Last Week

This little girl turned 2. She is my 11th niece/nephew. And I remember that because she was born on 11-11. Except sometimes I'm not a very good aunt and I forget even though that is so easy to remember! So, I know this little post doesn't make up for not calling little Ailee Anne on her birthday, but maybe one day she'll be able to read this and know that I love her so so much.

I love Ailee Anne because she is just the cutest bundle of joy. I love her little raspy laugh and the way she says "uh-huh" when you ask her a question. I love her little waddle and that she calls me Ie Ling when I talk to her on the phone.

She can instantly bring a smile to my face. Thank you Ailee Anne, for being a source of happiness for me. I love you! Happy 2nd Birthday!

I went on a Picnic

with Blake this week. When Ie Li was in town a couple weeks ago, I babysat baby Mi Na at her in-laws' house and noticed that the park across the street had the most beautiful autumn trees. So, ever since then I've wanted to go back. 

Well, we made it happen this week. Blake packed some really funny and cute food:

Menu: PB & J on blueberry bagels, Keebler peanut butter crackers, baby apples,  oatmeal cream pies,  a cosmic brownie, and some milk. (I added some banana muffins to the mix.)

We ate and talked while the sunset.

Then we made our way to the swings, because I LOVE SWINGS. (Sad side note: This swing has disappeared. I hope someone will put it back. I miss it a lot.) It got dark and cold pretty quick so we made our way back toward home where I continued my night at institute. Then Blake and I reunited at the library. There's nothing quite as awesome as the Harold B. Lee Library. 

There's nothing better than picnics, autumn leaves, parks, swings, and the Harold B. Lee library especially when you get to experience all of them on the same day.

Thank you, Blake, for a wonderful evening at the park.

The Best Halloween Ever

When I was a senior in high school I decided to run cross country to stay in shape for soccer. I've never LOVED running, but I do LOVE the feeling that I get after I do run. My sister, Ie Li, was never a runner, but has recently taken it up in the last few years. And my sister, Ie Mei, trained for and completed her first triathlon. How cool are my sisters?! So, I would say that they've been a great inspiration to me and because of their examples, I decided that I wanted to set a similar goal and accomplish it. So, this summer when I was in Virginia, I researched some half-marathons in Utah and found one that gave me sufficient time for training. 

I remember I was supposed to start training on August 9. Why do I remember that? Because that was the day I got my wisdom teeth pulled. I wasn't feeling that bad and even attempted to go, but then my mom scolded me and said that if my body was trying to heal from running that my mouth wouldn't heal. So, because I decided to take my mom's advice and rest that week, I was already a week behind. 

I started training in September in Provo, but hesitated to sign up for the race because I wasn't sure I could really do it. I decided that if I made it through my 8-mile run, I'd sign up. So one Saturday, I woke up and ran 8 miles. When I got home, I signed up for the Halloween Half-Marathon. 

Well, this past weekend, I completed my first half-marathon. I'm not sure I have the words to really express how amazing it was. Friday night I filled up on pasta and was in bed by 10:30. Saturday morning I was up at 5:50 and put on all my running gear and made my way to University Mall to catch the bus up to Aspen Grove. I talked with a girl my age and her two twin cousins that were running. The two cousins were 13. I was so impressed with them. I can't even imagine running 4 miles at that age. 

It was pretty chilly up at the start, but they had a heated tent to keep us warm. We all lined up at the start and then the gun shot went off. I thought to myself, "this is it, i'm really doing this." I put my headphones in and started my run with my awesome "run, girl" playlist and clutched my hand warmers tight as I started my way down the hill. 

It was perfect weather for running and the scenery was beautiful. Most of the time we ran along the Provo River with beautiful autumn trees covering us. I was grateful for the water stations along the way. I think most of all I was grateful for people along the route cheering everyone on. Even though we didn't know each other, it gave me the happiest feeling and kept my legs moving. I am grateful for the little kids who gave me high-fives. It's amazing what the slap of the hand can do when you're running. 

I remember when I passed the Mile 7 sign. I wasn't sure if that meant that I was beginning my seventh mile or I had just finished the seventh mile, so somehow I just decided that it meant that I was starting my seventh mile. I got to Mile 12 thinking I had two more miles to go and was then pleasantly surprised when I got to Mile 13 and realized that I could easily sprint to the end. 

