..sarajane..

moving.

2010-06-11T14:42:00.001-06:00

My blog is moving to richieandsarajane.blogspot.com for all those who would like to continue reading. Thanks!!

28 days

2010-04-29T10:27:00.001-06:00

Where does time go? I am so excited and a huge part of me wants May 27th to hurry up and get here, but there is still so much to do. Luckily, this semester is coming to an end and I will be able to focus a lot more time preparing for such an important day. These past few months have been filled with appointments, searching for wedding ideas, showers, homework, more appointments, wisdom tooth removal (lucky for me, I only had one), registering, studying, tracking down addresses, working and decisions, decisions, decisions. It has been so much fun planning my wedding and I have loved every minute of it. I am so lucky to have such an amazing fiancé, who is ALWAYS there for me. I feel like there are so many little wedding details that I have stressed out about, but he is the one who reminds me not to sweat the small stuff. I don't know what I would do with out him. I am so grateful for the memories and experiences we've had together and so excited for the many more to come!

Exciting Update

2010-03-29T15:36:00.000-06:00

Elder Brewer has been called to serve in...

(He is the one on the right.)

The California, San Bernardino Mission

This last Wednesday, my little brother Spencer received his mission call to the California, San Bernardino mission. He reports to the MTC on June 16th. I am so excited for him! He will be a wonderful missionary and I know he will have an incredible experience.

Loving this Weather

2010-03-18T08:57:00.000-06:00

As much as I hate losing an hour of sleep when we "spring forward," I love that it is still light outside at 7:30. This past week has truly felt like Spring and I am so happy about it.

I have loved the sun warming up the inside of my car.
I have loved having my sun roof open.
I have loved not wearing a coat everywhere I go.
I have loved getting out of class at 7:00 and still having it light outside.
I have loved running in refreshing air as opposed to the sweaty, muggy air at the gym.
I have loved the fact that flowers will be blooming any day now.

Let's hope this streak continues and we don't get hit with a big snowstorm anytime soon.

Our Engagement

2010-02-08T22:28:00.005-07:00

This past weekend was the best weekend I have ever had. Richie and I went to St. George with his brother and sister in-law, Clay and Ashley, and their darling little boy James. We had a great time swimming, biking, and taking it easy. One morning we decided to go on a small "hike", but little did I know we were going skydiving. After driving for about 20 minutes, I asked Richie where we were going on this hike. He said that Clay knew of a great place and that we would be there soon. We pulled off the highway in Mesquite and moments later we were pulling into an airport. I was so confused for a minute until I saw the sign "Skydive Mesquite". I couldn't believe I was going to be going skydiving. It is something that I have always wanted to do. We got suited up and trained and then we were on our way.

Here we are with our instructors Fonz and Joe.

After Fonz pulled my parachute, he said to me "do you see the sign down there?" I looked down and saw this banner from 3,000 feet above.

Richie had jumped first and so by the time I landed he was there on one knee.

I still can't believe how beautiful it is.

After we came back from skydiving, I was surprised with a beautiful arrangement of flowers, my favorite cake, candles, Martinellis, crystal goblets, and a beautiful book.

It was an incredible day that will never be forgotten. I am so excited for our future together and couldn't be any happier! I love you Richie!

What's going on...

2010-02-03T13:05:00.022-07:00

I promise I haven't completely forgotten all about my blog. It's been so crazy since Christmas and I wish I had more time to blog, but unfortunately I don't. Here is a quick re-cap of January:

::New years eve- Cafe Rio take out and a scone party at the Laird house.

::School starts- This is the last full semester I will have to take!

::Jazz games- Let's hope this winning streak never ends.

::Abby moves to NYC- One of my best friends has moved all the way across the country!
::My birthday- I feel so old now that I'm 23. Thank you to everyone who made it such a wonderful birthday!

::We brought home one of Jackson's puppies...still arguing over a fitting name. Any suggestions?

::Reading with Madeline- Every Tuesday and Thursday morning I work on reading with the cutest little girl. She is in 1st grade at the Madeline Choir School and her name is Madeline.

::Homework- I have barely found time even to do laundry these past few weeks.

As much as I love my birthday, I am happy that February is here. One of my new years resolutions is to balance my time a little better. It's been hard to do with school, work and homework, but I think I have finally found a schedule that works. Another resolution is to exercise more. The past few weeks I have been going to a spinning class on Wednesday mornings and it has kept me motivated to work out. Each time I leave the class, I like spinning a little more. I have also learned to love to run. I have had to run on the treadmill, because the air has been so crappy and I'm not a big fan of running when it's freezing outside. I'm not going to lie, there are times when I get a little bored on the treadmill so I have become a big fan of the stair master, elliptical, and even some of the weight machines. There are lots of things to look forward to this month. Here is another quick list:

::Hair appointment- I love not seeing roots. It is the best feeling!

::Weeked trip to St. George- I'm just excited to get away for a few days.

::Valentines- I think Richie and I may make a yummy dinner.

::Presidents Day- I am a very big fan of long weekends. Too bad I still have to work.

I promise my next blog post won't be a month and a half away. I hope everyone has had a wonderful year so far. Happy February!

Happy Holidays..

2009-12-26T19:53:00.006-07:00

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone, and that 2010 is just a few days away. I am so thankful and grateful for all that I have and all the wonderful people in my life. As crazy as the holiday season is..I love being reminded of what is important. I have had an amazing year this past year. I am so grateful for Richie and all that he does for me. He is my best friend. I don't know anyone who I look up to more than him. He is such an amazing example to me and I have had so much fun spending so much time with him since he has been home. He is so incredible. I also am so lucky to have such an awesome family. Although all 3 of my brothers are younger than I am..I look up to them more than they know. Spencer is so generous and would do anything for anybody at the drop of a hat. He loves to serve as much as he can. He will be an incredible missionary in just a few months. Sam has always been there for me. Especially these last 4 months. Sometimes our schedules are so busy that we don't see each other for a few days, but he never goes more than 2 or 3 days without coming up to my room to check on me and to talk to me. Charlie is one of the kindest people I know. He is such a peacemaker. He never has a mean thing to say about anyone and he is always making sure everyone gets included. He is so thoughtful and always thinks positively. My Dad is such a hard worker and does so much to make sure he can do more than just provide for our family. I am sometimes so amazed at how my dad knows how to fix anything. I know he reads a lot but I honestly can turn to him whenever I need something fixed no matter what it is. My Mom is not only my mom in the family but she is my sister in the family too. Since I have no sisters, I rely on her to keep me sane. Like every mother and daughter we have our differences, but for the most part she is one who I can talk to like I would talk to a best friend. I am so grateful I have the gospel in my life and that I have it as my rock and foundation. I am so thankful for the knowledge we have today. I am grateful for my amazing friends. They have always been there for me. I have been blessed with so many friends in my life and I have learned from their examples. I don't know how I got so lucky to have such incredible people in my life. Happy New Years!

