my birthday is in less than a month. i wish for a puppy.

**brief summary: i am no longer employed. it felt great to work, earn money, interact with people and be busy, but in the end it was NOT worth the pay, the time, the demands of the position, etc (lots of other cons, but like i said, brief summary...)

 since leaving that job, our home has returned to its lovely state of cleanliness and yummy smells. there is fresh produce in the refrigerator, dinner is being cooked and we have clean clothes.  in the month that i was working, things took a bit of a tumble around here.  jared has been fairly vocal about how much better life has been since i quit (aka- less tired, less grumpy, less high strung beckie).  

and it's not like we need the extra money. 

we only live in one of the countries most expensive zip codes, with a 9.5% sales tax, $5 a gallon gas, two older cars, and a billion other bills we kinda didn't realize we'd have...and...i like nice things... but who needs money. ok. we do. so yes, i am eagerly seeking a better fit for my employment and excited to help contribute more.

no job means i am back to an aimless and boring existence.  and worse- jared is out of town for an entire week on his annual "gentleman's pheasant hunt".  in his absence, i have reconnected with my former love/hate relationship with jillian.

i love this yoga dvd.  i have loved yoga for years and my dedication to the lifestyle has been spotty but i love how quickly my body gets back in the mode. this video is traditional yoga/pilates with cardio.  so yes, it is definitely a more westernized version of the practice, but it gets the job done and my spine is already feeling fluid again.

it is also a good idea that i incorporate a bit more exercise into my daily routine.  because i think that i am getting fat. this past weekend was one of the best since we have lived here and we ate a lot.  two of jared's old roommates and best friends, zac and shane, came to LA for a few days and it was everything we hoped it would be.  when i was dating jared, i was also somewhat dating his whole apartment. when those boys get together there is more joy amongst them than a pack of unicorns.  jared had been working SO hard to get everything in order at work, church and home before leaving on his hunting trip.  having the boys stay with us was another reward for his diligence.  friends in town is also a good time for us to explore more things in the city.  but we do have our favorites...where we take EVERYONE.  

(sorry, most of you are on my fbook or instagram too, so these pictures are repeats...)

there was 800 degrees pizza, diddy riese, hollywood, the temple, rodeo drive, celeb houses, croquet, the beach, and late nights of sharing giggles and feelings.

(i thought that was a cute outfit, until i saw this picture and realized i look like a 7 year old. and zac stole jared's glasses...his eyes aren't naturally more squinty than mine.  shane and zac matched on purpose.)

and when we go to the pier, we must get our bacon cheese dogs. grilled, buttery bun, fake cheddar cheese, a giant hotdog wrapped in bacon. AMAZING. how did i ever do that vegetarian life?  thanks to spud and katie for actually being the ones to introduce us to the glorious caloric monstrosity. 

we also had a little history lesson when we went and saw Argo.

ben affleck has yet to let me down as a movie director.  it was outstanding and from what i read, pretty accurate.  we had seen Looper a couple of weeks ago and i assumed that it would be my favorite film until the holidays (when les mis and great gatsby premiere!) but Argo is now on my list. i happen to love alan arkin and john goodman, especially together.  that duo combined with gritty historical controversy, a strong sense of patriotism and mr. affleck make for a completely enjoyable and justifiable reason to sit for 2 hours.

one of our last adventures was going to lunch at a russian restaurant in hollywood.  it was AUTHENTIC russian food.  luckily, jared was able to speak with impressive fluency. one reason that i liked him when we first met was that he wasn't one of those guys who was constantly referring to his mission.  he was so humble about the whole experience. he loved his mission, he served faithfully, and would love to go back, but he has never felt the need to broadcast it.  the food at this restaurant was amazing, jared was able to enjoy his some of his favorites, speak russian with ease, and teach all of us more about the culture and share some his experiences.

but all good things must come to an end.  within 36 hours, all three boys were gone.  and now i am home, watching way too many episodes of vampire diaries and laughing/crying my eyes out to this book:

which reminds me that i really need a dog. these "mr. husband outta town" days wouldn't be so bad if i had a puppy to run around and cuddle with. 

birthday weekend.

thank you to everyone that reached out to wish a happy birthday to me this weekend. it was a great birthday. here comes the sappy stuff.

