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.

Happy Wednesday!

I just wanted to pop in and say hello. And also direct you to this song, aka my new karaoke go to. And to say that I am so grateful and blessed for the happiness that is my life. And that the best nights are those nights spent driving around with a Wendy's salad in my lap and that fluffy haired boy to my left. This is, of course, after rounding up rowdy sports camp kids all night. Which while we're on the subject, I just received this text from one of my favorite counselors:

"I had a girl just eat the sprinkles off of two doughnuts this morning for breakfast." Welp.

Until next time...

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"

Just Stopping By To Say...

This has been the best two days of my life. {AND THERE ARE PLENTY MORE TO COME!}

Being a BYU sports camp counselor has got to be the best thing that's ever happened to me.

I love my girls.

I love my fellow counselors.

I love BYU.

and I love sports! {duh!}

I cannot wait to do this summer after summer after summer...

Yep, even after I graduate.

Just keep 'em comin!

I feel like I'm in student council again {SJH student body president whats up!}.

I also may or may not enjoy telling people what to do?  It's a weakness, it really is.

Tonight I danced my life away without a care in the world.  Prancin' through hundreds of sweaty kids and let me tell you my friends, dancing has never felt so good.  Now people, remember all of those stake dances?  All of those junior high dance parties?  EFY maybe?  Let me tell you, being a counselor at a dance is TWENTY TIMES BETTER.  There is no such thing as awkwardness when you are a counselor {yes, even in dancing! wahoo!}.  Everything you do is golden.  I am worshipped here.  A goddess really.  

Okay so maybe not worshipped, but we'll just settle on "loved" instead.

In all seriousness though, these girls here at camp mean the world to me.  It's amazing how quickly relationships can form, and how quickly someone can just invest all of their trust to you.  And to see their fresh little faces light up {it's cliche for a reason} when I give devotionals every night?  The greatest.

Anywho, these last two days have been too special to not write a little something down.

{and in my free time i get to go trail running, three cheers!  i am seriously so addicted that i don't even care how pretentious/ridiculous i sound right now.  pictured above, naturally [hahaha! get it?]}