Happy 22nd!

2009-12-15T21:46:00.008-07:00

Today is Richie's birthday and I am so sad I can't be with him, but I will be in just two days and then we can celebrate! It will be so nice to have him back from his study abroad. He has been missed greatly. Richie is so amazing and I am so lucky to have him as my best friend and one who I can turn to for anything. I don't know anyone more kind, caring, hard working, compassionate, funny, good looking, thoughtful and smart than Richie. How lucky am I?

Happy Birthday! I love you!

2009-12-09T16:20:00.003-07:00

This time of month seems to get crazier and crazier as the years go on. I am really starting to wonder if time really does speed up the older you get. I can't seem to find time for anything right now. I am in the middle of finishing my last week of classes and then next week, finals begin. I decided I needed a break from studying to keep me somewhat sane and came across this quote on a friends blog.

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

I love this little reminder. Especially during crazy times like these. It's easy to forget simple yet important little things...especially during stressful moments.

2009-12-04T10:27:00.003-07:00

Just notice how much taller these two are than me. Although I am at least 4 years older than they are they still tower over me. Charlie my youngest brother is now my height. Where has the time gone? I feel like it was just yesterday when I was babysitting them. I am so grateful to have three amazing brothers. We have had so many great memories and so much fun growing up together. I can't believe Spencer will be leaving for his mission in just a short six months. He will be such an awesome missionary and I am so happy for him. He will definitely be missed but we are all so excited for him to have such an amazing experience and opportunity.

They're here!

2009-11-25T12:06:00.004-07:00

These past few weeks we've been so excited to find out that Jackson (our dog) is going to be a dad. The mom (a golden retriever) comes from a family who are friends of ours who happen to live a block away from us. The puppies finally came this morning! We all thought she was done having puppies when the 8th one came out but about while later 4 more came. She had 12 puppies! We couldn't believe it. Unfortunately, one little pup didn't make it. This is her first litter and she already knows exactly what to do and how to take care of them. They really are so cute and make the funniest squealing noises. We're so excited!

Blackin out Wyoming

2009-11-02T12:42:00.002-07:00

For Halloween, Rachel, Page and I went to the Utah vs. Wyoming game dressed head to toe in black. I even wore my black Uggs. We brought plenty of blankets and at halftime got lots of hot chocolate. The game was a little slow and we weren't doing that great, but then the U pulled through for us at the end. We ended up winning 22-10. It was a fun game to be at. I must say though, the U "blackout" game on Halloween night brings out some very interesting people. We sat next to "the Joker" who looked just like Heath Ledger in Batman. It was pretty creepy how much they looked alike.

missing london

2009-09-18T11:09:00.008-06:00

As I am getting to hear about all of Richie's fun adventures in Jerusalem it is making me somewhat homesick for my adventure in London. I can't believe how lucky I was to be able to spend 3 1/2 months in such a wonderful place. We are so blessed to live in a world of amazing places. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my experience there. It's hard to believe that I was there almost two years ago. Where does time go?

Stonehenge

Bath

Laduree

Oxford

I miss the tube.

Cambridge

We were lucky enough to have tea at the Orangerie every Saturday.

Tintagel

Big Ben

The London Eye

Tower Bridge

One of our first debuts at Harrods.

Meg and I trying to keep warm.

Out on the town.

Valentines Day Kitchen Crew.

The Cliffs of Dover.

Canterbury Cathedral

My street. We lived about half way down on the left.

re-cap of summer trips

2009-08-16T15:09:00.004-06:00

Colter Bay

Jackson Hole

Newport Beach

I can't believe it is September 1st today. This summer has literally flown by. Since I only had two weeks of summer, we were able to squeeze in some awesome trips. We went to Colter Bay with my family and camped for a few days. I love it up there. Then we went to California and played on the beach everyday. It was a perfect vacation to wrap up the summer before school starts and before Richie left for Jerusalem...which was today! I think it finally hit me that he will be gone for the next 3 1/2 months, but hopefully it will go by as fast as this summer did.

going private

2009-07-17T09:55:00.002-06:00

After googling my name and seeing all of my blog posts show up, I have decided to go private. So...those of you who want to continue to visit my blog, leave a comment with your email address and I'll invite you to be a reader.

Welcome Home!

2009-07-11T11:18:00.005-06:00

This last week we met up with Richie's whole family in Sun Valley to celebrate his parents coming home from their mission. It was such a fun week and so great to spend time with everyone. The week flew by, but we were able to fit so many fun things in. We stayed at a beautiful place which had a tennis court as well as a swimming pool. There were plenty of beautiful morning walks for the girls, a day at the park, bike riding, fly fishing, river rafting and golf for the boys, shopping, fireworks, Hailey Rodeo, a day at Red Fish Lake, yummy meals, ice cream, and so much more.

Richie, Elizabeth and I at the Hailey Rodeo.

BEAUTIFUL Red Fish Lake.

Sun Valley

Yes...we did rent a tandem bike.

Walking around Sun Valley on the 4th.

sign me up for summer

2009-06-02T21:29:00.003-06:00

I never thought in a million years I would sign up for a summer semester at the U. I actually wrote down somewhere in my journal a few years back that the ONLY way I would ever take a summer semester was if it were a summer semester abroad. Well I am definitely not abroad, but am taking three classes this summer. I think I had the worst of the worst expectations because to be honest I am loving my classes.