i woke up to find little notes all over my bathroom mirror from j and then a bag full of all of my favorite snacks. including a nice big pack of these

i love these to go packs of peanut butter. i could just eat them with a spoon...but as that is generally found odd in public, i use crackers or apples. j was so sweet to think of all my favorite things.later at work we had a mini birthday treat time and they ordered the BEST pumpkin pie cake. it is soooo good. and then these beauts were delivered to me. i blushed, i giggled, i was awkward, i pretended like i get flowers all the time, secretly-i was elated.

i came home to a few more lovey presents and surprises and then we hit the road and went to a cabin in pine valley with j's family. sure we had to drive through an arctic blizzard and the crowds of ignorant drivers, but once we arrived in one piece (always say a prayer before you go on a road trip),  it was so much fun just hanging out, eating yummy meals, playing games, 4 wheeling, playing with the kiddos, and getting to know more of his family better. i was surprisingly comfortable around all of the strangers and was happily eased into the walker style family game nights. i have a feeling that thanksgiving and new year's will be very interesting...

unfortunately my phone had no service up there and so i didn't see any of my birthday messages until sunday night, but they were appreciate nonetheless.

but i also received a couple other perfect presents. 

i love working out with kettleballs. but i did not own one. so now i have one to add to our "workout center", also known as the family room. 

and then j, being the generous man that he is, surprised me with one more gift.

a brand new, hardbound copy of atlas shrugged. i am repeatedly referencing this book and telling him that he must partake of this gem.  but my first copy i turned into a wreath... the second copy has been lent out to a friend and appears to have gone the way of the earth (i am betting that when he realized it was over 1500 pages, he gave up on the idea and just never returned the book...stinker).  so this was the perfect present. i cannot wait to read it again. 

it was a good birthday. it was a great weekend. and mama and dad are coming this weekend to play some more and to meet j. luckily they have spoken before...but this is still...kinda...huge.

oh speaking of mama, she is also now on pinterest. and when i asked her what she would like for christmas- she replied with an email containing links to online stores with the wii games and accessories she would like....this would equal out to me having the coolest mama ever.

immediate sharing.

there is a particular boy in my life who knows me far too well, without even really knowing me. we have a beautiful friendship. and this is what he just shared with me via fbook and i have already read 4-5 times.

***please note: female readers do not just read drama filled, intense, fictitious novels.  thus the melodramatic side of the reader that Urquico describes, is not always present (e.g. "weeping at 2 AM"? i don't weep. i sigh and sniffle, and only occasionally).

Date A Girl Who Reads by Rosemarie Urquico

(In Response to Charles Warnke’s You Should Date An Illiterate Girl.)

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent.  Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

katie's birthday.

the original boys and girls got together for that pink haired girl's birthday. 

katie's husband so lovingly prepared an evening of bowling, games and sushi in celebration of her birth.

my run that morning and the upcoming timp hike (at 1 AM...yeah don't run 10 miles that morning...) was a little too much for me and so i sat out the bowling. but i would like to toot my own horn and announce that the one time that i did go in b's turn- i got a spare. hell yeah. don't worry, he thanked me. 

the roberts sisters, husbands and babies combined with beckie, carrie, brandon and spud- make for a pretty good birthday night dacia- we missed you more than you know. feel better and stop being married people busy all the time.).  we also made a quick stop to kk's favorite place,

as if she needs to get any sweeter. the place is downright adorable. it seems to be ut county's way of providing a dc cupcakes. not quite as good, but we'll take it.

oh and did you know that you can become a VIP member to happy sumo and get half off every friday and saturday night?? best/worst news ever. hello edmame and wasabi.

and being 25 only makes riding a carousal that much better. especially when your ride looks like maximus. 

it was so much fun to hang out with this group. there is always so much love and laughter in our moments together. i love my best friend, katie. we have celebrated many birthdays together now and i happily anticipate many more to come as we continue to add spouses and babies.

and... i am becoming more and more nested into my new apartment. sure the stacks of boxes are strewn everywhere... and with a lot of deep ujayii breathing, i am getting through it. our landlord agreed to have it professionally cleaned this week and my room is almost completely beckiefied.

and lookie what i did today.

1. used a coupon and price matching to get this bad boy for $8 (courtesy of katie's tactics and prompting)

2. built it all by myself.

