my favorite things about march

#1. these lovelies here and the beautiful place that showcases them every year. i LOVE the dallas arboretum - we're going today and i can't wait.
#2. it's officially spring
#3. late afternoon bike rides on our cruiser bikes
#4. taking Bear to the park for extended playtime. i know she's a dog, but i've never seen anyone smile so big
#5. eating on patios (i have yet to do this one...there's still time)
#6. general conference weekend coming up! love hearing a prophets voice every 6 months with seemingly personalized messages (how do they always know?!)
#7. spppprrrinnng break. so amazing
#8. laying out (yeah, we do that in texas ya'll. it's ahmazin)
#9. did i mention ncaa? whoops, cause that's exciting too. go cards! (sorry, i would say cougars but we're already out :( )
#10. more fresh fruit
#11. a greater likelyhood i'll be in the mood for salads. yum
#12. longer evenings (such a difference in having the sun stay up longer)
#13. renewed energy to work hard at the gym
#14. saturday morning temple dates with my sweetie, then ohmygosh delicious breadwinners brunch afterwards
#15 and #16 and most important of ALL - happy birthday AND anniversary to my wonderful parents!! they truly are two of the best people you'll ever meet, kind, giving, honest, smart, beautiful, etc...etc... my best friends who are always there when i need them.

i love march!

fiinne...

i'll do this tagged thing :) Thanks Shan for the invite. So I'd also like to disclose I've never done this tagging thing but we will see how it goes...





1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you've tagged them.





11 Random Things:



1. I count stairs every time I walk up them. Sometimes I think it's to concentrate on them so I don't trip and fall.


2. Sleeping under the covers of our bed is never permitted with regular clothes on (example: naps) or swimwear. Only pj's work for me.


3. Speaking of sleeping, only my head can touch my pillow. Heaven help you if you accidently put your feet on it.


4. I LOVE making lists. Oftentimes I will put things on my list for the sole satisfaction of crossing them off.


5. I still refuse to see Lord of the Rings.


6. Laying out is one of my favorite past-times. Sometimes I don't even get in the pool. It's just soo relaxing. Give me a towel, swimsuit, book and Sonic strawberry limeade and I'm good.


7. I prefer soymilk to regular milk. But only the Silk kind (vanilla, almond and coconut flavors only). As a rule though, I don't really like milk in general.


8. I am addicted to chips and salsa. I can never stop!


9. When comparing how much things cost or if I actually want to do them (ie: go to the dentist and getting necessary work done on my teeth), I always ask if I would rather go to London with the money. Yes, yes I would. The answer is always London. Sometimes this helps me decide if I should buy/do the activity in question. (I almost didn't get my teeth fixed!) Mostly it just makes me miss London.


10. 3 of my toes are the same size. Strange.


11. On average I read 3-4 books a month. and I LOVE it.

Shannon's Questions:

1. What is your dream vacation?

i don't mean to sound like a brat, but i think i've already done it. ever since i fell in love with london, i always meant to go back and travel europe. i told myself that i would HAVE to see italy and spain before i die (i figured that would give me a large window to accomplish my goal). and i've done it. honestly, that month trip that anson gave me for christmas was the best present and most dream vacation i could ever ask for. i really can't think of anything better. i'm one very lucky girl.

2. If money weren't an issue, and you could do anything you wanted for one day, what would it be?

buy a time machine (because there would never be enough time to do this in 1 day) and travel/live around the world. i would be fine though with skipping antarctica or anywhere that cold.


3. Would you rather live in Spain or France? Why?

oh so many choices. honestly i don't know. i love both. i would almost say france because 1) no one has better architecture, style, food, a prettier language, etc... 2) i love the history of the place 3) amazing museums, gardens, palaces/castles. i really love the beautiful grime of paris and the pristine countryside. the only thing that deters me is the weather - much colder than spain. and spain has a beach. which we all know in my opinion, those 2 are very important. so...i'm torn.