I am taking a math class that has taken me back to my freshman year of high school...geometry. The class also goes over a good chunk of statistics too, but for right now we are going over geometric shapes and learning about quadrilaterals, triangles and polygons. It is a great review because I have forgotten most of what I learned in 9th grade.I am glad I am going to have the whole summer to focus on this class, instead of trying to cram so much math (which isn't my subject) into six weeks. Another one of my classes is an educational psychology class that has been so fascinating. I love my professor and am so intrigued by everything she has taught us thus far. I am kind of sad that this class only lasts six weeks, but at the same time so thankful I won't be this busy with school the whole summer. My last class that I am taking is a technology class where I am learning how to create lessons and lesson plans all on the computer using different websites and software. I am surprised at how much I have already learned in this class. It does get a little boring at times, so I guess it is good that this one only lasts six weeks as well.

I am a little disappointed that I wasn't open-minded to summer semesters in the past, because I have really liked my classes.

memorial weekend

2009-05-26T20:46:00.004-06:00

Over memorial weekend Richie and I had a great time doing so many things. I don't know how the weekend is already over. It flew by so fast. Over the long break, we loved:

hitting up the outlets in P.C.
going 4-wheeling in Midway
wandering around Cascade Springs
visiting Chad who just got home from a mission
visiting graves
having the first campfire of the summer up at my cabin
making tin foil dinners and s'mores
seeing "Night at the Museum II"
visiting grandparents
going out for sushi

I can't believe June is almost here. I am so excited for summer and hopefully it won't fly by as fast as this last weekend did (even though I'll be in school). I am still so excited for the little weekend trips, the days at the pool, campfires, boating... I could go on and on. I am loving the warmer weather!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BFF!

2009-05-18T23:15:00.001-06:00

HAPPY 22nd KATIE!

I LOVE her!

I was so lucky to have such great roomies.

She is my partner in crime.

We really are twins.

We are and always will be three peas in a pod.

Katie...

I hope you know how much I love you and am so thankful four our friendship. You are so amazing. Thanks for always being there!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Namaste

2009-05-11T16:43:00.002-06:00

This last Thursday Richie and I headed to St. George to stay with the Bennions and also take a quick day trip Vegas to see a family that he taught during his last weeks in India. They came to the U.S. to visit some family for about a month. They are such a sweet family and so incredibly generous and giving. It was such a great experience. I had heard so much about them and was so excited to finally meet them. Richie raves about Shanti's (the mom) cooking, and while we were at dinner she offered to teach me how to make Chicken Biryani and a few other Indian dishes sometime. I can't wait!

They took us to a really nice Indian restaurant that was so delicious. I had a lot of fun trying new things, and surprisingly I loved everything I ate.

We were able to walk the strip for a little bit before we met up with Shanti's family. I wish we would have taken more pictures, but this is the only one on the strip.

My dad was down in St. George on Friday for a golf tournament and he was able to get Richie into the tournament Friday morning. I was the designated golf cart driver.

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T20:57:00.002-06:00

I don't know how I got so lucky to have such an amazing Mom who truly is my best friend. I don't know what I would do without her especially living in a houseful of boys. She is such a great example and I hope one day I can be like her. Happy Mothers Day Mom! I love you

Oakland and San Francisco

2009-04-28T14:35:00.001-06:00

This last Thursday Richie and I flew to Oakland to go visit his parents before they come home. It was such an amazing weekend. Clay, Ashley and cute James (his brother's family) came with us as well. It was so great to spend time with his parents. We crammed so much into one weekend. I couldn't believe how much we did. Here are some pictures from the trip:

We had such a great time visiting Carmel and walking along the beach. If you look closely you can see Pebble Beach in the background! It was so beautiful!

We had so much fun going to an As' game and loved seeing the first firework show of the season.

Even though the ferry was super windy, we still had so much fun on our way to San Francisco.

We had a great time wandering around San Francisco.

Lombard Street was incredible!

The Golden Gate..

Guess what we saw?

Solitude

2009-04-01T13:26:00.001-06:00

This last weekend we took advantage of the great skiing weather. Richie and I both wanted to go explore a new resort so we headed up to Solitude. Richie had not been to Solitude in a long time, and I had never been. It was so much fun and I really liked Solitude a lot, I think mainly because it wasn't very crowded.

St. George

2009-03-15T20:37:00.001-06:00

We took a quick trip down to St. George this weekend because my cousin Dan got married. We left Friday afternoon, went to the wedding Saturday afternoon, then went on a quick hike to Slot Canyon and then headed home. It was a fun weekend and so good to just get away and see the warm sun for about a day.

Good Times

2009-03-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

As we were walking up Main Street, we saw Adam Duritz from Counting Crows! Annie was so excited and literally screamed when she saw him.

Over the break we got together to have our annual Christmas brunch and gift exchange. It was so fun to have everyone together again. I can't believe how old we are now. Some are getting married, others on missions, graduating from college. It is so weird being this old, but I am so grateful to still be so close to all my high school friends!

a little update...more to come.

2009-02-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

I feel bad because I never have time to really blog anymore because of school. I had a great weekend skiing up in Park City with my family and Richie over Valentines and Presidents Day weekend. Unfortunately, Richie had his nice North Face jacket stolen out of the dressing room at Polo. We did all we could to try and see if we could catch whoever it was, but we didn't have much luck. There was not too much that could be done about it. I felt so bad. He went in for one second and then came out to show me and we walked around for a minute, then the next thing we knew, it was gone. We came home and quickly ordered a new one for very cheap off of a great website. Those five years at Sports Den paid off. We are just crossing our fingers that it will all work out!

