Pyro

I decided I like hands.

He wrote a song?!

Things are never dull when Shayn Yi Shan comes to play.

Enamored.  Moonstruck.  Eyes.  Siighhh.

"stay away from doing drugs by doing other stuff you like to do" - a hispanic boy named angel.

This week...

Was crazy.  I had a great week running and feeling good last week.  But with finals, a new baby, and hardly any sleep my exercise and good eating habits was thrown off.  Let's just say I hit up Fili B's twice.  Let the recap begin!

On Saturday I went on a date with Jordan to his family's annual white elephant Christmas party.  While that's awkward enough as it is, the theme was white trash...  Ha but it wasn't so bad, I even got to break out Erin's overalls.  They were all super nice and hilarious!  Even though they kept stealing from me... Thanks for the night Jordan. 

don't mind the awkward face, just love the overalls.

I came home, changed, and went over to Todd's to meet his family!  All these families, it was outta control, kidding.  His nephew Grant was adorable and gave me knucks.  We grabbed some coldstone, attempted to climb Stapley, met up with Erin, Tyler, Scott, and Alicia, did the cinnamon challenge and thennnn things went sour.  

Todd & Tyler before they breathed cinnamon the rest of the night

You know just when you think your life is great and amazing, and something happens to come and put you back in your place?  Well, staying out 'till 2 am with Todd did just that.  I came home, BUSTED.  Dad even called Todd and supposedly banned him from seeing me?  It was intense.  And then it wasn't even that I was out, but that I have "low standards, low self-esteem" yadda yadda yadda.  It was a mess.  Come Sunday though, it had all blown over.  With the parents at least, {well with my dad, i think}.  I still haven't seen Todd yet, just facebook message apologies and texts, which btw, he is like the best writer and so nobel about it all.  Helllooo, it makes me feel even more guilty!  Anyway, I've discovered I'm horrible at relationships.  I haven't had one functional relationship.  Okay maybe I'm being a bit dramatic.  It was just a crazy night where I was a stupid, selfish girl.  I almost felt like I was using Todd as a coping mechanism for past boys/ things with my dad, as horrible as it sounds.  I just wanted someone else to connect to and to talk to.  You know?  However, "the ban" made me realize how much I really do like him, even if it is just as a good friend.  Sorry about everything Todd.

Tuesday, December 14th, Doug and Chantel's baby Brielle Zia was born!  We went down to the hospital around 7 or 8, to find out that Chantel was going to get a C-section.  Poor girl.  She had pretty much been in labor for 3 days having contractions.  They broke her water around noon when she had dilated at a 5, but she hadn't improved since.  Because her water had been broken for so long, she got an infection, infection + baby = no bueno!  It was scheduled for 10, so I decided to jet home to work on my portfolio for my English class due the next day.  I hadn't been home fifteen minutes when my mom called me to tell me the babay was here! BABBYYY!!!  I sped down there in ten minutes and waited outside to see my Carlita {we called her Carlos because they couldn't decide on a name, and didn't until two days later}.  So here's what happened.  Todd {chantel's dad todd, not busted todd}, Rachelle, Shae, and dad had been sittin' in the waiting room when my dad saw Doug in his scrubs walkin' past the window.  Weird. So he goes outside to see him and a nurse with the baby in her cart!  I guess Chantel went right in for surgery and bam, baby!  She has her lips and chin, and a head of dark long hair, just like Violet! I didn't go to bed until 4 that night, yikes!

 Happy Daddy!  Doug is seriously the sweetest pappa ever.  He's totally smitten by her.  This is where we sat outside all night waiting for a peak at our baby girl.

A little family!

Thursday started the first day of finals.  And it rained!  I LOVE RAIN.  So so much.  After school mom and I went down to take Doug and Chantel some jamba and finally hold my little girl!  She is adorable.  She has the cutest face shape in the world.  It's amazing how good she and Violet are too!  So so terribly good and easy {so says the mothers}.  Really though they are so content and settle themselves down and just love to sleep and sleep!  They're livin' the life I tell ya: sleep, cuddle, eat, sleep, cuddle, eat.