3. only 2 screws leftover which i am SURE were just spares.

4. it is still standing.

5. it may be a plain, mass produced, particle board, bookshelf in a box, but i am still so proud.

i owe him.

for reasons unnecessary for sharing, i owe arthur a personal blog post. or 5. and i am not allowed to delete it. 

ladies and gentlemen, you all know him, sir arthur. he is my original literary buddy. the first night that we actually had together, i believe we stayed up until about 3 AM just talking about books. i was so captivated by our conversation, that i hardly noticed blake's thunderous snoring in the background. i was smitten. he has since become my book, foodie, yogi, climbing, cycling, movie, pool and whatever buddy.  his best friend once told me, and i quote,

 "beckie, you will never regret marrying arthur. he will be rich, we will own a private jet which you would have full access to and the man can wear the hell out of a suit."

never mess with a man and his iphone.

the other day we had a lovely afternoon discussing the ongoings of life and books. of course- books. i force fed him a copy of born to run and insisted that he would love it and must read it. this is one man that takes my book recommendations seriously.  

the next afternoon, message 1: "i just read the first 2 chapters. i am really tempted to cancel my date tonight."

few hours later, message 2: "only made it 100 pages, i'm tempted to not shower before so i can just read more."

one day later, message 3 "the book was sooooooo good"

me "you already finished?!??!!!?!!"

arthur " i would have finished it last might if it had not been for the date...i had to take a break yesterday to go on a 6 mile run followed by a half mile in my barefoot ted shoes."

i think that it was about this point when i threw my hands in the air and said "fine, i will stop fighting you. i will marry you...damn it."

what can i say, the poor guy needs a green card. i have since revoked my acceptance of marriage, but i will keep him for all other purposes. and ladies, he is still single if you are interested...
this is my favorite picture of us.

sometimes he makes me really mad. and he makes way too much eye contact for my comfort. and he can outclimb me and and kick my butt in scrabble. and he can knows how to win in our battles because he is so fully aware of my flakiness, my commitment issues, my pride, my stubbornness, my feminist attitude and my inability to sit still. i am definitely the underdog in this friendship.

but he has great political views (ok ok just the same as me), chris carrabba hair, the cutest nieces and nephews, a stellar mother, a questionable best friend, flawless style, an organic garden, cool friends, an addiction to chocolate, 2 bikes, a temple recommend, several aprons, bagillions of books, the sympathy of nancy (aka my mama who also is aware of aforementioned flaws that destroy men) an eco friendly car, a brain that just blows my mind, and he thinks that i am cool.

beckie "you got a new car? so green of you"

arthur "yep. i love it. i think that i will name her rita"

beckie "ah perfect. like lovely rita?"

arthur "i didn't even have to explain :)"

so there ya go, my little brazilian bff. i hereby promise to not delete this post.

revelation.

i am reading a book right now entitled, hearing the voice of the lord, authored by elder gerarld n. lund. i love reading books of a spiritual nature and expanding my knowledge and testimony of gospel principles. i generally only read books written by prophets. like i told my mama the other day, i have come to learn that "just because it is in deseret book, does not make it doctrine." she wholeheartedly agreed.

this book could not have been given to me at a more appropriate time in my life. it starts out with a quote from president kimball that says,

" the Almighty is with this people. we shall have all the revelation that we shall need if we will do our duty and keep the commandments of God...remember: if there be eyes to see, there will be visions to inspire. if there be ears to hear, there will be revelations to experience. if there be hearts which can understand, know this: that the exalting truths of Christ's gospel will no longer be hidden and mysterious and all earnest seekers may know God and his program."

president kimball's emphatic manner of delivering advice and counsel is unsurpassed to me. i love reading all of his talks and books. and i just love that quote. this book by elder lund is rather simplistic, but it is backed by biblical references and quotes from prophets of old and today. it is a beautiful outline of how we can have the hearts to understand and the ears to hear the revelations that the Lord has in store for each one of us.

there have been some things weighing heavily on my mind and heart for so long now. my amazing parents are well aware of this and they are always so careful in their addressing of these subjects with me. but luckily for me, they know how to listen to the Lord. and though we only briefly discussed the issue the other day, it was followed by a long heartfelt email full of love and wisdom to help me in my struggles and time of decision making.  i am so grateful to them and know that they are qualified to receive revelation on my behalf and that they are caring enough to tell me, no matter how sensitive the subject. 

