what a fine frenzy

kelly clarkface

2012-01-19T17:22:00.002-07:00

if you know me, you probably already know i've been a kelly clarkson fan since her idol days (hello, middle school!) and her music video for Stronger does not disappoint. i love the chorus. The guys in suits is my favorite.

unable to get up off our knees

2012-01-19T16:34:00.001-07:00

"I strongly suspect that if we saw all the difference even the tiniest of our prayers make,

and all the people those little prayers were destined to affect,

and all the consequences of those prayers down through the centuries,

we would be so paralyzed with awe at the power of prayer

that we would be unable to get up off our knees for the rest of our lives."

~Peter Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy, Boston College

new years eve

2012-01-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

i know. If there was an award for slack-blogging i'd probably take the gold.

but, it means i've been doing a lot of REALLY fun things. So, that's sayin' something.

Christmas=amazing.
New Years=so fun.
and everyday in between was just top notch. more on that later.

i had to share this. i know, i'm like 10 days late but i've fallen in love with these two and secretly hope they fall in love and have the world's cutest kids (no, eleanora never cuter than you!)

i'll be back soon with a real update, post, pictures, etc!!

don’t go too crazy… there’s more pictures now.

2011-12-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

I’m home for Christmas Break and let’s be honest: I probably won’t blog much at all.
So, enjoy this pictures of the ever darling, Eleanora while I’m away partying.

Enjoy!

Remember how I said she has mastered the stank face? I wasn’t kidding.

animal print & purple? I just die!

look at those two cuties!! ow ow!

good morning, beautiful.

Stank face, yet again.

Oh I just want to gobble her up!

Her face CRACKS me up in this one. It’s like “really, dad?”

and for good measure.. just to mix things up a bit, ya know?
The Grand Tetons over thanksgiving. mmm GORGEOUS, I tell ya!

baby update

2011-12-15T17:59:00.001-07:00

so, I’ve been apprehensive to post pictures of our little E, but apparently people like that! :]
so, here’s some more pictures. and her stats of yesterday:

at 7 weeks old:

21.75” long
(that’s the 50th percentile for those of you that care)

10 pounds 11 ounces
(75th percentile… I love my chunky baby!)

and 15.4” head
(85th percentile… she’s beautiful AND smart!)

I know, right. she looks like the doll you had when you were ten that you saved up for and ordered out of a magazine.
Or got for Christmas. But the good news is: this doll’s arms won’t pop off! and she snuggles so much more!

someday when Christopher and her fall in love we’ll show this picture at their wedding.
This is Dave (who is one of Levi’s accounting buddies) and Lesley’s son.. Little E and him are quite the pals.

Even though she looks disgusted in this picture (she’s perfected her stank face)… she’s a total daddy’s girl.

She loves her owl hat so much she even made an owl “who who!” face for the picture!

the only part about her bath she doesn’t like is when the water gets cold and when we take her out.
Ladies and gents: we have a water baby on our hands!

and you can kind of see it in these last two pictures… but it would appear that we have a little ginger on our hands.
…er, maybe on her head would be a better way to say that? I love it!

and most days this is what she does all day long. :]

brown paper packages

2011-12-01T16:29:00.001-07:00

things that make me absolutely giddy as of late:

Christmas lights!

the fact that there is no snow on the ground on December 1

the past 11 months (hello, marriage!)

coos of gratitude from Little E as she’s nursing

the past 4 weeks (hello, baby!)

crunching the leaves as I walk.

helpful friends & family

our bed

snuggling in our bed with E laying in between us.

Christmas stations on Pandora.

less than 3 weeks this semester will be over and I’ll have my husband back!

what are a few of your brown paper packages tied up with strings today?

we went from something missing to a family…

2011-11-21T17:29:00.001-07:00

3 weeks! Can you believe my little darling is 3 weeks old already? I LITERALLY do not know where the time has gone. My days have never been shorter. Here's a little of what we've been up to the past three weeks:

Nana came to visit and saved us! She held the house together while I recovered and while we got the hang of things. Our only complaint was that two weeks was not enough time wit her! Come back, Nana!