TAG

2009-02-09T18:25:00.000-07:00

I have to give Ashley full credit for this post because I pretty much just copied and pasted it from her blog even though I wasn't tagged. There were a few things I changed..I'm not a big American Idol watcher, but for the most part it is the same. Thanks Ashley!

something that makes me happy right now: a long weekend coming up
favorite item on my Valentines menu: fondue
looking forward to: a ski weekend in Park City
something I don't want to pay for right now: Gas
something I dread: the many tests and quizzes coming up in the next week.
currently reading: textbooks...I wish I had a free moment to read a good book.
Favorite trip in the last year: London/Ireland/Paris.
something I wish I could master: a foreign language.
best hair conditioner: Pureology Color Care (purple bottle)
best thing in my mail today: a late birthday card from my Grandparents.
Love or Hate Valentine's Day: LOVE it.
I am on a kick of: the stair-master at the gym and peanut M&Ms.
a luxury for me would be: a spa day once a month.
time of day I look forward to most: depends on the day. Today?...going to the gym.
current favorite song : You Found Me by The Fray
if I could go shopping right now, I'd buy: a pair of jeans, a fun dress or skirt, some cute tops and a nice pair of boots.
something I want to do more of: ski
least favorite thing of the past week: a weird rash that only lasted a few days luckily.
glad that: our house is almost finished. NO MORE WORKMEN!
love: hint of lime chips...forgot about those till recently.
TAGGED: Annie, Ann, Betsy, Candace, Kaitlyn and Meg.

Happy 21st! Happy 22nd!

2009-01-29T16:34:00.002-07:00

I know I'm a little late, but here are some pictures from both Richie's birthday and my birthday. Thanks for all the birthday wishes from everyone. It was one of the greatest birthdays ever, especially because Richie took me on the most amazing date. He surprised me by taking me up to the Canyons ski resort to take about a 25 minute sleigh ride up to a lodge. At the lodge we then put snowshoes on and snowshoed up to a yurt! We then had a delicious Norwegian 5 course meal. They also had a live piano music for us while we ate. It was such a great night and I had so much fun! See the pictures below...they don't go in order unfortunately.

This was right after dinner in front of our giant sleigh.

We are at the Viking Yurt..so we had to try on the viking hat.

We had a great dinner.

This is the main entryway of the yurt. So beautiful and charming!

You can barely see the yurt in the background.

Snowshoeing!

A little late, but this was from Richie's birthday!

The cake is a lot better than it looks...

I promise I wasn't the only one at my birthday party. Thanks mom for the two cakes!

Thanks everyone who helped me celebrate and make it such a great birthday! I have the best friends and family!

Italy 2007

2009-01-15T11:10:00.001-07:00

Sallee and I beginning our hike through the five small villages in Cinque Terre.

So beautiful!

After our hike, we had to get a few pictures before we went swimming in that blue blue water.

One of our favorite things to do was to ride around the wall on bikes in Lucca.

The three little pigs and the big bad wolf.

I was the brave soul who went first.

Paradise

Leaning Tower!

I think the ward we attended in Pisa was a little overwhelmed to have such a large group.

Romeo and Juliet anyone?

Feed the birds...

So beautiful!

Venice

This looks more like Switzerland than Italy to me. We loved Castelroto.

Gelato...twice a day.

We found Elder Castleton! Going to church in Lake Como was such an amazing experience.

We took a ferry around Lake Como.

This was such an amazing trip and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to go. Italy is one of the most beautiful countries I have seen and I am just dying to go back.

Mastering the Macaroon

2009-01-15T10:25:00.000-07:00

Trish, Sallee, my mom and I have decided that we are going to attempt to make our own macaroons. Someone said that these are supposed to be really hard to make, hopefully they turn out somewhat like the ones at Laduree.

HAPPY 2009!

2009-01-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

We celebrated New Years Day by going ice skating at the Gallivan Center, something I have not done in like 4 years. I can't believe 2009 is here. I am so grateful for all of the great things that 2008 had to bring and so excited for what 2009 has to offer. Happy New Year!

December Fun

2008-12-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

In the midst of finals we decided to take a break and head up to Midway and Heber to visit the lovely Dairy Keen. Afterwards we stopped by a friends cabin and had a good game of ping pong. It was so nice to get away from the books and forget about school for a minute.

On December 15th Richie turned 21! We celebrated by going to Rodizzio, which is always a fun experience. The people at Rodizzio were so nice to bring him this dessert as well as a fun birthday song.

After Rodizzio we were going to go ice skating, but by the time we were finished eating, they were closed, so we went and visited the lights at Temple Square.

This last Saturday we ran around town trying to find a cheap sled, and almost everywhere we went were out of sleds. We finally bought one at Big 5 and had such a fun time at Popperton Park. It was a good investment because we will get lots of use out of our yellow sled this year.

Fall Semester 2008....DONE!I

2008-12-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from taking my last final and it feels so nice not to have to worry about any homework or studying or required reading. It's time to go skiing! My life lately has been filled with late nights of writing papers, filling out packets, cramming for tests and falling asleep on top of textbook upon textbook reading. I feel pretty good about all of my finals and all I can do now is hope for the best!

Looking Back on London

2008-12-11T00:42:00.000-07:00

Canterbury

Meg and I in our matching cheap coats.

VERY good show with Kristen and Meg.

BYU London Centre

BIG Ben

Our first very wet walk in London

The London Eye.

Ready to brace the cold with my Uggs.

Tower Bridge.

I am so grateful for...

2008-11-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

My Parents- I look up to them so much and am so grateful for all that they have done and given to me. I admire them so much and hopefully I can be as good as a parent as them one day.
My 3 Little Brothers- I wanted a sister growing up so bad that sometimes I would ask for a sister for Christmas. I have learned that I am so blessed to have three little brothers who look out for me and are always there to laugh both at and with me. They are constantly keeping me entertained.
Richie- I am so lucky to have a best friend that will always keep me laughing, listen to my pointless stories, give me the best advice, plan the best dates for me, give me the nicest compliments, help me by providing encouragement in tough situations, and so much more.
My Friends- I wish school didn't rule my life right now so I could play with them more often. I have the greatest friends who provide the best support and even though I don't see some of them very often, we can always pick back up right where we left off.
My Religion- I am so grateful to be a member of the church. I love it with all my heart and am thankful for all that it has taught me and done for me.
My Education- Even though school stresses me out to the point where I start complaining about every little assignment, I really am so lucky to have to opportunity to go to college. It's something I take for granted too often.
Jackson- My yellow lab. We recently have become roommates while my family is finally finishing remodeling our house. Despite his 2:00 am meals, drinks, and baths, which wake me up every time, I still love him.