later, i was able to go to the temple and spend some time there to more deeply ponder their advice and what the Lord would want me to do. sometimes it is just exhausting not knowing where to go in life. while in the temple i reflected on a lot of the counsel in this book, my patriarchal blessing and upon what my parents had shared with me. even though i have not sung the song "a child's prayer" in years, the lyrics came to me so clearly in their entirety and i was washed over with a comfort and love that only my Heavenly Father could provide. 

there are still so many uncertainties in my life and so many decisions that i have yet to make. but i am so happy  to know that i am blessed with such loving parents, caring friends, access to temples, and a strong, personal relationship with my Heavenly Father. all is well.
A Child's Prayer

Heavenly Father, are you really there?
and do you hear and answer every child's prayer. 
Some say that Heaven is far away, 
but i feel it close around me as i pray.

Heavenly Father, i remember now,
something that Jesus told Disciples long ago. 
Suffer the children to come to me, 
Father in prayer i'm coming now to thee.

Pray, He is there. 
Speak, He is listening. 
You are his child, 
his love now surrounds you.

He hears your prayer, 
He loves the children, 
of such is the Kingdom, 
the Kingdom of Heav'n.

so thrifty.

i drink herbal tea like it is going out of style. i  have a strong affinity for its taste and health benefits. it tastes good, is fairly inexpensive and practically no sugar. so i don't have to be constantly worried about my teeth rotting or drinking my daily calorie allowance. oh and the brand that i drink... organic, packaging made from recycled paper and wind power. and bonus- the tea bag tags all have a little bit of yogi wellness advice. excellent. i have been hunting for this:

for months. literally months. i wanted a mug, not a travel thermos (i hate stainless steel fingerprints and smudgeies) and one with a lid so that i could keep my tea bag in there (i like to let it seep forever to gain stronger flavor) and so i would not spill because i tend to walk around a lot with my mugs. there is a newer version that i just didn't like as much. but they don't make this mug anymore. i tried amazon, ebay, everything that i could think of. i guess that it is just that great because you cannot find it. JUST last night, literally, i was telling someone how frustrated i was because i just wanted this damn mug and was about to give up and just get the newer model anyway.

well what do you think that beckie found at DI today for $.75. that's right. the exact mug pictured above. i was so excited and hung onto it for dear life will i searched the books. seventy five cents! i could find that in my couch. the church is true. i am pretty sure that my tea tasted even better tonight. or my taste buds were just coated in elation. either way, i was really excited. and i am telling you, this mug is spectacular. perfect, cute, comfy (amazing handle with bumpy finger things) and mess proof.  it is going everywhere with me.

oh and i found a ton of books. including one that arthur had just finished reading. i called him while on my book hunt and said,

"i found the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. it is a dollar. should i get it?"

he replied "it is really good, you will love it. buy it. well unless you want to borrow mine...but i  know how much you love to own your own books..."

book shopping phone calls are normal for us. we aren't almost lovers for nothing, he knows me so well.

tarahumaras.

right now i am reading the book born to run. by christopher mcdougall.

it is so good. i am plowing through it but at the same time it is taking me forever (and by forever i mean more than 3 days) because i want to make sure that i read every word and soak in every ounce of adventure. i will keep my running shoes (the tarahumaras go barefoot or barefootish) but i want to be these people. or at least have their endurance. and some of their iskiate. don't worry, i already googled it and called world market. they have it.

i cannot stop reading it.  if you need me, i am curled up in a ball with a bag of blow pops, reading my eyes out. and my left leg is twitching because i really want to go out and run (or maybe it is the sugar from all the blow pops...). 

sunday crafts.

as previously blogged and noted by the people in my world...i love cardigans.

generally speaking one wears something underneath such an article of clothing.

i love embellished t's and tank tops. they make it a little bit less plain. but...why would i pay 50% more for a plain top just because it has ruffles or beading?

so today, i made my own.

plain shirts that i already owned and $2.40 worth of beads. i refuse to become a cat lady just because i live by myself and am bored out of my mind because the weather was too ugly for playing outside.

so i might as well get frugally crafty (and yes, i refuse to admit that blogging about nonsesnical moments in my life and cheap crafts is as equally pathetic as being a cat lady).