Eleanora met one of her Grandpa Great’s:

She sported some gear from her parent’s current University:

And declared herself a “Daddy’s Girl!”

a few pictures.

2011-11-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

…sorry I’ve been a lackluster blogger lately..

I’m sure you can understand why though.

I have a smiley baby who just begs for all my attention.

and I HAPPILY oblige.

blessed.

2011-11-02T00:30:00.000-06:00

*Photos by my sweet/amazing sister-in-law Amy*
(isn't she so talented?!)

announcing...

2011-10-30T01:56:00.000-06:00

Eleanora Nadine

October 29, 2011

8 lbs 2 oz, 20 inches

100% perfection (and she smells so good!)

More details (aka pictures) to follow.
Until then, I'm going to try and sleep and maybe snuggle on my daughter.
(which, I'll have you know, 54% of you voted for)

tax season & internships.

2011-10-27T11:44:00.001-06:00

So, in between my ever-growing closer contractions (!!!), Levi and I have been looking more and more into internships these days. Tax season is approaching quickly which means many accounting undergrads, Levi included, are applying different places and waiting to hear back.

It's pretty crazy to not know where we'll be living in 2 or 3 months! It's exciting, and really a big test of our faith... which I'm all for. We went through the same thing last tax season before we ended up in Salt Lake and it looks like we're at it again!

So far he's applied just about everywhere you can imagine. From Stamford, Connecticut to Seattle, Washington... and everywhere north, south, east, and west of those places. We're crossing our fingers that something great turns up. You see, most accounting internships end up being your first job out of college. So, like I said, we're hoping something great turns up... because well, where ever he takes an internship will be where we settle for the next 5-10 years or so. Luckily, we love everywhere we've applied so we really won't be disappointed.

Sooooo, cross your fingers for us (okay, mostly for Levi)! We're optimistic and excited to hear back from places and make our final decision. Levi's been working so hard with all of this & I am excited for him to have this weight off his shoulders so he can just focus on school. He's a real trooper; I know I couldn't do what he does.

Anyway, I'll keep you updated. On the baby & the internships. I promise.

Side note: our midwife couldn't believe how low the baby is. "You could very well have a baby this weekend!" She proclaimed more than once... I'm trying not to obsess over those words; but let's be honest: I totally am obsessing over her words. A baby this weekend?! Oh please, yes!! Levi's still in town for sure and the homework load wouldn't be too burdensome to catch up for my hard workin' green tie guy.

Dear Baby,

We will take you whenever you come. And love you equally whenever that ends up being. Just remember that when you're deciding when to come: later doesn't mean more love... we'll love you just the same if you come early!
Love,

Mama

2011-10-24T16:40:00.001-06:00

fyi, I made a poll just the right that will track everyone’s guesses for the gender of our little peanut. I put the end date like a week past my due date or something like that …. just in case. SOOO, let’s see what you think!

say what?! I’m really pregnant!

2011-10-21T11:11:00.005-06:00

Another pregnancy update. You’re lucky you’re getting pictures… and it’s only because we got a new camera for the newcomer and were testing it out. Otherwise, like I said, I would forget.
these were taken when I was almost 37 weeks, I think. Somewhere between my 36th and 37th week (I'll be 38 weeks tomorrow). Which means… one month or so until my ‘guess date’ (or due date). I know it’s not the best ‘bump’ picture… but it’s probably the best you’re going to get, people. :)

what do you think we’re having? (boy or girl?! We still don’t know!)
guesses on when this little squirt is going to make his/her debut?
Weight & measurement guesses?
I wanna hear ‘em!

and why yes, those are dark purple lowlights in my hair. Heyoh! I’m a cool mom! ;] hair done by miss megan lloyd. check her out, if you're in rexburg. she's great!

