida. (check) LEAVING IN 5 HOURS!
  

bring on the best month of the year!

my cinderella story.

I had a wonderful week.  I really did.  It was so nice to have some time off from school and to be able to just get some r&r. I came back from San Diego with not enough hours to get my license here in Utah so I am currently finishing those hours at Renaissance academy.  I will hopefully be taking my state test next month and cramming hours in so I will not go any further than January in school.  I will be celebrating big time the day that I am finished with school.  I can not wait to get out into a salon and start working! I love love love what I do.  I love meeting new people and it is the best feeling when I am finished with a client and they look in the mirror and I can tell that they just feel beautiful. I am really the happiest right now when I have someone in my chair and I can make them feel pretty. It is very fulfilling.  anyway, back to my week.  It was a week full of family & feasting.  what is better than that?? .. I ate way too much but oh well right? it was well worth it. We spent thanksgiving at my moms house with her side of the family.  It was great to see all of them.  Dad was missed but in one week from today my two sisters & I (and baby nephew) will be flying to Florida to visit for a week! woo!! I can hardly wait.  I just love it there.  

(a few pictures on thanksgiving day)

it's a wonderful life..

......

I want to talk about something that has been on my mind lately.  Someone told me once that they think that I may expect too much out of life.  Expect too much from the people around me, expect too much in general.  That someone also told me that I am expecting a "Cinderella story." and that that doesn't exist and I need to stop thinking it's going to be like that and just settle for what real life is. sad huh? I have really been thinking about this a lot lately.  For some time I was questioning myself and trying to figure out if I really do expect too much out of life.  And then it dawned on me.  I do expect a lot out of life.  I do see my life being very blissful and I see myself one day happily married with a family and striving to do what is right.  Do I see myself escaping the hardships of life and never having difficult days? no.  But does anyone? I feel like I am going to get what I want out of life, because I am going to make it good.  so far in my life, I have not had it SO easy all of the time.  I have had my fair share of hard times and challenges but when I look back on my life I really do feel like I have been so extremely blessed and I see the happy times and when I think of the hard times, I see them making me so much stronger.  So when I think about my future and that person telling me that I expect this "Cinderella story"... you know what PERSON, I do. & I am going to get it.  Cinderella did not have it easy always.  & neither will I. but if she can have a happy ending, so can I. I think that in this life we will get what we want out of it.  If we want to be happy, we will be happy.  Today I am promising myself, that I will never forget what I deserve, and never settle for less. 

xoxo.

my motto.

...........

today I went to zumba. besides the fact that it was a dang good work out.  I had the giggles. hard to believe I know. I realized today why the last dance class I ever went to was when I went to that scary lady's class at timpview and I hid my back leg when she asked us to do the splits. haha.

but atleast I got a good sweat(laugh).

tomorrow is the primary program in our ward. & I just happen to be over the 4 year olds.  don't worry if I am laughing on stage.  Those kiddos kill me!

I love to laugh. I just do.

happy monday.

"for beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

- Audrey Hepburn

I have a need for speed.

up to this point in my life. I have gotten away with speeding. I am just one of those people who are lucky! I can speed but just never get caught. come on. I am not going to go 25 up quail. sorry curly. but HA you haven't found me yet!

(knock on wood) okay. I really just did, knock on wood.

but today. sunday. of all days. coming home from taking my dad to the airport and of course I was going around a corner on the 215 going 82 mph . ohhhh CRAP. right around that corner there is a cop waiting for someone like me . hehe

sure enough. he pulled out and over and over again I said outloud "please oh please."

next thing I know he is asking for my license and registration.  but because MY car is now in a junk yard, I am driving someone else's car so who knows if there is even registration in this thing.. which sure enough I couldn't find it. but thankfully.....

nice man came back and said.... "I'll just give you a warning." but you WERE going 17 over, so just drive a little slower ." mmmmmm I love cops today.

keyword: today

thank you cop guy. I wish I knew where you lived, I would drop off chocolate chip cookies or something. my lucky streak continues.....

i'm die(t)ing

if I were in a relationship with you and things were maybe on the rocks and you said to me..

"sweetheart, i'm just wondering, have you been thinking a lot about us lately??"

I would say

.

nope

so you can stop wondering

this is serious.

so tomorrow I am supposed to dress up for our school halloween party. help me to decide which person to be!!

#1#2

#3#4

#5

#6

#7

haha. the last one on the right. so serious!

but for real, which one do you think?

I love halloween

bad news barbara here.

so. here I go. I never wished this upon myself seeing as though car accidents freak the heck out of me.  I have never gotten in a major one.  until last Thursday night. yuck. I hope it is a very very very long time before I experience something like this again. 

here is how it went.

I was driving up to surprise someone that lives 2 hours away.. and just about 2 miles before I got to my final destination I decided to go around a corner a little too fast and ignore the fact that I was on a very slippery rocky road.  As I was sliding out of control I realized.. yep.. I was doomed.  right through a barbwire fence I went and into a ditch.  It happened so fast.  I remember it all so clear though.  It was so loud! everything was so loud! the sound of my head hitting the steering wheel was probably the loudest. luckily I remained countious so I was able to call for help.

  Can I just say how lucky I felt that night.  I said a billion prayers that night thanking the heavens that I did not land upside down in that ditch.  Too many times I have closed my eyes and I will start picturing it being so much worse and me being stuck under my car in that dang ditch.. in the middle of NO WHERE I must add.

to make that more real. the only thing around me was fields and cows that were escaping because I just knocked down the fence that kept them in.

haha.ha

anyway, I just have to keep reminding myself...