imagine what i could do with a sewing machine...i used to have a wonderful dinosaur of a Singer that my mama gave to me. it lasted a good 30 years, and a lot of really spectacular matching outfits for my sisters and me (oh boy...the blue polka dot phase), but a tumbling down a flight of concrete stairs was too much. rip.

but check out this one.

adorable. could be used with almost any skirt, jeans or chinos and every cardigan i own. but why pay $45 for it when i could just sew some ruffles on in 3 minutes? i need a new singer. and a life.

ohhhh but i did get a new book. joely left (surprise weekend visit? sure, why not. made my week), back to work in the morning and poopy weather ensues. i am holed up inside for the evening with my read.

so easy.

sure, they call me miss environmentalist. 

but for someone who would rather eat dinner off of the floor than to use styrofoam, you would be appalled at how many post it's, note cards, notebooks, legal pads (need i go on) that i use...daily. i just like to jot things down. but as i am aware of this gross habit, i have been making a conscious effort to minimize my paper usage/paper waste by being more organized (but i will never give up my post it notes....i am just praying that 3M goes green someday). Yes, this has resulted in my buying more notebooks, but i promise, it is all for the cause.

this is my most recent attempt (the vegetable theme felt appropriate and it was green).

  i have bagillions of magazine clippings, index cards, post it's, probably a napkin and some other stuff that have recipes on them. but this here, green lovely, will allow me to write all of my recipes in one place. ...with the recipe book, my planner, my notepads, reading material, snacks and a 13 tubes of chapstick- i do require rather large handbags.

i learned an amazing treat dessert. you bet your buttons it's in the book.

one bowl. one spoon. one tablespoon. one minute. fifty calories. awesome.

dessert delights

2 T   dry cake mix (any kind)

1 1/3 T water

*mix it all up.

*put something yummy in the middle.

*microwave 1 minute.

(i chose chocolate cake and vanilla pudding even though it looks like melted provolone on mud...but everything is better in an anthropologie bowl!)

* eat it all up!

satisfying, super fast AND you can burn that thing off in 3 minutes of running. that's less than one jay z song.

while in st. george...

so as i made quite clear in the last post- the weather was rather unfriendly to us during our trip to st. george this past weekend.  i had brought clothes, hopes and dreams conducive to outdoor activities (zions, tennis, golf, running, swimming, etc).  so when we arrived at what could have easily been mistaken for alaska (not really...but relatively speaking considering what i was hoping for...it was arctic), we had to adjust our plans accordingly.

one of the best things to do on a poopy weather day (or any day for that matter, but particularly icky ones):

i love to grab a drink from starbucks, a stack of magazines and books and just chill in b&n for a couple of hours.  i do not find the time to do this often, but when i do, it is a little piece of heaven. it is like a library but without all the germs and treats. i love books. always have, always will. kindles and these other reading devices are great, but i love my books. but i am also a bargain shopper. (DI, goodwill, and used bookstores rock my literary world!) i do not usually buy any books there unless they are in the discounted section. but check out this beauty that i came across in my special little cheap person section:

i love betty crocker. it was one of my biggest disappointments in life when i found out that she was not a real lady. but bc cookbooks cannot be beat when you are a cooking amateur like myself.

one of the BEST parts: at the end of every recipe it provides instruction for incorporating meat into your dish for the carnivores at your table.  isn't that fab?!

i am pretttty excited to make some Vegetarian Lasagna Primavera.

it isn't really all that healthy with all the carbs and creamy stuff...but it sure looks easy and yummy. we will see!

with the weather warming up, i need more carbs now right??? meh.

oh ps: back to books....look at the treasure that hillary found for me.

she knows me so well. gimme some snacks, a cupholder and blankie...i would never leave.

spring time.

yesterday was the first day of the spring equinox for 2011.  and what a better way to welcome the beloved season than with cold, windy, rainy, gloomy weather??  i was sorely disappointed in mother nature's timing. but nonetheless, spring has come. and the greener, sunnier and happier days are well on their way!

yesterday we celebrated with an "indoor spring picnic".  it was amazing. we had a table full of add ins for chef salads (luckily half of our dinner group is vegetarian), pasta salad, treats (including a huge jar of cadbury mini eggs of course), deviled eggs, summer drinks, etc.  