aaand, a picture of Levi. Because, if given the choice i choose to look at pictures of him. he's pretty cute if you ask me!

ps my sister had her baby! I am so delighted to welcome Ezekiel (Zeke) to our family!
I can't wait to meet him at Christmas! Congrats, Angie & Spenser!

tender mercies

2011-10-18T17:11:00.001-06:00

picture found via google images

today i am grateful for tender mercies. they seem to be popping up all over the place these days. it's one of my goals for the last part of this pregnancy to stay optimistic, happy, and to continually see the Lord's hand in my life. i can't get over the fact that, the more I look the more I see. My eyes have been opened to tender mercies in a new way. In a way I would've before just rationalized as "coincidence" i can feel the Lord's hand in my life.

I remember talking with my mom about this one time. About how tender mercies aren't always that you have extra money when times are hard, sometimes it's just that the shoes last a little longer than they should... so you don't have to replace them. I can attest to this. the Lord does indeed have his eye ever on us. I know this to be true.

An example you ask? Levi and I have tried to be as fiscally wise as possible, especially with the baby coming and all. We've tried to be conscientious as we make decisions on what to buy, when to buy, etc... with all the purchases that come with having a baby. We have been so blessed by the graciousness of our family and friends. So blessed. There is no way we could do this on our own. Absolutely no way.

But we still worry. I think that's natural... neither one of us have ever had a baby before and so it's hard to anticipate what exactly the 'need' will be when our little one makes his/her debut in a few weeks. we know we'll be fine... but again, we still worry.

Then, as I was going through an old stack of mail (seriously old, like 6-8 months old) I find a forgotten gift card. For $25 to Walmart. My mind raced as I thought of last minute things we'll be needing (clothes, diapers, accessories, etc...) and my heart was overwhelmed. I know that gift card was not forgotten all those months ago. No, I know that Heavenly Father was being very distinct when he let it pass through my hands to that pile.

And that's just what a tender mercy is... the moments, the times, the circumstances we find ourselves in when we can take a step back and say "wow, the Lord really is mindful of me and my situation." I remember going through a hard time years ago, a very hard time.. i felt completely hopeless and forgotten. I remember my mom saying to me "someday soon, you're going to be walking home and you'll see a little flower that has grown up through the crack in the sidewalk. and you'll just know that your Heavenly Father placed that flower there for you." And it's true! A few weeks after that I remember noticing (in WINTER) a determined little flower that had pushed it's way through the crack in a sidewalk and made an appearance in my life. And I knew that seeing that flower that day was no coincidence.. it was a tender mercy.

I know i don't get too spiritual or 'gushy' much on this blog. But my heart is so full these days of the outpouring of blessings these days that I felt compelled to share.

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance"
-Elder David A. Bednar

don’t stop doing what you do

2011-10-15T12:59:00.002-06:00

Levi and I saw this commercial last night as we were watching TV. We literally both sat up and leaned forward. Half way through the commercial I was proclaimed “I love this commercial!” We still weren’t sure what it sold even at that point. I love the song, but mostly the dancing. It’s genius and makes my little heart dance a little bit each time I watch it.

laughter.

2011-10-12T23:08:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, Levi says things in Spanish when I'm sassing him.

It's not fair because I don't know what he's saying so I can't retaliate
(except for by putting that picture of him on the worldwide web)

So, my comeback these days?
"oh, just get over here and kiss me"

it works every time, my friends.

Ps tomorrow I’m going to the Social Security Office to officially change my last name. Cross your fingers everything goes smoothly or else our baby might have two last names on his or her birth cert. and we certainly wouldn’t want that! :]

I promise I’ll get off my soapbox promptly

2011-10-11T19:59:00.001-06:00

So, it seems like a lot of bloggers are doing marriage advice. Well, if you know me you know I’ve been in love with marriage since I learned that my mom and dad weren’t just born into being my parents and that they were IN LOVE (gasp!). I love love. I ADORE it in fact.