 Her little yawns are the cutest

 See that hair?!  It's like an inch long too.

 I love my little Ellie!

Shae & I are her favorite aunts.  Note all the name deciding goin on.

Friday was my last day of high school.  After first hour I got so sad when I finished my final.  But not because it was my second to last final, but because it was the last day I'd ever sit next to Calvin :(.  Oops, I just revealed my first hour crushes name!  Oh well, I'll probably never see him again anyway.  I'm crying. Sadfacex20.  After playing with a seminary teachers adorable daughter and watching her know exactly how to slide open an iphone {kids these days! she's not even 2!} while sitting on my lap, Savannah, Haley and I hit up Costa Vida for my last high school lunch ever.  We talked about boys who would be great future husbands, naturally.  If I do remember right, that's one of ze challenge questions?  Just gotta wait until then I suppose!  Oh, and then I discovered that odd boys like me.  Odd isn't necessarily bad, just not my taste. Really though.  There is a list.  Wow I'm so mean right now.  But again, this brings us back to never having a functional relationship!

Saturday morning.  Lauren hadn't been home an hour and she's already on my nerves BIG TIME.  I couldn't get ready because she was all up in my grill and wouldn't leave me alone.  I swear sometimes...  Erin picked me up for a surprise lunch at Tia Rosas she and Skyler planned for me graduating!  I really don't deserve these things.  People are so dang nice!  Sky even got me flowers. I love love love flowers.  Just love them.  My lovely friends who came were Hannah, Caitlin, Kenzie, Ashlie, Haleigh, Mady, Lindsay, Kimee, Erin and Skyler. Thank you thank you thank you!  Oh, and my Aunt Denise and Uncle Rick flew down from Utah to come just for me!  Just kidding, but we were sure surprised to see each other there, and they guaranteed me Sunday dinners hollla.  After lunch, Erin gifted me with the cutest picture frame and head beanie thing that I love!  Seriously, I was about to cry I love her so much.  Then E, Haleigh and I were like, we need to take a picture of us and Leah to put in it, and then we're like bff photoshoot!  So we scoped out the cutest places in Old Gilbert and called our fab photog friend Kenz and we're booked baby!  Then we visited Tyler at work and watched him making pizzas creepily in the window.  Then we visited cute and smiley Leah at work.  Then we went home and reconvened at a parking garage for some longboarding.  We being us 4 girls, tyler, scott, and matt.  So hardcore.  Haleigh and I matched in our hoodies and sneakers and we had a mini dance party.  And all was well.

Flowers from Skyler

Today, Sunday, Breck and Steve were here!  Woo.  After being called up in church again and being typecast as the early graduate that much more we visited doug, chantel, and brielle all settled at home.  I love her soooo much.  She barely woke up a bit before we left but was so cute all snuggled and stretching in my arms. awhh i love being an auntie!  Tonight Lauren and I skyped her boyfren and Tanner, Nate, Syd, and Haley picked me up!  And Tanner and I talked colejh and about my roommates.  And basically he's my future husband.

And that was my week!

P.S. Woah woah woah, I just reread this and sound like I'm in love with a million boys = not good.  Lemme clarify.  Todd= recent boy/new good friend.  Calvin=1st hour crush for the entire semester that it's like a joke so it's alright. Tanner= my best friend/first dance date.  We good?  We good.

Spiderwomen

This week has been spent:

~Going to MVT's holiday dinner concert= uh-maze-ing.

~Seeing the Mesa Temple lights.

~Driving all around, realizing my bff Todd is basically the boy version of me, and listening to the Twilight soundtrack while Tyler spies...

~Being totally overwhelmed with school yet never doing any of the millions of things on my list...

~Running the track at nights.  I love the crisp air.  It keeps me sane.

