i'll be the phonograph that, plays your favorite albums back

 (via)          

How is everyone doing this week in bahlog land? Good I hope.

Do you mind if I catch up on bits of Summer life?

+ Fourth of July // My Fourth was so nice. It is my favorite holiday after all. Couple that with kids turned pyros lighting fireworks and sparklers in the street as the sky is turning that dream sunset blue and watching the Stadium of Fire fireworks from the park full of glow sticks and tired children and parents teaching about liberty and freedom and God and I can't forget that boy of mine and whew I am happy as can be.

+ Sports Camps // I've been falling more and more in love with sports camps as the summer goes on. How could I not? With the friendships, the hospital runs, and the cannon center rice krispies, our cute campers are just a plus. Weeks have been filled taking mental pictures (Elizabethtown anyone?) of my favorite moments. A notable one was finding the straight bowl of M&M's one boy ate for dinner, or maybe it was witnessing a room full of Mormon kids (but especially counselors) singing Eminem's "Lose Yourself" word for word. Or there was the time the giggliest twelve year old was telling me about the boy she was "in like" with (full of thrilling twists and turns via emoticon laced texts and side hugs) whose story ended abruptly with "but then he moved to high school". That's one part I don't envy... These poor little girls who are right in the thick of worrying about boys and their bodies and whether or not they should twerk at the next party they go to. I mean how sad and scared does that make me feel for these girls! I may or may not have given a speech about true beauty and loving yourself and that boys are weird! And they will always be weird! So have fun and listen to more Beyonce, and don't worry about them because you are a strong independent women who don't need no man! Although, if they were to choose one to like, I would recommend the cutest little soccer boy who belted Bruno Mars at the talent show whilst sporting a retro hockey jersey and cookie monster hat because those are the men dreams are made of. 

+ Camping // I spent a night camping with Cob's family in Heber. Activities included conquering fears on a ropes course and zipline, performing the Mexican hat dance with sweet Sarah (step-kick, step-kick, snappp, snappp), glow sticks, speed skip-bo, and paddle boating tag on the water. They lifted the fire ban after it rained all morning so that allowed for some solid campfire talk. Said rain filled the sky with those perfect puffy clouds you don't get much of in Arizona. It was beautiful. I just really love the outdoors guys, I really do. Sleeping in a lodge full of sleep-talkers (myself included) made me miss all those years of girls camp. Which consequently made me feel so blessed to have been able to have such a good experience summer after summer to really solidify my love for the outdoors. Ahhhh. I could go on and on. But I'll just end this little blurb with a thank you to the "G" family.

+ My Family // I was able to facetime my niece the other day. She stuck string cheese up her nose. If that doesn't make you miss someone, I don't know what will.

+ The Postal Service // Settebello's pizza and the fiery sunset that greeted us were only precursors to a beautiful night.  YOU GUYS. The atmosphere was so chill. Ben Gibbard was so suave. Jenny Lewis is a queen. It was an emotional experience, and I'm not lying when I say I felt God in that concert. After coming back to the scene with sweet Amy's arms around me and tears in my eyes I couldn't help but think back on all those times I'd listened to that album. At Lauren's volleyball tournament, in the back seat driving through Flagstaff, from Breck's stereo in her old blue room, on the drive to college, in Moranda's white montero riding back from Phoenix, on that one rainy night last December... Coby, Cannon, Amy and I ran back to the car in order to beat the rush, around the puddles and through the grass, and all with the last half of the encore streaming from behind us. We sang the rest of Brand New Colony as we left and I loved it, I loved it.

"you will hear the shrillest highs and lowest lows 

with the windows down, as this is guiding you home"