Life changing!

Step one: Insert crock pot liner 

Step two: Put ingredients in the liner

Step Three: Enjoy dinner!

Step four: Empty food contents

Step five: Tie the liner and throw away

(note that I did not empty the contents... That's because I tried to make chicken noodle soup, but I put the egg noodles in at the beginning.  They essentially turned to mush.  Nasty mush.  It was bad.  So I threw it out.)

Step six: quickly wipe out the crock pot and enjoy an easy clean up.

This is for McKenzie

and for Brad my brother, and

to those who haven't given up on me as a blogger.  Thank you!

I am having trouble putting writing between the pictures, so let me just give a brief overview of what I have been up to.  I successfully completed my first year of teaching (hooray!),  I got to have a summer vacation that was paid, I went to my parents' cabin, went to Disneyland, stayed on the beach for family reunion #1, spent a few days in the mountains with the young women in my ward, got my license suspended, spent the 4th of July in Manti Utah for family reunion #2, bought my very own atlas, wore a flower pin that one of my students made for me, fell in love with chocolate soy milk that's individually packaged, went to the Landmark resturant for my birthday (1st time there and I loved it!),  went to the Manti temple, played in the last-day-of-school-teachers-versus-6th-graders-softball-game, packed up everything in my classroom so I could move rooms, hung out with my family, slept in almost every day of this summer, went to my cabin again for family reunion #3, and an gearing up for family reunion #4.  We are also buying a house! 

Here's what I have been up to lately.

The Happiest Place on Earth!

My little sister Annie turned 12 on Wednesday. She's never been to Disneyland, so that was her birthday present. It was just going to be her and my mom, but last minute I snuck my way in on the action! (The one perk of not being employed is that you can abandon your life for a few days and that's totally okay).

We had SO MUCH FUN! Annie loved every second, and it was so fun to watch her so thoroughly enjoy it :o)

Here was my FAVORITE part of the trip. We were on splash mountain: Annie in the front, my mom second, and me third. We were having a blast when we came to the drop at the end. Right as we started going over the edge my mom looks at the drop. In a terribly frightened and alarmed voice she says, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Each work got louder and more frighted. Annie and I could.not.stop.laughing!



It's a Small World.


I let Annie drive... bad news!


Yeah, I could totally be Zerg.


Annie and Alice are supposedly the same age...


A classic first time picture :o)


I think I'd have that look on my face too if there was a robot attack!



Big Thunder Mountain! I love that ride!!!


We're that strong! Well, Annie is... I just look helpless.


We walked my mom into the round. She had to take a little power nap!

Happy birthday Annie!!!! I am so luck to have you as a sister. I love you! Thanks for the great memories!

MIA!

I know this picture isn't my best, but it's all I could find.

Why is my tongue so reddish orange? Because I was just finishing my 12th Popsicle; but that's beside the point. This post isn't about my tongue, the time I ate 12 Popsicles, or my random trip to California with people I barely knew... This is about something dear to me that's gone missing.

Do you see the sweater in the picture?
I loved that thing.
No, I didn't always wear the hood like that [in fact, I think that may have been one of the only times I did.]


Look at the bottom right corner. Look how long that sleeve is!
Some of you may think that's no big deal... But here's the thing: I'm 74 inches tall.
Do you know how hard it is to find long sleeves when you're that tall?!
[you probably don't know unless you're close to that enormous height...]


Anyways, that sweater was incredible.
I think that sweater was crafted just for me.
And now, it's gone.
Gone, gone, gone.


When I was young and I would lose something my mom would always ask,
"Where's the last place you remember seeing _____."
So I did that. I asked myself that question.
And you know the last place I saw that glorious sweater?
On my honeymoon.

...gone...
And my life will never be the same.

Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String

I've heard it said many a times that a grateful person is a happy person. Well, I fell like I need a little more cheer right now, so I pulled out a journal from a few years ago that contains my "Favorite Things" list. I thought I's share and hopefully brighten your day a little too :o)

long jeans

road trips

hot chocolate

warm spots on the carpet from the sunshine
popsicles
ferris wheels
going on adventures
crispy corn dogs
cool pool on a summer day
my husband
my family
listening to music
Christmas lights (and anything Christmas for that matter)
going for long drives
the smell of rain
the sound of rain on a tin roof
my cabin
snow angels
China
skydiving
Chinese children
trying new things
stepping on CRUNCHY leaves
the smell of drywall mud
the beach
driving fast
comfy pajamas
breakfast in bed
Italian
the piano
rocking chairs
twinkle lights
good, solid friendships
the Grinch
soft blankets
smell of cedar wood
ant farms
firm toothbrushes
warm, heavy quilts
big, soft towels
traveling
Mexican food
mistletoe
being crafty
scrapbooking
scarves (scarfs?)
teaching
glasses
success
new dollar bills
super green grass
barbecues
soft carpet
pine trees
hair
flip-flops
purses
trampolines
computers (esp Gregron)
letters
clouds
cartoon movies (esp Disney)
pillows
books
Tetris
scriptures
bikes
wood floors
air conditioning
seeing my breath on a cold morning
tulips
daffodils
textures
fireworks
'pitter patter'
rice cakes
cuddling

What about you? What are some of your favorite things?

Copy Cat

Yes, I am a copy cat. Lauren does this thing on her blog where she posts "Things Lauren is Happy About".

This post is:
Things Lindsey is Happy About!
(Thanks Lauren)

1) I'm a college graduate!

I graduated Summa Cum Laude from ASU! I now hold a bachelors degree. I also got my teaching certificate last week, so I am a real teacher now. It feels G.R.E.A.T. for anyone who is now in school, hang in there.

This picture made possible by my brother Brad.

On the way to graduation. That face is because I am NOT looking forward to putting on the ugly hat.

With Tanner, the ugly hat, and my empty diploma case (they mail the REAL diploma later).

Seriously though, those graduation caps are attrocious! I mean we're graduating from college--this has required a good amount of time, energy, work and money--doesn't that deserve better?! I mean they should give us the cutest hat ever invented, not that ugly piece of junk. I don't think anyone looks good in those (well, except Afton at high school graduation)

Camille, thanks for being my graduation buddy and sitting next to me!

Thanks family for being so supportive and making the sacrifices to be there (especially you Brandon!). And thanks for dinner at Chevy's afterwards.

2) My little brother Connie (his real name is Austin) got his mission call!

He's going to Omaha, Nebraska and leaves July 1st.

This is just me, my sis-in-law, and my nephew Brig. Love him.

3) Lisa, one of my former roomates, got married!!!

This is the old roomies at the cheesecake factory after her bachelorette party.

Here she is at her reception. She was beautiful! And VERY skinny! I think my bones alone make me fatter than that!

4) My brother is cute and took Brig on a lawnmower wide. I love this picture.

5) Tanner and I made collages!


Here's the one I made for Tanner. My favorite part=the picture of bottles of mayonaise. He told me that just seeing the pictures of the mayo made him feel gross. Haha.

Here's the one he made for me. It's really funny. My favorite part='recycling: rest in peace'.
That's funny because it's true. I really don't recycle. I'm the opposite of green (what does that make me? Red? And I'm totally fine with that).

6) my birthday is this Thursday. And guess what the universe decided to give me... The season premier to So You Think You Can Dance!!!!!!! Thank you universe!


7) There's a new addition to our family! Any guesses as to what it might be? I'll give you a hint: it's NOT a baby/child/fetus/anythinglikethat.

...Lately...

Just a little hodgepodge of what's been on my mind.

1) I passed the AEPA! That's the big, long, awful test you have to pass to teach in the state of Arizona. I found out last night that I passes both sections I took! Horray!

2) I found this incredible picture on my Gregron (my Computer)! Yes, these were to help show which bathroom was which.


3) I made this purse. I'm loving it!


And yes, I did donate blood. I save lives.

4) I have been sleeping alone at night. No, Tanner and I did not get in a fight. Tanner has been working nights (10 to 6) staying over at a friend's grandparent's house helping the grandpa who is up most of the night. I just try to get to bed before he leaves and I wake up just as he's getting home--that way it almost feels like he's never even gone. I don't like being all alone at night. Someone could break in and kill me (or worse) and I'd have no one to hear my screams...

5)Tanner and I went to dinner at Famous Daves. It's always like pulling teeth to get him to take a picture...

I REALLY wanted to get a picture of us with the Famous Daves pig, but Tanner put his foot down there. We volunteered to take the picture but for my life he wouldn't be IN the picture with me. Sad.

6) I cut my friend Rhonda's hair. Here's the before:


And after:

7) I'll be a college graduate in 2 1/2 weeks!

End