So, with the finish line in sight, I kicked up my legs and crossed the finish line. It was the most amazing feeling. But even greater than the feeling of completing the race, was that of seeing my wonderful friends at the finish line. I'm not sure why, but as soon as I saw them, I started crying. Happy tears, of course. I'm so grateful for wonderful friends who support me in what I do. Thank you, Kylie, Cassie, Jordan, Ben, and Britton. You're the best!

(I was interviewed for and quoted in the Monday, November 1, 2010, edition of the Daily Universe)

My final time was around 2:04 and it was a great day. I was prepared for the race, but definitely not prepared for the soreness after. I'm pretty sure I walked like a grandma for the two days following, but it was all worth it. And a little shoutout to my mom. Thank you for all the lessons you've taught me my whole life, especially:

If there's a will, there's a way.

You can do anything you set your mind to. 

They're true. 

October 16

October 16 is the birthday of two very special people in my life:

1. My dear sister, Ie Mei and

2. My oldest nephew, Jackson.

I think it's so special that my sister had her first child on her birthday. What could be better than that?

Yesterday was their birthday and I just want to say a few things about them.

Ie Mei is one of the kindest people I know. She is so helpful to everyone and has been such a role model to me growing up. I vaguely remember having sleepovers with her in her college dorm when I was four. I remember all the summers I spent with her, watching her cook and sew and thinking that she was the best mom and wife ever and how I wanted to be just like her when I grew up. Well, I'm pretty grown up these days and I still want to be like her. She teaches me so much still and I love her a lot. Happy Birthday, Overflowing Joy, I love you!

And then there's Jackson Jay. Yesterday he turned eleven. ELEVEN!!!!!! I can't believe it. I've spent a lot of time with Jackson Jay. I remember his Elmo phase and his BYU football phase. I remember the first summer I spent with them in Logan and on the car ride back to their house he pointed to the star-shaped decals on my nails and said the word, "dars" (stars). I remember how happy I was when he called me "aunt" for the first time. Jackson, I love being your aunt and love being a part of your life. Happy Birthday. 

OH CANADA

I was doing so well for a while there, but it's now been almost 3 weeks since my last post. I know I have lots of disappointed readers. Ha. Anyway, reasons why I've been busy: school, church, work (yeah! I have a job! That is not the reason for this post, so I'll write about that later), and wedding festivities!

So, a little more than a year ago I was about to start my sophomore year and knew zero Canadians. A year later and I have Canadians as best friends. So, this post is for my dear friend, Cassie (MacLennan) Tremblay. She got engaged in July and I couldn't wait to be a part of planning and shopping. She threw the most lovely bridal shower for our friend, Jennica, so I wanted to do the same for her.

Two weeks ago, Jennica, Kylie, and I threw a bridal shower for Cassie. The food consisted of cake balls, spinach artichoke dip, fruit and dip, and a beautiful punch.

The rest of the evening consisted of games, prizes, presents, and laughs and smiles with friends. 

It was so much fun to put together and I hope Cassie enjoyed it =). 

The next week, Kylie, Payton, and I started our drive to Alberta, Canada at 4 PM on a Thursday. We arrived at 3 AM and boy, was it good to be out of the car. The next day, Kylie and I spent the morning hunting with our friend Ben.

 I must say I'm extremely bad at hunting because 

1. I can't hit anything and

2. it breaks my heart to see lifeless animals. 

After hunting, I ran some errands with Cassie and Ben and then we went over to Kylie's house for family dinner. 

Then it was time for the girls to spend some time together and do some girly things. I painted a total of 82 nails that night, but it was the least I could do for Cassie. 

I also did her makeup for her big day. I think it turned out well. She is stunning, isn't she?

We made our way to the Cardston temple and waited for Mr. and Mrs. Ben Tremblay to exit. 

We took lots of pictures. 

This is the bridal party.

We went to the family dinner and reception. 

I caught the boquet. 

We danced. 

We said goodbye to the happy couple as they ran through our tunnel of sparklers.  