Obviously, I could not resist jumping on this band wagon.

Something you you may or may not know, I’m minoring in Marriage & Family Studies. This will provide me with the prereqs and knowledge I need to get a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy someday.
Oh, yes! I was not kidding when I said that I LOVE Marriage and Family. The only thing I love more than studying & talking about marriage and family is being married.

So, my two bits. From my classes as well as the past 10 months or so of my life. :]

play 20 questions. pretty often. Liiike once a month or so I say. Marriages start to fall apart when couple’s “lose touch” with each other. Playing twenty questions (whether it’s “what’s one secret ambition I have” or “what’s one secret ambition YOU have”) helps to keep each other up to date with changes that naturally occur in human beings.
Sometimes, it’s okay to go to bed angry. Oh my heavens this is true for me! Most of the time I need to go to bed early. I wake up and I’m over it. In fact, a lot of times, if Levi’s hurt my feelings or I’m mad or something, emotions just start running high because it’s late and I’m tired. I’ll wake up in the morning, apologize, or sometimes we’ll talk about it a little bit more… but by the morning light a lot of things that seemed so big the night before just kind of fade.
be quick to apologize. Levi and I even took a quiz to find out our “apology languages.” Let me tell you… it has made all the difference. I think in some ways even more than finding out our love languages (which you can do on the link below too, and I do recommend doing) It has stopped fights in their tracks. Levi and I haven’t ever had a ‘fight’ but we’ve certainly been on our way. Learning to recognize how he is apologizing and knowing how to apologize to him has made SUCH a difference. I seriously recommend this to everyone I know. Not just for married couples too, but kids, friends, family members, etc… You can take the quiz here
My sister, Alicia, gave us this advice at our wedding and it’s one I have really come to appreciate. Don’t keep score. Marriage is about give & take… sometimes you’re giving for a long time and sometimes you’re the one taking for a long time. It becomes easy to focus on everything you’re doing and quickly you stop noticing all the things your spouse is doing for you.. not keeping score evens the playing field. Besides it usually all ends up even in the end.
If your needs aren’t being met take a look at what needs you’re failing to meet of your spouses.. a lot of times if you’ll step it up so will they.
Learn to laugh easily. Have a sense of humor. Embarrassing moments, hard times, etc… will happen. If you can laugh through it you can live through it (right?!)
When you’re dating it’s good to have your eyes WIDE OPEN to all aspects of your spouse. The good, the bad, the annoying, the cute, the stinky, the funny, the quirky… open to EVERYTHING… but once you’re married it is time to put blinders on (like the ones they put on horses that keep them on track) and keep your eyes half shut. Judgment is over and all the knit-picking the world will never change anything. Learn to see the good and only the good. Love the one you choose.
Pray and study the scriptures together. Make a point to do so everyday if possible.
Be your spouse’s biggest fan and greatest advocate. Even when they mess up. Take their side. Even when the guy at the office was not out of line for correcting them… take their side.
take the moments you would initially pull in and keep to yourself to grow closer. Turn towards each other. This one is probably the least natural part of marriage for me. When I’m hurting, sad, mad, upset, etc… usually I just want to be alone. Usually I end up turning away from Levi and not letting him comfort me. this is a detriment to us. Every time I don’t let him hug me when I’m having a hard time is a missed opportunity that we could have drawn closer to each other.
Don’t talk bad about your spouse. Only speak kind words. Just as my dad & mom told me growing up :
“Be careful of the words you say, keep them soft & sweet. You never know from day-to-day the ones you’ll have to eat!” How would you feel if you walked into a room and your spouse was sharing an embarrassing story about you? Or complaining that you have SUCH an obnoxious habit? Think before you speak.
Kiss, kiss, kiss! Being physical is important. It’s important to wrap your arms around your spouse just because. It shows appreciation and reconnects the two of you.
On that note, never go too long without coming home before you greet your spouse with a big smooch! I’ve read marriage therapy books that recommend coming home and kissing your spouse within 10 seconds of opening the door. That might be a little extreme, but hey!
remember that once you’re married you have chosen and promised to love that person through everything. Wake up everyday and make the decision to love.