~Mythology randomness with Allen, Alma, and Jonathan.

So Allen and I were obsessed with that flippy paper clip thing, we <3 substitutes.

~Telling stories in code in Seminary {to avoid the ears of our teacher} with Conrad, Jen, and JD.

~1st hour crush definitely flirting with me, AND he said hi to me later in the day. OMGoodness.  Yes, I can still act like a 13 year old girl and be totally fine with it.

~My last high school assembly

Let's just say the Jr. Suns were a little crazy this year.  Paige's little brother even kissed Shelby.

~Experiencing my last real Friday EVER. {the whole graduating early thing...}  And maybe even crying a little bit.  Just maybe though.

~Facebook stalking my new roommates!  They look adorabllleee, let's hope everything goes alright!

~Of course, the beautiful Arizona sunsets. #3 thing I'll miss while in Utah.

The picture doesn't even compare.

~Trying to master a spiderman picture with Erin.

 Take 3

 Take 27!  Wooo!!!

 Each take usually resulted in falling over laughing.

True friendship.

=Pure Hilarity.

Life is goooooddddd,

Love NATALIE GRACE!

Flower Power

So Todd most definitely left me roses in my car door today.

I had to leave them in my car because I didn't go home for lunch.  When I got in to drive home at the end of the day, I just couldn't put my finger why my car smelled so sweet.  Oh yeah, I got roses!  Basically I almost started crying.  Not really, but I was incredibly happy.

Oh the day in a life...

Give it Here Malfoy

Thanksgiving break was just wonderful!  I spent the entire 4 days in my leggings and let all thoughts of school go out the window.  What essay?  Wednesday night I went bowling for my online class with my pawdra to burn off some of those calories for the coming feast {yeah right}.  Thanksgiving consisted of waking up to sweet smells around noon, family coming over, a yummy stuffing for dinner, watching funny youtube videos, singing the trolololo song all day, finishing Harry Potter 3 while the family played Settlers of Catan, and then getting stood up.  Haha but not really.  

We skyped Clark, Mo, and Vi again.  Vi was in her bear suit and was Little Lettie Bear!  She even growled for us.  She is still so tiny and adorably cute!  Miss them.  Breck and Steve stayed throughout the weekend, so we were able to go to bowling again with them.  Guess what?  I am terrible at bowling.  No really though, my first game I bowled a 47.  That is reeeallly bad!  Quite funny actually.  I've also decided that bowling is the most awkward sport there is.  If I could watch myself bowl, I bet I would die of laughter from how funny I look.  Pure hilarity.  After bowling I went to Matt P's for a bonfire which was sooo fun!!!  Except we burned his to be sister-in-laws branches that were supposed to be decorations for her wedding the next weekend...  Woopsies.  I met a cool guy named Todd, who kept kicking my foot... {kidding Todd} and we both like awkward turtles and saying "give it here Malfoy" in british accents.  

 My beautiful pie.  Well, my leaves on the pie.  Humble pie it is.

 Dinner party

The next morning I woke up early and Leah, Erin, Marlee, Haleigh and I headed over to iHop in our pj's for Haleigh's birthday!  We ate our pancakes, had a funny waitress, talked about Todd {okay okay, I talked about Todd} and even saw Jeffy.  Afterwards I burned off that meal with a long walk with Breck and madre.  Then I took a nap.  Because let's face it, it had been a tiring weekend!  I also got really gutsy {or so I though} and sent a 7 page text to Nate about how "i just can't do this anymore" {so tough, right?} and on and on.  And then we talked and were all good and dandy, and then I was like, wait, how'd he get off the hook again?  Why does he have to be so freaking charming.  Fo real.  Anyway, I'm happy that I've finally figured it out.  I know we're not trying to be serious at all, but don't I at least deserve to be treated better?  Not that I'm being treated bad, but just disposable I guess.  Like I'll always be there, but I won't.  Whew I'm being confusing.  Sowwwyy.  Good thing I can tell jokes with Todd! Ha kidding.  If only Erin could read all of this, she would be laughing so hard.  Okay, enough with this secretive boy nonsense!  That night I stopped by Em Cliff's for her birthday, and then had an awkward boy conversation with my mom.  Which I never want to have again.  Sorry mom.  Let's just not.

