Ducks and Stars

(via lauren nassef)

I'm back! And here to put all of my blogging ducks in a row.

If only I could treat this like a Yelp review. Not that I've ever written one before. But it does have a certain appeal. I mean, don't you wish you could Yelp review your life on the reg? You could be as ruthless or as overly generous as you'd like without (much) backlash. Your experience is what it is: if you are happy, you are like in heaven happy. And if you are mad, you have every right to be mad as hell. And ready to take down whatever establishment allowed such angering within you. Hopefully I can steer away from those two extremes. But man, Yelp reviews am I right? In keeping with that theme, let me first begin this catch-up with the detached and relatively short, list-like review. Ratings to follow.

School ended. School started. Part time ended. Full time started. Sick for like, a month.
Coby left for an internship. New nephew. Still haven't cleaned my room.

And now for the hyper detailed and overly invested review!

Let's start with the sick stuff. Here ye here ye, being sick is the worst. What started off as a little cold turned into full blown ear infections, full four stage migraines, and a rather unnecessary but completely not fun ER visit. I felt exhausted, chubby, anxious, useless and just done. I was constantly rubbing my head and leaving it in my hands for the majority of the day. Don't mind that I texted my mother on Mothers Day of all days, begging her for guidance before just driving myself to instacare. I recognized the error of my ways, but still. What kind of daughter does that? Thankfully she, and everyone else, were so good to me. Even if it was just letting me watch Gossip Girl all night (roomies!) or forcing me to go to the ER via my mother's wishes (Coby!). I would show you the picture I took of my half smiling face when the migraine induced paralysis hit, but then I would die of embarrassment. Just know that a slurred speech causing British accent was also involved. Thus, I give the sick stage a whopping two stars. One star for the amazing support I was given. And the other for Blair Waldorf's second season hair. Well, five stars for Blair's second season hair. No stars for spending one night crying because I had to miss the Haim concert. And while I still have yet to finish cleaning my room after all of this sickness, I did finally put the sheets on my bed. So, another star for effort.

I've been back in the Sports Camps scene since January now, but things are really picking up with the summer now in full swing. The days can be crazy, leaving me feeling either exhausted or energized and ready to crash a dance or two. While I don't get to participate in the fun stuff anymore, I did take a trip back to the hospital with a hurt camper yesterday. And I gotta say, it was a good feeling when the staff remembered me. Especially considering how much time I spent there last summer. I also had a "moment" at the Cannon Center. Aka the buffet style cafeteria that I've been gorging myself at everyday. I was standing at the salad bar, patiently waiting my turn to make myself a salad that I know I will only have three bites of... And I just had this moment. Where I loved that salad bar. And everything it meant to me. It was my place! My moment! I feel like every time I see someone I only kind of know they ask If I'm doing "the Sports Camps thing". And I weirdly answer "yes!..." while feeling uneasy about their idea of this "gig" versus mine. But then, you guys, the salad bar moment! And this is where the whole Yelp concept makes this less weird... Anyway, the point here is that Sports Camps is great and supplies me with the greatest co-worker friends, a daily Rice Krispie, and the promise of pebbled ice. Oh, and some money. Four stars for Sports Camps! The fifth star has been withheld, due to the discovery that I am not a morning person. But working on it.

Speaking of food, Smashburger is underrated. Don't you think so? So are hot cars. I've never been more okay with not blasting the air conditioning than I have this summer. For now, at least.

And speaking of summer, Coby is gone for the rest of it. And while it has actually been totally fine, it would be a lot finer if Face Time worked for us. Before he left, he sang some Miley as the sun was slightly setting for a good seven or so minutes. That should hold me over for the rest of the summer, right? Also, before Coby left, he had a birthday and I had an anxiety attack. Which my mother has 75% convinced me is just a side affect of all of that time under the weather. I really hope so, because it would be nice to feel confident in social situations again. Especially after my embarrassing moment at the pulpit for Fast and Testimony meeting in church the other week. Said moment being, well, me talking. And just being up there entirely. Let's leave it at that. No stars, sorry.

And last but not least, I have a new baby nephew! Baby Blaine. My sister flew me out to Portland for the weekend to meet him and take some pictures and boy (ha!) am I so glad she did. He is the squishiest, tiniest, cutest little dude and I love him so. It also gave the the opportunity to cave and read Divergent on the plane. That said, now I'm comparing everything in my life to factions and personality traits and I CAN'T STOP. All the stars for my little baby love Blaine!

And now, for the Yelpified Blog Post Star Round up...
Coby gone - 1 Star. ER visit - 1 Star. Sick - 2 Stars. Work - 4 Stars. Baby Blaine - 5 Stars!
Blair's second season hair - 5 Stars! Cannon Center Rice Krispies - 5 DELICIOUS STARS.
This Blog Post - hopefully some stars?