The festivities were fun and beautiful, but seeing them walk out of the temple was the best part. I can't wait to find that special someone who will take me to the temple so we can be married for time and all eternity. 

Peculiar

On Saturday I went to the BYU v. Nevada football game. Sad outcome, but luckily there was something else to keep me entertained. I sat and watched a girl eat a pretzel in amazement. It was the oddest thing. She tore her whole pretzel into really small pieces.

And then one by one she took a tiny piece and drenched it in cheese.

She finished all the cheese and still had half a bag of crumbs. It was very strange, but I guess there really is no wrong way to eat a pretzel.

Remember when...

you used to take a lunch box to school? Oh wait, I still do. 

So, I'm trying to save money by making my lunch everyday. I usually just put my sandwich in my backpack with some fruit, but one day I decided I wanted to bring a banana. It pained me to think of a bruised banana for lunch. I remembered this cute little box that I received at my first year of girls' camp that would keep my banana safe from black spots. That was two weeks ago and since then it has been my constant companion at school. 

Everything fits perfectly. The only thing I'm missing is a juice box.

I get a lot of compliments on it. It's a good conversation starter. Everyone should have one.

He who must not be named

Meet Voldemort:

My friend Blake came to visit our apartment yesterday. I opened the door to this little creature around his neck. It didn't scare me except for the fact that I wasn't expecting a snake around his neck. Cassie, on the other hand, was not as amused. You can hear some of her squeals in the background. She can be a little dramatic, but I love her. 

Provo-licious

I feel so behind in blogging. It's been more than a week. Highlights:

The Rooftop Concert

Attendees: Michael, Kylie, Kent, Brittany, Nicole, Andreas, ME!

Seriously, the coolest concert ever. Cute and quaint. Beautiful music, beautiful lanterns, beautiful friends. I'm looking forward to the next concert on October 1. The Lower Lights is performing. I just bought the album online today. It's ridiculously good and it's perfect for Sundays. 

The State Fair

They have some crazy fun rides there. I went with my friend Ezra and afterwards we ate the most delicious cookies at the Gateway mall. Everyone seriously needs to try these. 

Visits from General authorities

Yeah, how cool is that? I got to hear all five of these wonderful men speak in the past week. Elder Holland, Elder Packer, and Elder Scott last Sunday, Elder Hales on Tuesday, and John Groberg tonight. I know I talk about how much I love BYU a lot, but it's hard not to when I'm constantly reminded. This really is the best university on earth. 

And as promised, pictures of my new room. 

I'm wanting to buy a pink pillow to break up all the blues and greens, but it might have to wait a little bit. As for the rest of my apartment, I'll put pictures up someday, just not today. 

Chocolate Cake

Tonight I went to Magleby's Fresh for dessert to celebrate Miss Cara Kylie MacLennan's birthday. We did this same thing almost exactly one year ago. It's crazy how fast time flies. 

So, the reason Kylie likes to go to Magleby's is because they have a delicious chocolate cake:

For those of you who don't know me that well, I LOVE CHOCOLATE. It's a weakness of mine. So, obviously I'm not going to eat a piece of delicious, decadent chocolate cake every evening, but today was a special occasion and I decided earlier today that I was going to eat chocolate cake tonight and love every bit of it. 

There were 11 girls that showed up for this dessert outing. After exchanging hellos Kylie said, "Hey, so does everyone want to get some cake and then we can all sit down and catch up?" I thought to myself, "yes, that sounds great, I've been waiting for cake all day." Guess how many girls ate cake tonight. Four. It was just a little bit ridiculous. For some reason I felt like I should feel guilty about eating this cake. Maybe it was because the girls sitting next to me were glaring at me as I ate every bite, just wishing that they were eating some too.

They kept saying things like, "Oh that looks sooo good, but I can't," or "I can't, I had a doughnut this morning." It was like they needed everyone to know that they were watching their figures. Pretty much, I felt like I was watching this video (skip to 1:21 if you're short on time, but the whole thing is quite hilarious):

My thoughts at the end of the night: Magleby's chocolate cake is still delicious and girls can be ridiculous sometimes. 

Swingin'

Last year I lived a block away from this cute little corner swing and sometimes I would go there and swing while talking on the phone or just embrace the gorgeous weather. There is something about warm, sunny evenings that make me want to sit on that swing and stay there forever.