ignore justin, he was just really getting excited to eat.

it was a splendid afternoon being stuffed on fresh, healthy salads, sweets from friends and good company.

yesterday's fun was just what i needed because it was the end of my spring break and i was not going anywhere fun this year. i was going to be in denver with my sisters and the babies, but things did not pan out. however, i managed to stay plenty occupied. 

my roommates (nicki and aubrei) from snow college came down to provo and we went on a group date...it was the first time that the trifecta has been back together in years and the best part- we picked up right where we were before. that is how good friendships work.

 i just love those women. they have both taught me so much and have been part of some of the best memories of my life. they were the first girls that i really ever became friends with.  it was an absolute treat to spend time with them.

the rest of the weekend was spent watching basketball, reading freakonomics (loved this book. just finished it and about to being supernomics- thank you literary buddy, andrew), the relief society birthday party and being rather lazy. the relaxation was exquisite (when we weren't hollering or stunned to silence over march madness upsets). 

this week it is back to work and school, that whole responsibility thing.  i am still undecided as to what classes to take but i have a little time left to figure that out. as of right now it is looking like physiology will be my main focus for the semester. 

i wish that i could have gone home to be with my sisters. i miss them a lot. but i will get back there again soon. and they could always come visit me... so for now i am leaching love off of my friends and just happy as can be.

i am excited for the spring season to make herself manifest through some greenery and sunshine...canyon bike rides, runs, walks, picnics, climbing - here i come.

best weekend.

this past weekend was without a doubt, one of the best weekends that i have had this semester.

it began on thursday: kyle came!

we went to the quarry and climbed for hours. we got cool t shirts. we tried harder courses. we choked on chalk. we caught up on the last year of our lives. it was wonderful.  there is something so spectacular about the sport of climbing.  indoor will suffice for now, but i cannot wait to get out into nature and attack some real climbs this summer. 

after climbing we went to guru's for some late dinner (best veggie burrito in the world) and music by my friend john allred.  it was actually really good and the best- he ended singing hallelujah. one of the most tragic but breath taking songs ever.

kyle and i established our friendship over a decade ago. many adventures, letters, years, a couple financees, some crazy relationships, jobs, school, etc- we remain great friends. i am so glad that he came out to visit.  my life has been blessed by his kindness and friendship over the years and it is always great to actually see each other and just sit and laugh and talk like old times. 

 friday everyone was able to go snowboarding but i was stuck at work. boo.  though i find that on fridays, in anticipation for my weekend, i have extreme amounts of energy and i am ridiculously productive. so i was able to complete all of my tasks ahead of time and spent the rest of my time finishing:

my friend, andrew, brought this to me last week and i absolutely loved it. the writing, the information, the presentation, all of it- it was such an engaging read and truly enlightening. i highly recommend it. later that evening (after watching the byu game, of course), vale and i went to watch the "floating bagel bites" dominate their inner-tube water polo game.  it was intramural sports entertainment at its best.

saturday was the day that we actually really celebrated kenny king's birthday.  kenny is the king of my heart.

yes his legs are really that skinny but he does great at yoga...
few men on this earth can make me laugh like he can.  i cannot even begin to describe my love for kenny. he always a gentleman, a fun date, a good cuddler, a yoga buddy, a strong priesthood holder and great man all around. and just a little plug for his greatness-- one night we were playing pretty late and when i asked him to come play with me, he said that he had to study and would have to pass because "i love my future family too much to play right now". solid.
after dinner, we went and saw Tangled:

it was adorable. i had heard so many things about it, but just had not made the time to view it for myself.  i am so glad that he choose that movie because it was such a fun, happy movie and i left the theatre in a fit of giggles and smiles. ps: i love kenny.

today, sunday, was perfect. fast and testimony meeting was lovely, my sunday nap was rejuvenating and just in time to wake up for selection sunday. oh and i got a new book to read for the week which i am absolutely elated over.  then tonight was probably the most fun game night that we have had all year.  risk is my favorite board game, especially with kenny's apartment, they are just such a fun group of boys to play with (and they all give amazing amazing back rubs). it was a great precursor to this summer's upcoming evening activities. i have not laughed and played that hard in so long. i have such great friends.

now all i need is a mini van and 11 kids.

i feel so utah mormon mom right now... but i did it.  i made my wreath. i went straight to roberts and purchased my supplies.