Summer / Oh Boy

Because what else are blogs good for?  I take it back, blogs are good for lots of things.

Especially for "summer-is-ending-school-is-going-to-ruin-me" iphone photo dumps.

Hi Clay.

Coastin'

i love cobs sun-imposed-monocle, and my hair you GUYS. but isn't little gracie the CUTEST?

I know I know, I'm double posting today. I just couldn't wait! So here we go. Let me start by saying, this was my most favorite day of the trip and I'm sticking to it. The second we got to Richard and Stacys' home Coby was SO happy. And when I say happy, I really mean weird. He and Richard were hilarious to watch -- talking crazily, lots of bro punches, making fun of each other, just little cousins reunited at last. Like so weird. After Coby read some books to Gracie (melt my heart wontcha') we were off to the Tillamook factory!  First of all, Oregon is BEAUTIFUL. The trees, and the open fields, and the greens and the yellows and the farms and ohmygoodness sensory overload. Couple that with the best strawberry ice cream from Tillamook and there ya go. I can feel my dad's jealousy about that last little bit as my mom reads that last line to him (hint hint, right mom?). Then we hit the coast! Goonies, good vibes, and a tender walk on the beach. It was such a nice day out there. I loved it I loved it I loved it. We returned to chips and salsa and dinner with strawberry shortcake included. We all watched the movie Spirit and tried to get Tooley the cat to snuggle with us.

May I just stop here to talk about Stacy for a bit? Hi Stacy, how are there not any pictures of you? And I stalked your blog and you are the best crafter. And it was her birthday that week! And I usually feel weird posting pictures of other peoples children but oh my goodness Grace is just too cute. Stacy, thank you for such a fun day.

The next morning the boys played frisbee in the park while us girls sat in the shade. Richard and Stacy sent us off with sack lunches (so nice) and played a little "guess what's on this cracker whilst blindfolded" before we headed back downtown. After people watching at the farmers market we said goodbye to some of Coby's family at Niketown and homeward bound we went.

Now to close with a somewhat mushy summary. This trip was amazing, I loved each and every day. It was so nice to get out of Provo and the routine of things. I am now a believer of staying with family, everyone was so kind and generous to open up their homes. And because I'm all about keeping things real, Coby and I learned so much more about each other and grew heaps on this trip. We hit some lows but they were so necessary. I may or may not have had the hardest couple days of my life post-trip that included a lack of appetite for two days and then diving right into the nutella the next. I know Coby and I are only dating, but regardless of what our future holds, I am so happy to have spent my birthday week with him in my new favorite city. That's all she wrote.

And scene.

Oh, and did you know that the fourth of July is my favorite holiday?! Cause it is! Have a happy fourth!

Nature is my Favorite

Voo Doo Doughnuts and Multnomah falls. So many different shades of green. Hike to the top. A fight (eek). Lake Oswego. Ribs on the back porch of his aunt's amazing home (a Rothko, she has a Rothko!). More hydrangeas and looking over Portland. Dishes with his uncle. Soccer with little Anders. Salt & Straw ice cream. Reading about Maria Kalman before bed. Aspiring to be Coby's aunt one day. I LOVE PORTLAND. And scene.

Birthday Day

Day one in Portland was my birthday! Hip hip hooray! I'm twenty now, can you believe it? I've always felt a mix of insecurity and a baby bit of pride about my "relatively young" age for my place in life (whatever that means)... That said, I'd been eagerly awaiting the departure from my teens until about a week or so ago when I wondered what in the heck I was thinking! Come on Natalie, leaving the teenage years? Those are like supposed to be fun and stuff, right? Reckless abandon! No responsibilities! Riots!

Alas, bye bye teenage Natalie. I welcome you, twenty, with open arms.

But only if I'm still allowed to draw hearts all over my notebooks.

Anyway, to celebrate such an occasion I picked out a cinnamon roll for breakfast. It was glorious. The rest of the day was spent at the Rose Garden, the Japanese Garden, eating quesadillas from a food truck, taking a bike tour around the city, a wood fire pizza birthday dinner (pizza is my jam), dessert at the Grilled Cheese food truck, romping around town, a birthday dance from four year old Emma, and watching videos from my neices over and over again.

I loved it all.

+the burger shot is from the drive up, poor Coby was so stoked to get whatever the equivalent of steak-nuggets are.

And they were not good. But my jalepeno burger was alright. So cheers to that.

+also, the entire time at the Rose Garden I was just thinking about the

singing flowers from Alice and Wonderland, they were that cool.