So, since this was the case today, that is what I did. I moved just a couple blocks away, so I went on a walk to the lovely swing and talked to Jonathan while I swung. I'm sad there aren't too many more warm, sunny evenings, but hopefully I can return to the corner swing a few more times before it gets too cold.

Visit me in Provo, and you can also enjoy this =)

My home away from home.

So, like I said I'm back in Provo. There's always a first for everything. I drove all the way back to Provo, by myself, for the first time. That's a long drive, but I will say that it can be quite lovely at times.

I may or may not have taken this while driving...

I'm finally all moved into my new apartment. It took a few days because as soon as I moved in everything I had, I had to find places for all the stuff that I stored at various places. I will post pictures soon.

So, my first week back included a birthday picnic for my dear friend, Liz. It was fun enjoying the beautiful weather and old friends.

I was also able to have dinner with my newly married friends, Jared and Mindy. I offered to make a dessert and I think it turned out well. I made a skor bar cake. It tastes as good as it looks.

Another first: I made my own whipped cream. 

I am LOVING my classes and am so excited to be back in school. School is a wonderful thing and I hope I never forget that. 

An evening in South Pasadena

Well, I'm back in Provo now and it's really great. I'm loving my classes and my new apartment and I'm really excited for this semester. I really love Provo, but California has some great things to it also. Like the farmer's market:

Jonathan and I purposefully left for Provo Friday morning so we could go to the South Pasadena farmer's market on Thursday evening. I love the farmer's market. It's not very big at all, but it is just filled with so much happiness. 

Jonathan and I bought some pupusas which are El Salvadorian. They're delicious. We took them to go and Mom, Dad, Jonathan, and I ate them comfortably at home. California, I will miss you, but for now I'm happy to be moved into a new apartment and enjoying school and friends in Provo. 

Virginia is for Lovers: Take Two

Well, remember how I just raved about Virginia? Well, I missed it so much that I just had to go back. I didn't record my experience nearly as well the second time around, but, I'll try and make up for some lost time and write a good summary of my trip.

I arrived in Baltimore, MD on Wednesday night. Steve was nice enough to stay at his office late and pick me up in Maryland. As we drove, we passed the Washington D.C. temple and it is indeed a beautiful sight to behold. 

Thursday we woke up and got the kids ready to go on some errands. After going to the flooring store, Mei Li had a little tantrum. Ie Li documented it and it's quite funny. You should take a look. 

That night I got a call from my friend Preston Redd informing me that he had returned to Virginia from his adventures in New York. He picked me up and showed me some of his old stomping grounds in Ashburn from his younger years. We then headed to his lovely home in Great Falls and played with his family. We were able to squeeze in a game of pool and a movie. We watched The Ghost Writer with everyone which was somewhat entertaining, but overall, not my favorite movie. 

On Friday we spent some time at the pool with the kiddos. It's sad to think that summer is coming to an end and that I don't have many more pool days left. After a little while Barrett came to pick me up so we could head out to Purcellville for a fun get together. All the Redd boys came over and we enjoyed some burgers, hot dogs, pound cake with strawberries, s'mores and togetherness. 

On Saturday we spent the day in the city. Our first stop was the temple. I watched the three little ones while Ie Li and Steve went inside. We entertained ourselves at the wonderful visitors' center and with snacks.

Ie Li and Steve were out before long and then it was time for lunch. We headed to We, The Pizza and Good Stuff Eatery which are two restaurants owned by a guy named Spike Mendelsohn. He was a contestant on Top Chef at one point in time. I never saw him on that show, but this is what I've read using one of my favorite tools, Google. Anyway, I ate this:

And it was delicious. It could've used a little more BBQ sauce though. If you're ever in D.C., I'd check it out. 

We attempted to get some cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake, but 

decided against it. 

Sunday was beautiful and we spent the morning at church. After church I took a little nap while everyone else went on a walk. When they got back, Stephen and I had a little webcam photo shoot. 

 

Monday was my last full day in Virginia, but we made it a good one. 

