Pudding, anyone?

I went on a date this weekend.

I met this guy, who shall remain nameless, a few months ago through a mutual friend. We went to dinner (along with three other couples) and then went to our friend's house to play games and finger paint with pudding. When I found out we were finger painting (with pudding!!!!!!), I tried to keep an open mind. (Everyone knows if you have a bad attitude from the get-go, it's not going to be very enjoyable.) We played Catch Phrase while the pudding was chilling.

Then it all began.

Everyone started painting on their own pieces of paper, except us. He had the brilliant idea of sharing a piece of paper and doing it together. Romantic, right? After a few swirls and hand prints on the paper, I was about done. (It wasn't as fun as I remember it being in Kindergarten.) Just then, he said, "I think this would look better.....HERE!" slap! There was pistachio pudding all over my face; he then went for the vanilla. Really? REALLY?! I was shocked. I got him back with chocolate pudding, and after a few minutes of this "food fight" (and too much touching), I was ready to leave. We played another couple rounds of Catch Phrase and then I let him know I was ready to go home (since I was covered in pudding).

This was our first, and last, date.

I will never agree to fingerpainting again.

Lessons Learned

The last few weeks have been rough, to say the least. This time of the semester is always difficult. It feels like every class adds an extra assignment (or two) at the last minute, and all my tests are scheduled for the same day. I have been rather unhappy with my job, I am easily irritated, I've been grumpy and short with people that I care about most, and who do the most for me. Needless to say, I have not been a very pleasant person the last few weeks.

Two weeks ago, I got a phone call from my dad telling me his brother, Kent, was in the hospital in Las Vegas. It seemed pretty serious and no one sounded very hopeful. Thankfully, a few of us girls heading to Vegas for the long weekend. We drove down late Thursday night and headed to the hospital Friday morning, where we met my dad in the ICU waiting room. They were just finishing up a procedure on Kent while we waited. The nurse then came in and told us he was gone. It felt so unreal-I think we all sat there for a minute in disbelief. I will never forget the way I felt that morning. I am so grateful that I was able to be there to comfort and support my dad. Having my friends there meant so much to me, and I know my dad appreciated their support, as well.

Life isn't perfect, and I know I'm not going to be happy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And that's ok. We are supposed to struggle and have trials-the way we respond is up to us. We're in charge of our own happiness. I, although it's been tough, am grateful for these obstacles in my life. I know that the Lord will never give me more than I can handle. It's easy to forget that promise when you feel you're at your lowest low. It's so easy to get discouraged and I feel like I am easily tempted during these times. I can't blame my bad attitude on unfortunate circumstances, or other people. There will always be something unexpected that doesn't go according to plan. Just when life feels close to perfect, I am sweetly reminded that I'm here to learn a thing or two.

Ready to Run.

I'm ready for this to be healed 100%:

I'm ready to spend my days doing this:

I'm ready to make more of this:

I'm ready for another night like this:

I wouldn't mind a week (paid vacation) somewhere like this:

I'm ready for warm weather, night games, shorts & sandals, softball, the lake, roadtrips, no school, concerts, volleyball, BBQ's...gosh darn it, I'm ready for summer!

Love, True Love.

Happy Valentine's Day, folks!

I don't particularly love or hate this day of the year. Some people call it "Single's Awareness Day" and like to focus on the fact that they're alone. Although it is nice to have the person you care about show you a little extra love on this special day, Valentine's Day doesn't make me feel bad that I don't have a boyfriend. To me, today is a day to be happy and thankful for the people, and things, you do have in your life.

Even though I won't be getting one of these today:

I will be getting one of these:

Now that's what I call true love. You never let me down, Chipotle.

Thank you, to the kind guest who gave me a very generous tip this morning, for dinner :)

Blog Buffet

You get a little bit of everything in this post.

I struggle. These last few weeks (especially at work) I have been incredibly irritable. I have had a lot on my mind, and I bottle it all up until I can't hold it in any longer.

I am grateful for opportunities to grow. Although I absolutely hate feeling weak, or not capable of completing something, I am thankful for little opportunities I have to become stronger and learn about myself. There are a few experiences in my life that have made me who I am today. We all face difficult challenges and, even though they're not the same for every person, we can relate in one way or another. (I struggle with A, you struggle with B. In the end, we both struggle.)

The challenges will never stop. When I was five it was staying inside the lines while coloring. Or learning how to share. And maybe I still struggle with those, but there are a few more things I'm dealing with, too. I'm grateful for learning experiences-I don't always enjoy the experience, but the important thing is the lesson learned.

---

On to the next piece of business. This cute girl:

I had such a fun weekend in Colorado! Great food, a lot of laughter, a baby blessing, and quality time spent with family and friends. I can't think of a much better weekend. Nothing compares to time spent with that sweet little baby.

My mom made her blessing dress. The picture doesn't show the beautiful detail on the dress. My mom is so talented, and patient. Our family friend, Sheila, made the bonnet to match. Shelby looked beautiful on her blessing day.

---

Girls night. I am so excited. There's nothing like spending an evening with 14 of your closest girl friends! :) There are a couple girls who are out of the state, or out of the country, that I wish could be there. No boys. Just food (and lots of it), dancing, movies, and girl time. There's never a dull moment with this group of fine ladies. It'll be refreshing. Nights like this are definitely needed-especially when the majority of our time together is spent with the boys. (Not that we don't love the boys, but we need our girl time.) I'm excited to get to know some of these girls a little better. You'll hear all about it later.

I'm pretty sure the majority of the people that read my blog will be there. So you'll already know all about it.

Tomorrow!

By this time tomorrow, I will be landing in Denver with Caitlin. We're going to visit my family for the weekend, and my niece will be blessed on Sunday. I can hardly wait to see this little munchkin.

Tomorrow she will be 8 weeks old--I can't believe it. My mom said she's starting to be more alert and interested in her surroundings. AND she smiles when you talk to her! I have missed her, and I'm so excited to spend the weekend with her.

Work or Play?

Today might be the best day of work I've ever had.

Why?

Because we're playing this and eating Mexican food.

Perfection.

Just because I only have one and a half working feet doesn't mean I'll be sitting out today. No way, Jose.