4. Who is your favorite Disney Princess? Why?

My favorite Disney princess is definitely Belle. In a way, I felt like we were kindred spirits. She loved to read, I loved to read. Sometimes boys made fun of her for it, sometimes boys made fun of me for it. She had a special relationship with her father, so do I. Also, the music in that movie is fantastic and who can't help but love her kind heart when she looks past the outward appearance and shows unabashed love for the beast. Beauty and the Beast also happens to be the play Anson and I saw on our very first date. Adorable.


5. Would you rather spend the day at the beach or in the mountains?

Always the beach. I love mountains but I LOVE the sun, ocean, sand, warmth, etc... Give me a beach anyday.


6. What is one of your favorite quotes?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world" - Ghandi

7. What is a chore you absolutely hate doing?

Cleaning the shower. Ugghhh... And with that being said, please don't come to my house and look at our shower.


8. What is your favorite day of the week? Why?

Friday - I always anticipate this day the most because you know only good things are coming ahead (good things meaning sleeping in, Zumba, lazy Sundays, the sacrament, going out, going out to eat and not making dinners, etc...)


9. If you were reincarnated as an animal, what animal would you be? Why?

a cheetah. i've had a fascination with them since i was little. they are graceful, in-charge, unique, top of the food chain, sleek and fast.


10. If you could be any character in any book, who would you be? Why?

I would be Atticus from To Kill a Mockingbird. This has always been my favorite book and I think Atticus epitomizes the best part of each of us. He is still reasonable enough to understand that some things may never change, but he embodies the 'die trying' kind of attitude. He has no qualms with standing up to injustice even if it means endangering himself, his career, his way of life.


11. If you could witness any event, past, present, or future, what would it be? Why?

Right now, I would like to revisit my wedding. that day was such an amazing/beautiful/special/anxious/exciting/bestdayofmylife day. i think it would be so fun to do it all again and remember all the feelings associated with it. and i'd probably ask a re-do on my reception to subtract the sick parts. yes, i'd definitely do that.

Questions for you
1. What is one item of clothing you hope no one ever sees?
2. If you were only able to keep 3 books, what would you keep and why?
3. Favorite movie of ALL TIME?
4. Where would you travel if given an unlimited budget? Why?
5. What is your least favorite chore? Why?
6. Where is your favorite place to be?
7. Dog or cat?
8. What is your dream job?
9. Sweet or salty?
10. What is your favorite season? Why?
11. If you could meet anyone (dead or alive), who would it be and why? What would you do?

Tagged: Elizabeth Leavitt, Moe Bankhead (i doubt you'll do this before you get married), Michelle Johnson, Lisa Day

super tuesday

today is super tuesday...a very much anticipated day in our household. i know, i know, we are nerds. but i can honestly say i have enjoyed our involvement. we have watched almost every debate. we've stayed up to see final results of state elections. we (or at least i) continually check the news to see who the everchanging front-runner is. we are dedicated republicans. this election we are MITT ROMNEY republicans.

as we've watched the debates and seen countless displays of genuine and not-so genuine (some of these people are SUCH politicians) love of america, it always makes me realize how lucky we are to live in a free country. so many things that i take for granted each day are freedoms that others will never enjoy. i am grateful that we CAN speak out for things we disagree with. that we CAN elect a new president every 4 years. that we CAN (somewhat) choose who those presidential candidates will be. that we CAN have things like occupy dallas even if they are a lazy mans search for even more undeserving welfare (not to mention COMPLETELY ridiculous). there really is no end to the word CAN in america.

when i studied in england, i remember how much i missed aspects of america. i always thought it was so weird to feel that way especially since england is mostly a replica of america. when thanksgiving came and we had an american celebration inside st pauls cathedral, i remember how proud i was to be an american and sing the star spangled banner. though life in london was hardly different from america, the small missing freedoms made a marked difference. i love london and will go back anytime i get the chance, but america will always be my home. i am also grateful for parents who have instilled this love of country in me. though we do not always agree (this happens a lot), i appreciate their involvement in politics and it has inspired me to do the same. i'm very happy though, that we agree this time on mitt romney and can have friendly safe conversations about the upcoming election

so here's to mitt. though you've been through many up's and down's lately, i hope today you WIN

what do spring training and 2 best friends have in common??