Today was beautiful and rainy outside!  Which made me happy, because I absolutely love the rain, and I pulled out my tights!  Then I went to church.  And then, just when I thought everything was normal in sacrament meeting, I got called up to bear my testimony.  SAY WHAT?!  I literally threw my head back in dismay.  Just so you know, it seems as if every time people are randomly called up after a youth event or what not, I am called up to bear my testimony.  Every.  Single.  Time.  And now that I am graduating early and a "single adult", my sporadic callings have transferred to that too.  I thought that because I've gotten a new bishop and stake president it would be different.  Nope.  And it was Zach Z's homecoming, hence the packed-ness.  But I am grateful for the opportunity.  Because of these random callings I've never felt the need to bear my testimony on fast Sunday.  I guess it makes me talk when I otherwise wouldn't have.  Maybe my testimony just needs growing or something, who knows.  Then during our third hour we went into the other half of our old ward to listen to Matt G's farewell.

Now I'm off to our annual Christmas Carol Fireside!

And then I have to write an essay.

P.S.  I need a camera, my mom is starting to get suspicious, hence barely any pictures of the weekend.  No picture of bonfire, birthday breakfast, or bowling.  Boo.  Wow, great alliteration, right?

Livin' in a Dreamworld

I have so much to write about, so much that it has overwhelmed me to the point of not writing anything at all.  I even have an entire page in my fish-scale notebook I take to school dedicated just for all of the things I need to write.  But, I don't want this to keep me from keeping a frequent journal.  So because of that, here I am!  Big post to come.

Anyway I am loving life right now.  It is just so good!!! Things are falling into place.  I'm appreciating the little things around me.  I have like 20 different crushes as I go throughout my day.  I'm deep cleaning my closet in preparation for my move.  My clothes are fitting.  I'm kinder.  I'm just all around happier!  What a difference it makes.  I don't really know what changed, other than I made a conscious decision to stop worrying about what I look like or how I am perceived, I guess you could say I'm confident.  Or maybe it's the fact that the stress of getting into, registering, and preparing for college is finally at bay.  Or maybe that volleyball has finally ended?  Whatever the case,  all I know is that I am happy!  And I like it.

Random Little Things:

~ I am luhh-uving Gossip Girl!  Now I am officially obsessed.  Can you say marathon?  Cause I can.

~ I got my Winter Formal dress from ModCloth a couple days ago and I absolutely adore it.

~ I won a giveaway from Navoh and scored a free bag worth $90!

~ The movie The Village-- I could write an entire essay analyzing that thing!

~ Making eye contact with crush #1 (out of previously mentioned 20) three times in one day, followed by uncontrolled smiles and some blushing to myself.  Siggghhh.

~ Making video after video with my friends on Friday nights.

~ Stumbleupon.com!  Only the greatest invention ever.  I'm listening to one of it's mixes right now, of course every single song on it is what i love, without having to like a million songs on Pandora to get there.  Oh how this site was made just for me!  All the different Tumblr's, articles, photos, all just my taste.  It's almost creepy...

~ Getting a pretty green coat and rad leather jacket for cheap.

~ All the babies coming :)

~ Mike Posner.  Obsessed.  Just add every song you can find on playlist, you will not be disappointed.

~ Chuck, no wait, Nate.  Chuck.  Okay, I lied, I love Nate.  No, Chuck!  GG, what have you done to me?!

~ Seminary everyday with my amazing class and teacher.
~ Getting inspiration for my Graduation Announcements.
~ Getting a B on my Pre-calc Midterm!!!  Big deal.