There are so many more things I am grateful for, these are just a few of the more important ones. Happy Thanksgiving!

Delta Gamma Mother/Daughter Luncheon

2008-11-09T12:33:00.000-07:00

7 of the 11 seniors remaining!

My cute mom and I.

Best Friends since day one of Kindergarten. Love you Abs!

Love you guys so much!

Goodbye October...Hello November!

2008-11-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

DG Formal

Richie and I and my beautiful flowers he gave me before formal.

A good portion of the seniors! I can't believe that was my second to last formal!

HALLOWEEN!!!

We spent Halloween night at Scott Nelson's cabin playing games, going on a midnight hike and laughing till our stomachs hurt. We were dressed up as jail birds but we had to put on some warmer clothes to go on a midnight hike up to some mine caves. Scott sure does know his way around in the dark, I think everyone was amazed we found it. All we had was one little headlight, but we made it in the dark, in the rain. The cave was really neat so it was well worth the hike.

Happy November 1st!

Richie's pumpkin turned out to be a lot better than mine. I don't know why but I thought polka dots would look really cool, but it really didn't turn out like I planned. I think they need to be smaller next time.

ONE EPIC TRIP UP TO MY CABIN

Two weekends ago, we went up to my cabin in Monte Cristo with Richie's roomates Ben and Buzz and their two friends Laura and April. There were so many funny things that happened this trip along with a good game of apples to apples, Reeses smores (thanks for the idea Ashley! They were amazing), and some good story telling. We made good friends with one of the servers at the Jackson Inn Cafe in Huntsville. Go visit him, his name is Wyatt.

MOTHER/DAUGHTER NIGHT

A couple of weeks ago, Trish, Sallee, Sissy, my mom and I made carmel apples and carmel chocolate covered pretzels. We learned that it is a lot harder than it looks to make a carmel apple. We dipped the apple in carmel, then white chocolate and then cinnamon sugar. They were a lot like Rocky Mountains, but we agreed they tasted better.

The apples...

The pretzels...

Fall Break in Lake Powell

2008-10-20T10:14:00.000-06:00

One of my all time favorite places to go is Lake Powell. This last week my family spent four days basking in the warm sun, hiking Mokey canyon, wake-boarding in the freezing water, and playing endless games of yahtzee. It was so good to spend some time with my extended family as well.

Where will Annie go?

2008-10-15T15:13:00.000-06:00

One of my oldest and best friends is receiving her mission call today! She is currently on a study abroad in Paris, but close friends and family are gathering at her house tonight to open her call. We will have one big conference call with her as her mom opens her call. I am so excited for her and I know she is going to be one awesome missionary. She already has such an amazing talent of reaching out to people and making an impact in their lives. I truly look up to her so much and am so grateful for our friendship. Congratulations Annie!!! I love you!

REAL Game & DG Drive In

2008-10-12T21:51:00.000-06:00

We were so lucky to get tickets to the REAL game this last Thursday. It was well worth it to sit in the cold for a few hours.

It was the first game at the new Rio Tinto Stadium!!! It was so new and nice that parents were letting their children crawl on the ground underneath the seats. Gross!

This was the night of DGs at the Drive In. Look at how cute our matching shirts were.

We had the best set up. We took my dad's truck along with our air mattress, two giant pillows and hundreds of blankets. I am so glad we went prepared because it was a cold night. Luckily we stayed very warm.

Tears of Laughter

2008-10-08T16:37:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite memories is when Abby, Amanda, Katie, Kerry, and I were coming home from New York during fall break last year. We left the Abby's dad's apartment with plenty of time to catch a cab to the airport. Catching a cab in New York is actually not as easy as it looks, especially when it starts to rain. Amanda had left earlier that day, so the four of us sat outside of the apartment on the corner for about an hour trying to grab a taxi. The rain kept coming harder and harder. We finally realized we were running out of time, and that if we didn't figure something out fast that we were going to miss our flight. The rain was coming down so hard now that it looked like all four of us had been thrown in a swimming pool. I'm not exaggerating in the least bit. We kept our luggage underneath the awning of the apartment so luckily that was dry, but now looking back, it didn't matter, it got soaked anyways. We grabbed our luggage and sprinted block after block all the way to a subway station. The puddles we had to charge through were not puddles. They were more like lakes. Each time I stepped in one it went up to my shin. We caught a subway to a train station and hopped on a train headed to the airport. It was packed with people. I am still amazed that the four of us were able to fit all of our luggage (with four girls, that is a lot of luggage) onto that train. Three very nice businessmen offered us their seats and made plenty of room for our luggage. We spent two hours, SOAKING wet on the train and then finally made it to the airport. We were so lucky that our flight was delayed because we would have missed it by like an hour an a half. When we got to the airport we changed into the driest clothes we could find in our suitcases and found a place to get some hot chocolate. It is so fun to look back on that time and have a good laugh. In the moment we didn't find it very amusing, but once we got to the airport we could not stop laughing. We ended up running into our anchorman Basim and Spencer Pearson, so it was fun to talk to them while we waited at our gate for another three hours. They could not believe what we had been through. I love looking back on that moment when I was with some of my best friends, running through New York City, laughing and yelling at taxis, and letting the rain drench me and my luggage.

Tarantula Run In

2008-10-06T18:55:00.000-06:00

A few weekends ago Richie and I went on a hike along the Bonneville Shoreline trail and look what we stumbled upon. A tarantula!! I was in front of Richie and as we came around a corner I almost stepped right on it. I am NOT a fan of spiders and so it was kind of an intense moment for me. I've heard tarantulas are poisonous and aren't poisonous. It wasn't worth the risk so we kept our distance.

Fall Favorites

2008-10-05T18:55:00.000-06:00

Halloween
Butternut Squash Soup
Candy Apple Suckers
Sweaters
Pumpkins
The Colorful Leaves
Haunted Houses
Fall Drives in the Mountains
Warm Rolls
Blankets
Carmel Apples
Hot Chocolate/Apple Cider
Fall Clothing
Hikes
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lately..