anyway… I could go on for DAYS… I have literally notebooks full of notes on this stuff. Oh, how I love it! But I’ll stop here. I promise. If you’re looking for advice or further information, let me know.
Or if that’s embarrassing or uncomfortable for you I can leave a few books I really love:

Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage by H. Wallace Goddard
(this is a religious book, just so you know. But remarkable. It talks about becoming more Christlike through marriage.Pretty cool if you ask me.
It’s really good because it focuses on the reader. Which is all you can change, right? You can only change yourself)

The Seven Principles for Making your Marriage Work by John Gottman
(anything with John Gottman’s name on it is amazing. He’s one of the forerunners in marriage & family reasearch.
He also has really good parenting books. I love this book because it has activities to do with and without your spouse.
Fun activities, too. But it really focuses on not just teaching the “principles” it talks about, but really teaching you how to apply them.)

Those are my top two books. I read them together for a class and loved the idea of combining the two concepts of each book and using both ideas.

I have a few others, but I need to run out the door. If you want to know more let me know… I have shelves of marriage & family books :]

also, what are some of your advice regarding marriage?
…because I KNOW you have some!

green ties and hot guys… errr guy.

2011-09-30T17:34:00.001-06:00

I interrupt your slew of regular blog updates to say a few things about my Guy with the Green Tie.

This week Levi has been working his hott tushy off! It is weeks like this that make me SO incredible grateful to be married to such an amazing man.

For those of you who are unaware: Levi is in probably the toughest accounting semester he’ll ever have in his undergrad. One that firms will look at the classes he’s taking and view a “C” as being a good accounting student. Yikes!
So far… he’s handling it like a total champ.

The past 6 days have been filled with: Work, 3 major tests on top of regular grilling work, meeting over a dozen accounting firms, emailing/networking with other ones, and interviews, and still finding time to spend with his wife.

Seriously, I just wanted to give a shout out to Levi, because I know you read this blog, and say thank you, to my hero. You’re doing great, Green Tie Guy & I thank my lucky stars (and Heavenly Father too) that you’re ALL MINE!

baby bump

2011-09-28T11:27:00.001-06:00

as promised, a baby bump picture. excuse the mama. just focus on the baby. I’m 34 weeks and some change in this picture.

and somedays, when Levi’s trying to research internships across the US and working really hard I have to steal kisses…

ps today is our 9 month anniversary. Go us! Happy Anniversary!

still pregnant :)

2011-09-24T11:38:00.002-06:00

So, I haven’t really done a pregnancy update recently. Here’s a quick little one.