 

IKEA was an adventure. After we bought the stuff we came for, we realized that there wasn't quite enough room inside the car. So, we managed to tie some string around this box in every way possible and just hoped that it would stay on the car. I never did learn much about knots, but the box made it home in one piece, and that's all that matters. 

So, after our failed attempt at Georgetwon Cupcake on Saturday, I looked it up on Google and found out that there was a store in Bethesda, MD which isn't too far from IKEA. So, we headed over there and were delighted to find a very calm Georgetown Cupcake. We decided to take our cupcakes to go and ended up at Wolf Trap National Park. It really is lovely there.

 

 I'm a sucker for wide, open fields of grass. 

 

It was the perfect ending to my second Virginia adventure.

I said goodbye to Barrett one more time. This really is this last time I'll see him before he's a missionary. I don't think I have time for another trip to Virginia before school starts. So, after this second trip to Virginia, I still love it and hope to visit many more times, if I don't end up permanently. Virginia, I will miss you.

So HOLLYWOOD

Remember when some of my friends were on tv? You  know, BYU's Noteworthy?



Well, yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the taping of The Sing Off: Season Two. Cassie and I got dressed up to "go to the club" (Those were the instructions for how we were to dress), and made our way to the Sony Entertainment Lot in Culver City. We waited for quite some time before we were seated in the audience, but it was well worth the wait.

The groups that performed were really amazing and I can't wait to see it air on TV. I was really impressed. I really only enjoyed the parts when the groups were performing. The judges really liked to hear themselves talk and they dragged on for quite some time. But it was still kind of cool to see the celebrities. That's a little secret of mine: I get really star struck. It's really dumb, because I expect to feel some sort of aura emanating from them and then I walk one foot behind them to go to the bathroom and then I realize that they're normal people, just like the rest of us.

So yeah, I walked behind Ben Folds, Nicole Sherzinger, and Shawn Stockman. And I got to see a lot of Nick Lachey. Nicole waved to me because I pretended to be a really excited fan and yelled her name. We got home really late, but it was really fun to be with Cassie, Cody, Jonathan, and President Crabb for the taping. It should be airing sometime in December I think, so keep an eye out for me on TV.

One last note: Loved watching all the new groups, but I will forever and always be the biggest fan of Noteworthy.

Tomorrow is always Fresh

I made Saturday more productive than the previous days.

I had breakfast with a best friend. We made French toast together.

I started reading a book.

We recently cleaned out our basement and a lot of boxes have been sitting on our driveway begging to be looked through. This job fell to Jonathan and me. We've been working on it for the past couple days and today as we neared the end, I was ready to call the rest of it junk and leave it in the dumpster. But, something in me kept saying, "But...What if there's something special in there?" So, I diligently looked through everything and found some real gems. 

I found some really great pictures of when I was little. This may not seem too amazing for some, but I'm the last of six children and it takes some digging to find pictures of myself. Because I'm extremely lazy, I haven't scanned any, but one day I will. Anyway, it was cool because I found a family portrait that I'd never seen before from when I was about one and a half or so and I thought to myself, "Oh, so that's what I looked like." I guess I don't have a very good idea of what I looked like as a baby and that's why I loved the pictures so much.

But, even greater than the pictures I found are love letters from my dad to my mom. They're from 1973, when they were only engaged. Some are from when my dad was doing an audit in Venezuela. It is so touching to read words like, "I worry about you a lot. Are you getting enough sleep?" 

I think I love his closing paragraphs most and I just want to document some of them in case I don't see these again for a while:

"I wish only to have you near me. Until that dream comes true. I remain your distant fiancée."

"Sweetheart, you have really soured my bachelor life, nothing seems to go as well without you now. You made life so much more, there is no comparison to what it was before. Remember that  I love you still and more each passing day."

"Amy, you deserve the very choicest blessings the Lord can bestow. I know sometimes that you get tired and frustrated with school. Remember that the Lord is there and cares.

There is also a guy that is thinking about you too. I don't want to divulge his full name but his first name is Howard."

I could probably type up something from every single letter that I love, but I'll do that in my journal or something. I love reading how much my dad cares about my mom and seeing glimpses of his testimony. I know that one day I'll find a guy who loves me so much and loves the Lord even more and that we can be together for ETERNITY.