2008-09-14T14:28:00.000-06:00

This last Saturday was the Susan B Sandoval run for ovarian cancer. We had a good time running the 5K at Sugarhouse park.

Brecken, Abby and I after the race!

Richie and I went to the State Fair on Friday night and had so much fun. We ran into Richie's brother and sister in law, Clay and Ashley and had fun trying fried oreos, snickers, twinkies, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Let's just say between the four of us, we couldn't finish them. We never realized how great of a place the fair is to go people watch.

A few weekends ago, one of my best friends Alyssa came to Salt Lake to visit for a day. The last time I saw her was in London at the BYU center. It was so good to see her and reminisce. I can't wait to see you and Kaitlyn again in a couple weeks!

This is a portion of my group from London. We all met at Ben's Cookies and then went and had dinner at CPK.

A couple weeks ago, one Saturday afternoon we had nothing to do so we headed up to Swiss Days in Midway. It was really fun to walk around and look at all the different booths and sample different food.

Favorite London Moments

2008-09-04T21:24:00.001-06:00

When Liz and I got hit by a bike walking across the street in Dublin.
Making up songs about the most random things with Meg and Liz.
Going to Broadway shows three times a week, every week.
Crunch time with Alyssa and Meg.
Our farewell dinner at Beach Blanket Babylon.
Sticky Tofee Pudding from BBB.
Thursday dates with Harrods.
Giant Vanilla macaroons from Laduree.
Taking the nightly stroll down to the food and wine for our bag of revels.
Playing the revel game with Liz and Meg.
Late night chats in the Kitchen
Secretly making cookie dough (with bad brown sugar) and not sharing with the group.
Foggy morning runs in Hyde Park.
Literally getting shut in the tube's doors on the way home from Church.
Having to deal with Lindon, Hamilton, Mark, Earle and Louie every week at Church. I never knew I would miss them this much.
Movie nights in the classroom.
Skype dates with the family.
CORE sessions with Mike, Liz and Meg.
5 of us cramming in a taxi with all our luggage from Victoria station to 27 Palace Court.
Our first dinner...questionable soup.
Being so upset at myself the first night I got to London because I fell asleep during Les Mis. Jet Lag had really hit all of us hard.
The LONGEST walks of my life and being absolutely soaked from head to toe the whole time.
Discovering Nandos, Wagamamas and Pret.
The "grumpy hungry" moods and arguing when and where we will eat.
Computer parties on the landings.
Hiking the five sets of stairs multiple times throughout the day to get to my room.
Getting lost on Portobello Road at Portobello market.
Discovering hidden treasures in Covent Garden.
The Clapham Common Ward. The greatest people.
Listening to Talby ramble on about T.S. Eliot, Oscar Wilde, John Donne and the many others.
Beachy Head adventures.
Tesco!!!
Finding a long dark hair in our dinner one night and Liz being absolutely disgusted.
Being so mesmerized by the Egyptian exhibit at the British Museum. Oh and accidentally setting off an alarm in the Roman exhibit...Mike, your the only one who knows about that!
Primark
Small little friendly pubs on every corner.
The day I found out home stays were cancelled...I would have missed my family coming to visit.
Sandy Talbot saving the day. Everyday.
My 21st birthday breakfast with Liz at Laduree!
The awkward laundry room run ins with Joe and Melinda.
The HUGE MAC counter as you enter Harrods.
Dave and Terry Scheuler. They are the greatest live-ins!!
The Italian man that works the Gelato counter at Harrods. He always gave us free gelato!
Being able to talk to my good friend Joey Spafford on my birthday. What a great surprise.
The discovery of Hummingbird Bakery. Better than Magnolia Bakery!
Tea at Kensington Gardens at the Orangerie every couple weeks!
Staying in the ghetto hostel in Paris. What a memorable 5 days.
Walking right past a dead homeless man right outside our hostel in Paris.
Climbing the Eiffel Tower all the way to the top, over 900 stairs!
Kristen and I splitting a crepe and hot chocolate and her overflowing the hot chocolate and the french man yelling at us at Notre Dame. "Thank You, it was ready." in an angry french accent
The BEST dinner in Paris at a place called Tribeca.
Seeing Lady Leading Liberty at the Louvre.
Cimarron pants.
Seeing A Night at the Opera by Degas.
Spending a whole entire day in the Chunnel station.
"What are we going to do tonight?" "I don't know" "FREAKY FRIDAY!!"
The night we discovered Revels at Woman in Black.
Playing endless games of chess with James.
Seeing Ewan McGreggor star in Othello.
Kristen getting her new coat thrown up on at Othello!!!
Discovering Hatchards Bookstore. It's the oldest book shop in the world!
Wandering around the wonderful store of Fortnum and Mason. AMAZING!
"topping up"
Mike's Valentines poem to all 40 of us girls.
The most awkward FHE EVER! Especially my prayer, Mike's "love" squeeze to Curtis, and Liz's laughing.
Getting Annie Cobabe's package!!!
Walking across the foggy field at Runnymede to see where the Magna Carta was signed.
Wandering down the halls of Windsor Castle with Meg.
Betsy, Meg and I falling asleep in the warm sun on a bench just outside of Windsor.
The bonding bus ride with Alyssa! Oh Joe!
Decorating the kitchen for Valentines Day.
My long visits throughout the whole semester to see my Burberry sunglasses.
Meg and I getting our Tiffanys necklaces!!
Itsu frozen yogurt!
"Meet at the coat rack in five minutes."
Meg and I sprinting back to the hostel in Dublin at 4:30 in the morning because we forgot our "Viagra" (as we called it) Bus Tour tickets.
The Windy trip to the cliffs of Moohr.
Watching the parade of Scots wear their kilts and play their bagpipes.
Taking FREEZING cold showers for two weeks. Dumb water heater!
Selfridges!!!
Meg's purse getting stolen.
Running late to Phantom and having the tube break down and having to sprint so many blocks to the theater. Liz and I were so fast!
The "park" walk that Meg and I took. Thanks Meg!!!!!
Clovelly
Wicked and Billy Elliott with the Bennions and Family.
Watching Conference in the classroom with everyone!
"questions"
FINALLY--my big Harrods purchase.
The concert by candlelight at St Martins Church.
West Ham United game!!!
Mine and Alyssa's Sweaty Betty purchases!
Cambridge day trip!
The lemon incident..oops!
Burough Market!
Our last day out on the town. Such cute pictures!
BUCKINGHAM PALACE!
The day at Hamstead Heath!

