all smiles

day 26: a picture of something that means a lot to you

this man. but more specifically:
his passion for everything that he loves.
his love for the gospel.
his desire to be his very best.
his smile. it lets me know that everything is good. everything is going to work out, if it hasn't already.
it lets me know he loves me, and that will never change. and he's happy. that is what is important to me. that he is happy. i looooove this man so much. i live to see that smile each day!


day 27: a picture of you and a family member


how about a picture of me with each family member? i don't know if i can find them all, but we'll try.

 my favorite picture ever of kelli and i. we're so hilarious. this picture is ironic, because we never got along when we were younger. this was probably a very rare moment, but i love her. and she's one of my best friends now!

 took this summer 2010 when we went on a family bike ride by the lake one day for fun -- we look alike in this picture, which is weird because we definitely do NOT look alike. she's hilarious though.

this is from a couple years ago, you can tell because kyle is at least a foot taller now. much bigger, and looks a lot older too. we beat the rest of the family out to the car after church and found dad's camera in the truck console and took about 20 pictures like this, haha we're hilarious. he's the best little brother ever. squishes all the spiders for his sisters, just like he's told, haha :)

 we have "campfire tunes" whenever we go camping -- all of dad's classics. usually trisha yearwood, steve perry, dire straits, sade... you name it. and when i was little, i would dance with daddy around the campsite. he taught me how to 2-step! love this picture so much.

obviously, i don't remember this -- i'm probably right around 1 year old... but my mother is beautiful and amazing. i hope i'm just like her one day. she's the best mom i could ever ask for!

# # # # # # # # # #

new job is going great.

i really do love it. i sit in a cubicle with a headset on and make reservations for people to come to seminars about internet marketing all day. something most people would hate. but it's just what i needed! it's the total opposite from BBW, and it's a good balance that i have between the two. i love talking to all these different people on the phone -- it's funny to hear them describe things and ask questions -- most of them are nice in the funniest way, and the rude people are just as entertaining! i've accidentally hung up on a couple people... but i'm still learning. never been on this whole double-lined thing before. it's definitely something i'll need to get used to. i think the mistakes i make are funny, like forgetting to flip my mic back down when i answer the phone, or thinking they said something totally different -- it's hard to understand people through the phone!

a lot of times i have to say things like "will you repeat that back to me one more time using words with the letters like "umbrella" for "u"?" and they come up with THE FUNNIEST words. such as "p as in polygamy, u as in unicorn, x as in excommunicated, m as in mandolin"... i get it all. i've actually had to mute my mic to laugh out loud once or twice!

i only know one other person that works my same shift, her name is emily, and on my first day, i y-jacked with her, which just means i listened in on her calls so i could learn. she's probably one of the nicest people in the world. i haven't really had time to make friends yet -- i'm always on the phone! it'll take some getting used to, but i do love it.

also... there are a lot of times when it's really slow. we are free to browse the internet and text and whatnot.. but you know what i've found myself so caught up in?! reading the sports articles on msn and ksl! i've read jimmer's brother's blog -- so entertaining. and i've read all about the jazz and how president obama thinks jimmer's the best player in the nation -- because he absolutely is...

i texted devin and told him that, and said "what have you done to me?!?!" his response? "he he he" that sly dog... haha it's okay i got him back...

we spent the night at bed bath and beyond, lowe's, target and kohl's.

at bed bath and beyond, we looked at bedding and shower curtains -- didn't really like their selection.

at lowe's, we picked a color for our bedroom walls -- 3 walls white, 1 wall a muted, light yellow that's absolutely perfect.

at target, we found the bedding we want. it's PERFECT. and i can't wait to get it -- i hope it's still there when we're ready to buy it! it's yellow, and just... exactly what we wanted.

i have been raving about target bath towels to devin for months and months, so i finally showed him and he was totally not impressed! i was shocked! they are AMAZING and only $5! and huge! i love them. so we went to kohl's to compare them to Apt. 9 towels, which are equally soft i think, but cost more. so i think i win.

also... i have this obsession lately. with throw pillows. i want them all. i'm seeing a ton i love for our bed, and more for the couch -- even though the couch comes with a TON of pillows, i want more! it doesn't have back cushions, so the pillows are pretty crucial. my self-designated mission is to find bigger, cuter pillows that will act more as a cushion, then these little throw pillows. we'll probably end up with like 50. i don't know what's come over me.

the last couple days -- since sunday, really. i have been so... relaxed! even with starting the new job, and continuing all the wedding plans -- i've just felt good. i've slowed down on the planning, because i definitely have time --  and i've been more logical about things. also, i've been way more focused on the spiritual side of marriage lately, ever since we started our temple prep class on sunday. i think that's what made the difference. thinking about going to the temple with devin, and getting sealed for time and all eternity just makes me happy. nothing about the temple aspect of our wedding day stresses me out -- so it's good that i've chosen to focus on this lately! devin has been a huge, huge help the past couple days too. i don't know if he's doing it on purpose or not, but when he initiates a conversation, it's either about what's going on right now, or about the aftermath: the apartment, or other future kind of stuff. it's never about the wedding plans. also, he's been such a spiritual rock for me lately.

i will admit that i do not know the doctrine as well as i would like, and not only does he not hold that against me, but he seems excited to teach me and challenge me and help me learn more. he is so knowledgeable about it, and is so enthusiastic about the gospel. i love it! it excites me and makes me anxious to study and learn more. we haven't studied together yet this week -- but hopefully before sunday! i hope that we can at least make it a goal to study together once a week. i think that will make a huge difference.

mmm... i love him. he makes everything so much more fun (yeah, you're welcome dev. i said more fun instead of funner. you. are. welcome. just for you... :)...) and relaxed. he knows just how to slow down the million mile-per-hour train of thoughts in my head, and just helps me to better live. rather than plan. it's such a blessing to have him! when i'm with him, i'm all smiles.

tomorrow is work, of course. and then when i get off, i have plans to do laundry and work on my guest book! making it myself... well, the pages for it. we bought a really cool book, so i will be scrapbooking for awhile, which only makes me excited.