~ After blowdrying my hair, all I have to do is put it in a ballerina bun, and within five minutes, waalaa.  Perfect curls.
~ Making delicious pumpkin cookies for my seminary class, the Sandstroms, and Gina.  And of course the leftovers for myself.
~ Dancing while getting ready for school in the morning.

I could go on and on. Ah life, how I love thee!

Okay back to that mix I put on the list up there?

First time on Stumbler and this is the playlist it Stumbles me upon:

Dreamworld- Rilo Kiley

Casimir Pulaski Day- Sufjan Stevens

I Will Follow You Into the Dark- Death Cab for Cutie

Detlef Schrempf- Band of Horses

Flightless Bird, American Mouth- Iron & Wine

See the Sun (Alternate Version)- The Kooks

No Ones Gonna Love You- Band of Horses

Your Hand In Mine- Explosions in the Sky

Meg White- Ray LaMontage

HOW DO THEY KNOW ME SO WELL!?

So lesson of the day is be happy!  And if you're not, have faith that you will be.  Because you will.  I've heard that the biggest misconception concerning happiness is that it appears as an extended period of time.  In reality, it's the little things (as cliche as it is or as many times as we have heard it) throughout our journey that come together that make us happy.  It's in realizing the Lord's hand in our lives by the tiny, pink flower on the side of the courtyard.  And talking to your mom on a daily basis.  And learning that you have to be your best friend before you can be anyone else's.  Insert "love yourself", "know yourself," "be happy for yourself," etc. in "be your best friend".  And just learning in general.

And with that I bid thee adieu :)

Sweet Dreams.

Title*Dreamworld by Rilo Kiley

Loro Love

You know when you just have one of those GREAT weeks?  I feel like this is the week for me.  Here are some reasons why.

I've gotten back into running every single morning and i LOVE it.  I feel free, fresh, strong, athletic, hottt, soothed, relaxed; it is amazing.  One of the best things about it though is seeing the sunrise.  Smelling the canal and gasoline is up there too.  The reflection of the mountains in the water, mmm.  I just want to sing.  Horribly maybe, but sing nevertheless.  I mean it's hard, don't get me wrong, but getting out of bed is the hardest part.  Shin splints kill and when I'm tired, it's an entirely different story; but it is the ultimate way to wake up.  I mean i'm not an intense runner, just leisure, anyone could kick my butt for sure.  But it's liberating.

This morning I had the dentist = squeeky clean teeth-- my shiny teeth and me.

During ACT prep, Brandon was trying to set up Chandler and I.  Pure hilarity.

After school I delivered Christy her birthday jamba and we discussed life.  In this conversation, one thing made my arms literally fly in the air with my hands in rock position saying WOOOO!!  "Natalie, *blank* told me you're the best kisser hes ever kissed".  Cue Rock WOOO!!! Time. Best kisser frick yeah!  Do you know how good that makes a girl feel?  I mean still definite mixed messages adding on to the mixed messages I've been recieving this week but whatevs.  I rock dude.

Then we did yoga for mutual.  Yoga=happiness.

Today in accounting I (& Sam & someone else) recieved an application (I'd been reccommended for?) for this program.  It is 3 credits consisting of one class teaching marketing/business subjects such as sports and entertainment marketing, hospitality and destination, human relations, financial planning, and fundraising and event planning.  The other 2 credits count for the internship/job i will be practically GIVEN.  And not just a manual labor type 'making juice' job, like a hard core, real, business, working job.  On top of that, this program's going to Washington D.C. in November for leadership training.  Can you say amazing opp.?  This event planning and sports marketing stuff is exactly what I want to go into, or journalism, and I'm basically given a paying job--I can make bank. 

And I'm going to Switzerland, Germany, and Austria in June next summer. YESHHH.

I'm taking it all in.  Listen to Loro by Pinback combined with Indie Rokkers by MGMT.  This will explain my mood.