Back to School...

2008-08-25T20:00:00.000-06:00

I am so sad to see summer end, but at the same time so excited to be back at school. I think part of the reason why I am so happy about it is because that means that fall is just around the corner. Today was my first day back at school and I am not going to lie, it felt good being back on campus. I really haven't had actual school since last fall. While I was in London, school was kind of a joke. It's nice to have a little more organization and an actual syllabus to go off of. I had two classes today, one three hours long and the other an hour and a half, long day I know, but I enjoyed both of them. This past week it has been hard to say bye to summer. I don't like knowing that I can't wear flip flops for too much longer, or knowing my days of going to the pool or going boating are limited. I have had a really good low key summer, which I am so grateful for. Here are some pics of the tale end of summer.

Waiting for the Wetzels to come boating with us.

Cute Erin and I boating at Echo. We need to do this again Peach!

Action shot at Dotties: Me wearing my shirt/dress from India, not sure what's going on. Richie concentrating on his next shot and smelling his golf club. My mom just smiling away as usual.

Meeting my London girls at the London Market on 7th!

My little brother Sam and I boating at Rockport.

Richie and I boating at Rockport.

2008 Beijing Olympics

2008-08-16T11:31:00.000-06:00

I don't know what it is about the Olympics this summer but I have loved watching them. I find it so fascinating no matter what I am watching. It has probably been a good thing for me because it has motivated me to get in shape. My favorite thing to watch is swimming. How amazing is Michael Phelps? I read an article on him and in the interview they asked him where he gets all of his strength and energy. He said that he eats on average 12,000 calories a day, which provides more than enough calories to burn. Can you believe that? Then he went on to add that he has trouble keeping weight on. I guess when you are as talented as he is you could eat whatever you wanted and not feel guilty. I also love watching girls gymnastics. It was so sweet to see Nastia Liukin win the gold medal, and Shawn Johnson taking the silver. Can you imagine winning an Olympic medal at their age? I am going to be so sad when the Olympics are over and can't wait to watch the winter olympics in Canada in a couple of years!

A little more..

2008-08-16T10:35:00.000-06:00

We were so lucky to have our grandparents there with us. What would we do with out J-Dub and Carol?

Colter Bay 2008!

2008-07-31T10:28:00.000-06:00

Sam and I getting ready to go boating on Jackson Lake.

My little brother Sam was so excited when my grandparents and I finally made it up to Colter Bay.

Spence and I just after he got out of the FREEZING cold water.
My cute little cousin Eliza and I watching the boys have tube wars.
Proof that I got up. Yes, I have a difficult time staying up on a wakeboard. I'm working on it though!

Summertime...more pics to come!

2008-07-25T17:37:00.000-06:00

Richie and I went to the John Mayer concert last Monday and had so much fun!

I was able to tend my darling little cousin Paislee a few weeks ago and we had so much fun together. She is the cutest ever. I love her so much.

A Great Reunion

2008-07-15T19:35:00.000-06:00

WELCOME HOME ELDER BECK!!!

The Posters...

So happy to see him!

My cute family welcoming Richie home.

Classic picture! This is an Indian outfit that Richie brought back for me. It took my mom a minute to realize who I was after I scared her. It was hilarious!

It was such a great day and so good to be able to spend some time with Richie. WELCOME BACK!

do the macaroooooon

2008-06-27T08:34:00.000-06:00

Here is a recipe for some of the BEST treats on earth. Those of you who will be in London or France in the next little bit let me know and I will tell you where to get thses nummy treats. Laduree is famous for making the world's best macaroon. http://www.laduree.fr/public_en/historique/histoire_macaron.htm

Ingredients
Makes about 30
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) sliced almonds, finely ground, or almond flour
All-purpose flour, for dipping
3 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 recipe Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Whisk in almonds; set aside. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats (such as Silpats), and mark circles using a 1 1/2-inch cutter dipped in flour.
Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until foamy, then beat in salt. Beat in granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until medium-soft peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Using a rubber spatula, fold half the almond mixture into the egg white mixture until just incorporated. Fold in vanilla and remaining almond mixture until just incorporated. Firmly tap bottom of bowl on counter to eliminate air pockets.
Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe mixture into marked circles on prepared baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until macaroons are slightly firm and can be gently lifted off parchment (bottoms will be dry), 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer macaroons on parchment to a wire rack; let cool completely.
Spread 2 teaspoons buttercream on flat sides of half the macaroons, then sandwich with remaining halves, keeping flat sides together. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes, before serving.

the best nights sleep

2008-06-16T23:56:00.000-06:00

The other night it was so slow at Sports Den that we started asking each other random questions and someone asked me where the best night of sleep I have ever had was. It was such a random question so it took me a minute to figure it out. I can't believe I didn't think of it right off the top of my head because it really was the best night of sleep I can ever remember. About a year ago from right now I was lucky enough to go stay at a friends beach house with my mom and a couple of other good family friends in Laguna. This beach house is so beautiful and charming and is literally right on the beach. It looked like a beach house out of an Anthropologie catalog. I fell in love immediately. My bedroom that I stayed in had two double beds in it. The beds were so cozy and soft that it was hard to get out of them once you were laying in them. We flew into Cali that night and so when we got to the beach house we stayed up and had a little girl talk and then got ready and went to bed. It was a little hot in our room so Sallee and I opened the windows. There was just the perfect breeze outside and you could smell the fresh ocean. The sound of the waves were just perfect. They weren't so loud that it was hard to fall asleep, they were just soft and perfect. We both instantly fell asleep and the next morning woke up pretty early but we were refreshed and ready to hit the beach, which was surprising...the girl talk lasted till the wee hours of the morning the night before. That is by far the best night of sleep I have ever had and also one of the most relaxing and fun trips.