PHEONIX! I am so excited because in a mere 4 days (over Spring Break) i will be leaving for Phenoix AZ to see 2 of my best friends. I have known Elizabeth since i was 10 and Shannon since i was 16. conveniently they live in the same city (ish) and are even friends themselves so when i visit, we can all hang out. i am also excited because i have yet to meet elizabeth's now 1 year old boy Jonas and i think as the honorary aunt, that is a crime. if only we lived closer!! coincidentally it is pre-season baseball (aka spring training) in the pheonix area so we will have our pick of baseball games. but you all know who we will be cheering for....

WE ARE SO EXCITED!

some days

some days just suck. like losing your classroom keys only to realize you locked them INSIDE the room and now you'll have to get an administrator to open the room (and then they'll realize you are slightly tardy). OR like the fact that i got a speeding ticket (reason for said tardiness) for going 6 miles over the speed limit. 6 MILES! fyi, apparently 5 is the max this cop would allow he (told me) and my measly 1 over that was too much.

guess you got to draw the line somewhere, right? and truth be told, i was guilty. on all accounts. i 100% admit it. luckily i can always defer the ticket, drive EXTRA SAFE/SLOW through Irving and never have it go on my record. also i can stop getting tickets (this is my first) so i won't be late. don't know if i can remember better for the keys but we can only hope :)

in other news, i'm not tutoring OR teaching piano today so i'm happy to have the afternoon off! i think i'll take bear on an extra long walk in this warm weather we're having...

i love LOVE and valentines day

valentines day was pretty awesome this year and here are the reasons why.......

it started with these lovelies found on my classroom desk. the pumpkin spice steamer that i'm obsessed with was still steaming :)

the flowers that he brought grew into these.....

my old comforter/quilt that i made and was destroyed by Bear (exploded purple pen) was replaced by this BEAUTIFUL comforter i have admired for 2+ years now.....


we went to my favorite spot for dinner (thanks baby!)


and finished the night with this albeit sad, but cute sappy movie.

anson is way too good for me.

things i love lately

i always make fun of anson for having so many little obessessions. for example, he HAS to eat breakfast everyday even if it's a bowl of cereal before a piece of pizza for lunch. there is no exception to this rule. he wants a coke, even if it costs $5 a pop in Europe and we have to look all over for it. he gets obSESSED with restaurants and will go daily if given the chance. even though i make fun of him for it, secretly i find it absolutely ENDEARING and a small part of the reason i love him so much.

until now, i never thought i had any of these little obsessions (looking back, i'm sure i do, i just never take the time to notice them), but this weekend i noticed them in a big way. like when i bought 4 enormous containers of walmart's last bit of stephen's hot chocolate. best late friday night purchase ever!! so i LOVE hot chocolate and recently discovered stephen's 'pumpkin spice' hot chocolate (delish. thanks momma!) i was almost out and felt severely depressed. how will i wake up every morning?! the other week i spotted this very same, Utah-branded hot chocolate at my own TX Walmart. HURRAY! i bought a few but felt a little crazy buying the bulk. but i thought about it for days. then anson and i dropped by walmart real quick on friday for a late night redbox ('life as we know it' is ssuppppppeerrrr long, especially when husband comments on the length quite frequently) and i begged to check on the hot chocolate. still there - only 4 left - and i bought them all! now our pantry looks ridiculous with my stash but i couldn't be happier.


second obessession of the weekend is muddy buddies. oohhhh my. a friend of ours used to make these in double and triple recipes weekly and i think i realized my love for them then. time hasn't faded it yet. i made 2 batches in a span of 4 days (i didn't eat them ALL thank you very much!) but i did enjoy quite a bit.

i also did lots of zumba which is a new and more healthy obsession. i even ordered the XBox kinect game (for FREE courtesy of my Chase rewards points)! while i don't feel it's the best exercise out there (i still do my own cardio) it is SO FUN! and you can't beat the 40 yr old asian male who goes all out for our classes. love it.

so there you go, i might be a little obsessed too.