I am okay!

I really am! I called the person I was supposed to be surprising.. and said.."SURPRISE! this is not a joke, hurry, I am in a ditch 2 miles from your house... HURRYYYYYYY"

I was banned from surprising that person.

it is kind of funny now. looking back on it. not really. but kind of.

here are some pictures of my poor baby (my car)

gross I know. but come on.. had to show some of my battle wounds!

but look! it's fading!! woot!!

worst part: my car is totaled. TOTALED. I wasn't planning on going car shopping.  but. bring it on I guess!

this again

The other day someone asked me... are you available?? .... wishing I could say no. (yes, you heard me right.) I said.. "not taken but not available." 

this makes sense to me.

I had a break from this whole single/blind dating/awkward thing for awhile.  

& boy am I not excited to be back. yuck.

wondering if a strange number calling me is that boy who that someone gave my number to.. who is calling to maybe..... umm...... ask me out on a date??  I forgot how to do this. & I really do not want to do this.  

Everytime I talk to someone of the opposite sex now I feel so uncomfortable and I crack these awkward jokes that aren't funny and I can't stand talking to them and I all of the sudden make myself feel so stupid and want to run away.  This happens way.too.much.

example.

him: hi.

me: hi.

him: how are you??

me: good. (lie)

him: cool..... I was wondering if I could maybe take you out tomorrow??

me: no

him: the next day?

me: no

him: the next?

me: umm. I spend a lot of time with my family.. let me check with my dad and see if I will be able to go out with you this weekend.

(check with my dad????) since when do I check with my dad to get the okay?? did I really just say that?? not that I care what he thinks one bit.. but I AM RETARDED

there is something about being so comfortable with that one person and then waking up one day and not having them... you all of the sudden don't know how to communicate with anyone else...

or maybe it's just me.

but heavens,  if you are reading this 'him' .. better that you just save your time/money at the moment.

bottom line.

I am not taken anymore. (very) sad story. but I sure as heck am not available.

and probably won't be. for while. or at least until I can not act like I'm 5. 

p.s. to all of you that are happily married and don't have to deal with this.

.I love you, but I don't have to like you right now.

saturday morning laziness.

Today is saturday. I am laying in my sister's bed as she is getting ready to go to her tennis match to (cross our fingers) beat OREM to be 1st in region. Then onto state next week! we are so proud of you Bays!!

anyway.

I am laying here listening to music watching her get ready . She asks me.....

"Maddie, what do you think I could have done better yesterday in my match.. what advice do you have for me going into today's match?"

(I wanted to be a good sister, so I was trying to think of something to say.. as the memories all flashed through my head of my family laughing at me every time I have picked up a tennis racket. I was always the sister that no body wanted to be paired up with on the tennis court... it became a family joke almost..) so I tried to think of SOMETHING to say that would be serious older sister advice...

"you know Bays, (such a serious voice) ....pause... (thinking) ... just be ready for those balls."

.... it was silent....

and then we both just busted up laughing.

what do I know?? besides the fact that I am dang good at wii tennis..

nothing.

GOOD LUCK BAYS!!

poor me

I'm missing him

he left me today. 

moved somewhere far away to work.

I get to see him in a month.

that's way too many days for me.

I think I will make a paper chain.

Prince Roberto.

can we call him bert? or rob? or robbie? or sexy.. or something other than ROBERTO.. no offense.

I really hope this one lasts.

if it doesn't..... he is living in San Diego.

so that wouldn't be too bad I guess..

for one of my friends of course.

(because I am taken if you didn't already know that)

but for real.

I'm a fan.

JULY rocks.

JULY 28TH. 2010.

This was the longest day of my life.  I have never been so anxious for something to happen.  I am going to tell this story from my point of view.  I have always been .. I don't want to say afraid of hospitals, of blood, of anything in this family. .. but that is the best word to describe it.. afraid.

In health class I guess I always missed those days where we would watch the video's on CHILD BIRTH.  Or when I was watching the baby show on TLC growing up.. I always changed it when it showed anything like this.  call it what you want.. it just isn't something that I can handle watching.

well. on July 28th.. I saw something that was completely new to me! A baby being born.

I can honestly say.. it was the absolute most insane thing I have ever seen.  I look at my sister in a whole new light now.. she is my hero! I have never seen someone in so much pain.  I have never seen someone have so much strength! I wanted to faint/throw up/cry/laugh/leave/stay/sleep/go on a mission to avoid marriage(babies)at all costs/hide/ all at the same time.

(this was when we were still happy to be there.. woo!)

This is probably half way through labor..... me trying to distract myself..

 

me with the best seat in the house... (I was warming up to it)

Katie was the funniest though..  I have to give her that.

I was laughing so hard (sorry kate)

but she would be a 10 on the pain scale .. and all the sudden you would hear "How good am I doing?? Am I doing SO good?? tell me that again!!" "BRING IT ON!"

haha. we were entertained.

But after a long day of waiting.. crying.. hoping.. praying.. telling myself I was never going to do this .. EVER ..

I took it all........back

I have never witnessed something as amazing as this.. It was incredible.  It was one of the most spiritual moments of my life.  definitely one of the best days of my life.

I can only imagine if it was my own.

I already love baby Steele.. so much.

and I can already tell... being an aunt is THE BEST.

welcome to the world nephew.. we have a lot of fun times ahead.

xoxo,

your favorite auntie.