A Windy Day in St James

2008-03-13T04:27:00.000-06:00

Meg and I decided that we wanted to go on a walk so we went from Covent Garden where Meg bought the cutest pair of shoes and then from there we walked to Big Ben and Westminster, from there we walked through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace, through Green Park, through Hyde Park and then back to the center. It was about a three hour walk in such windy weather. It was fun to window shop and look at all the EXPENSIVE things that I want. I wish the pound were half the dollar. That would make my dream come true.

all over london

2008-03-12T09:56:00.000-06:00

It was so much fun to have Vanessa here!!! I can't begin to express how good it felt to see a familiar face. We wanted to try and find the delta gamma house in london but we didn't have enough time while she was here. I might try and go find it on my own though. We also spent a day at the in Greenwich at the Prime Meridian. It was a gorgeous day and we had a lot of fun just walking around. I cannot believe how fast these past few months have gone by. I feel like I have been here for a month. I am so excited for my family and Bennions to come. It will be so good to see them.

Good Times

2008-02-27T03:03:00.000-07:00

"Don't be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is before you can meet again. And meeting again after a moment or a lifetime is certain for those who are friends."
- Richard Bach

Luck of the Irish

2008-02-27T02:44:00.000-07:00

Our weekend trip to Dublin this last weekend was so much fun. I don't think I have laughed so hard in such a short amount of days. Our hostel that we stayed in was so great. We were a little nervous that it was going to be sketch but it turned out to be perfect. Ireland has some of the best food EVER! The brown soda bread is amazing. On Friday we took a tour to the Cliffs of Mohr and to the Bunratty castle. I loved it! The people on our tour were a little crazy and somewhat scary but the tour itself was awesome. I loved Bunrattty. I think this has been my favorite castle so far. It was gorgeous. And yes they let you touch most everything so that is nice. It was such a fun trip. I am glad I went..

Red Velvet

2008-02-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

The red velvet cupcakes are from a bakery called hummingbird on portobello road. Let's just sat they were DIVINE. We will for sure be going back there, probably tomorrow. The other picture is of the crew out in front of Sacre Couer. That was our first day in Paris. The other pic is us at Laduree. The man in the background is the man who bought our macaroons for us. He for sure had some big bucksss. you should have seen his fat diamond ring. We were grateful we made friends with him. More people should be like him.

I see Paris, I see France

2008-02-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is our first night in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower. It was so beautiful because the sun was just setting. We climbed about 700 stairs just to get to the second level. The line to take the elevator was nearly an hour and a half wait and by the time we would get up top the sun would be gone. It was well worth the climb and it burned off a lot of those calories that I've been taking in every second.

Home Sweet Home

2008-02-03T17:56:00.000-07:00

Here is my room...my bed is the closest one with the blue towel and I am on the top bunk. It kind of sucks having to climb it every day and night but at the same time it is fun being up top. I'm mad that I don't really have a wall to lean against though, I guess I do but my shelf is in the way. Everyone else up top has a wall that they can sit up against. Oh well. Life's still great.

Sojie and the Chocolate Factory

2008-02-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

This is Meg and I at the chocolate bar inside of Harrods. First of all we discovered a chocolate bar that sold little truffle chocolates of every flavor you could imagine. The one with marzipan in it is the best. It was actually a whole room lined with a bar and then also little bars inside the room of pure chocolate and fudge. It was truly amazing. But after walking around Harrods which is close to the size of a small country, we discovered the real chocolate bar. They serve pure melted chocolate in small shot size glasses along with hot chocolate of many different flavors. It was great. We had to stop and get some hot chocolate, and I must say that it is some of the best hot chocolate that I have ever had, which says a lot because I'm pretty picky when it comes to hot chocolate. This place was also on Oprah and she said it usually has a pretty long line so when Meg and I happened upon it and saw no line we had to stop. It was another great day at Harrods.

The Beauty of Shows

2008-02-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

This is us snarfing down on some chocolate during the intermission of The Importance of being Earnest. The play was actually really good and really funny. It was easier to understand because I had read the play before hand by Oscar Wilde. It was a really fun night with the whole group. I can't complain when the professors buy us tickets to shows. There are so many more we still need to see. Next on the list is Wicked and Women in Black. I have heard great things about both of those so I'm really excited. I think we're also going to try to get tickets to Phantom and also Sound of Music soon too. I'm sad because we missed Marry Poppins, but that's okay because we got to see Lion King and Les Mis. As you can tell intermission is always fun too.

2008-01-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

This is Meg and I soaking wet. The second day we were here. It poured rain all day long. This was one of the days where we had to walk a ton so at one point we didn't even care how wet we were. I am so grateful that I got that arcteryx waterproof coat. It has been my lifesaver on the days it rains. It looks cold, but on the days it rains it's not that cold and then the days it's sunny there is quite a bitter chill. All in all it was well worth the walk in the rain.

First night in London

2008-01-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

This was our first night in London. We went and saw Les Miserables. It was such a good play but so so hard staying awake for all of it. I can't believe none of us hadn't slept in over 24 hours. It was good to get out on the town though after being on a plane for so long. It was also Betsy's (the girl next to me) birthday. After Les Mis we went out and got dessert at a nice restaurant.

Goodbyes

2008-01-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

I have the best friends and family in the world. There were so many goodbye parties thrown for me that I kind of felt like I was going to be gone for like ten years. Sports Den threw me a goodbye dinner at Porcupine Grill the Thursday before I left. I really do consider them my second family. It's crazy how close you get to your co-workers after four years. Then the next night my friends threw me a going away dinner at Rio. It was fun to see all of my friends come stop by. I loved it. Then on Sunday my family threw me a big goodbye/birthday party. It was good to have both grandparents there. The next few days after that I spent saying goodbye to close friends. It's weird now that I am here in London I feel like I haven't seen any of my friends for months. I have only been here two weeks though. I'm glad I was able to spend my last week in Salt Lake with so many people. It was a good goodbye week. I miss everyone so much though and I hope they are all doing well.