* 10" foam wreath: $2.65

* 500 of those tiny pleating pins: $2.00

* extra copy of old book: free.

so about an hour and half, 50 needle pricks, 4 swear words and 10 black fingers later...wa la:

we have a vintagy window pane mirror above our love seat in the family room...it fit so well right there.

so it is not perfect. but it took less than 2 hours and $5??  it was kinda fun just listening to music and rolling paper (now i get the marijuana hype).  and i will admit, for my lack of crafting skills and patience, i am pretty pleased with it.

Atlas Shrugged can change your life and your decor. who knew.

mmmm so there ya go. crafty beckie.

easy peasy.

i know that i live in a little student condo, but that doesn't mean that it cannot be homey.  even if i don't spend a lot of time there, it is still home and you should always come home to someplace cozy and happy.

well i love wreaths. right now i only have 3. i have a very cute fall wreath that is covered in acorns and gourds and leaves. love it.  i also have a christmas and an easter one.  boo.  they are not even that cute.

so... thanks to craft blogs and no more 3 hour chemistry class, i have decided to make one. these are my choices:

but not in black. i would like to welcome spring!

and i for sure want to make this one for my family room. 

i have a really really old copy atlas shrugged that is falling apart (don't worry, i have a newer copy for keeps).  so it would be perfect. i love books, wreaths and cheap, easy to make crafts.  maybe this will be my next sunday craft night.

bloggy blog.

So it has been a little minute since I have shared anything with the blogging world. You know that point when so much time has passed that even a simple task seems like a completely overwhelming undertaking (love how those two words can work together)? 

(Eg: when I have not written in my journal for a time, I feel like there is so much to write that I should just abandon ship all together... or another example....there is a guy that I have ran next to at the gym for over two years. We exchange hellos everyday and small talk- but have I ever posed the basic quandary of what his name is??? nope. And now it just seems silly.)

Well here it goes:

Books: 

it is raw and not for everyone. but i loved it.


• Hunger Games Series. Good and bad.
  
• The Glass Castle. Stellar.
• Ron Paul's The Revolution.  Enlightening.
• A couple church books, the entire Book of Mormon, the Cycling magazine that my friend has subscribed me to, a few hippie books (being a vegetarian midwife will take a lot of educating).

Men:

i am going to miss my joely so much. but no fear, he will be back in january (hooray for T and Lauren getting married!!) for a visit and then to Reno i go in feb. I only cry a little when I walk by his empty parking space.

• I have the best guy friends in the world.
• Am I getting married to any of them in particular?  That is still to be determined.

Dates have been fun.  Winter provides a lot of fun outdoor opportunities to get to know people.  Take a look at this sexy man...(he was only slightly excited about the resorts opening)

yep. that's blakey and he is adorable and keeping Sully alive while I am home for Christmas....at least he better be.

Family:

driving to CO.

baby aves sleepin like a doll. a squishy doll.

Nastia...truly enjoying that Wyoming scenery...

sleeping like a rock and dreaming of john mayer.

• I am home! My family is spectacular. I have finally spent some time with the babies, my sisters and my fantastic parental units. We have a fun, busy, snowy week ahead of us. 
• Plus, welcome our little Russian, Nastia!  Utah got the best of her and she has gone blonde... luckily you can always dye it back. But she is a gem.
• Speaking of parents: They are going to FIJI for their mission in January!  Fijian Christmas 2011? Sure.

Um and tid bits:

• My birthday was amazing. seriously one of the best ever. We literally sold out Pantruca's. Much to their delight of course. They are so good to me. The whole day was just fabulous. I received some stellar presents too. The best: my coloring books and my hour and a half long full body massage. bliss.
• Thanksgiving with the Murphy's was more than I could ever ask for. Let's face it, I am a pseudo murphy and we all know it.

so...at both my christmas and birthay party the male to female ratio was about 6:1. Like I said...awesome guy friends. still lacking on the female end. But making progress!

White elephant was extremely successful.

• Our christmas party was a total bash. Cops came and everything. seriously. it happened. 

bit of a flour explosion when baking 6 dozen sugar cookies for the party.

some of the party guests' artwork.

• Basketball is in full swing, work is steady, school is out for another couple weeks, and I love it.

I am just so happy.