as of today I am officially 34 weeks along. That means 6 weeks until my due date. Mentally I tell myself to plan on 8 more weeks. But I’m having a really hard time accepting that. Six more weeks sounds like puh-lenty of time, thankyaverymuch.
yep, still sick. BUT! I’ve found the secret to not being AS sick… 10 hours of sleep and unisom. The combination of the two: pure bliss. Without the unisom I’m as sick as I was the first trimester and if I get less than 9 hours of sleep I am just as sick too. So, thankfully I am in a position that I can get the sleep I need. It’s amazing what sleep will do for a workin’ body, ya know?
I am getting so excited to have Baby be here! We are pretty much set except for a a few more basic items we need. I’m excited, yo.
Our little honeydew is moving and growing at a rapid pace. I can feel him/her moving around often. I think our baby is going to love to laugh because s/he keeps tickling mama’s hips and ribs. I’ve had a few jabs that hurt but mostly they just tickle. I woke up laughing in the night. True story. I woke up laughing because Baby was tickling me.
I walk reaaaaaallllllyyyy slow. This has been one of the harder adjustments for me, actually. And for Levi. Poor guy.
My legs are as smooth today as they were the day I shaved them… last Sunday. Holla!!
If I overwork myself or don’t get enough sleep or water, I also get even more emotional than I already am. Like sob-bing uncontrollably because my white shirt isn’t clean. Or because I think Levi wants ice cream instead of snoasis (the snocones here in town). It was personal, believe me. it was personal.
My dreams aren’t weird these days. I just remember them more often than I did before and I know more people in them than I did before. Or they are terrifying nightmares that make me push Levi away and say “WHO ARE YOU?!” when he comes in to say good morning…. woops my bad. (and of course start crying uncontrollably… haha)
I’m getting an appetite back for the first time yet! Things are starting to actually sound good and I finally feel like cooking (Levi is very happy about this fact)
I’ll try and post pictures soon… I’ll just add them to this post. Maybe tonight after the Relief Society Broadcast tonight? We shall see.
Levi and I are taking a Hypnobirthing class. I love it. I never thought I would not fear labor & delivery at all. I feel 100% in control of this pregnancy and the labor. I feel in tune with my sweet pea in a way I didn’t before. I am loving the relaxation and calmness I am getting from this class.
We are getting so excited to meet you, little one! If you want to hang out inside me for a few weeks past your due date, I promise not to hold it against you or be even a little bit mad. But if it’s because you want to make a surprise entrance… don’t worry about that. There will be plenty of time for surprises in your lifetime. I promise you that. :]

123. abc. baby you and me girl.

2011-09-21T16:10:00.001-06:00

Age: 22
Bed size: Queen
Chore you hate: doing the dishes. maybe it’s because my dishwasher is half the size of a normal dishwasher. but, I’ll be honest. I’ve never really been a fan.
Dogs: oh, I love them. buuut, I’m allergic to approximately 99.8% of dogs. So, dogs are not in my foreseeable future. Sadly.
Essential start of your day: If I don’t want to to wake up grumpy I have to wiggle my toes and fingers before I sit up. Just gets the blood kind of pumpin’, ya know? I usually wake up when Levi comes in to give me a goodbye kiss though.
Favorite color: Purple.
Gold or silver: When I was younger I used to love silver only. then I realized how romanticgold is. My wedding ring is gold & silver. Two-toned. I win. :)
Height: 5'4… OFFICIALLY. I’ve made it a life goal (ha! …something I clearly don’t have control over) to be 5’4 and this summer it became official. I am no longer 5’3 3/4.
Instruments I play (or have played): piano, jus’ a lil bit. and vocal chords like everyday.
Job title: Student, TA, Wife. Currently: only a wifey and soon-to-be mama.
Kids: .5, ask me again in about six and a half weeks.
Live: Rexburg, Idaho
Mom's name: Kelly. Hi, Mom!
Nickname: Darby, Darba, Darda Dooby, Darachka, Day…..
Overnight hospital stays: Yesh. One time my oxygen levels were really low, I was dehydrated, and had pneumonia. I loved staying at the hospital! everyone came to visit me and brought me cool prizes! :]
Pet peeve: Chewing and talking with your mouth full. Yuck! When people breathe excessively loud.
Quote from a movie: Oi, I swear I quote movies all the time. The first one that comes to mind is “with me, without me” from Knight & Day.

Right or left handed: Right.
Siblings: 5 siblings, yo. 3 older sisters and 2 baby brothers. (by baby I mean one’s here at school and the other is in high school. it’s cool.. they’re still babies)
Time you wake up: Oh that depends on the day, the time of year, what I have going on, etc…
Underwear: Yes? I wear it.
Vegetables you dislike: Squash. It’s the only food that makes me gag just thinking about it. I love broccoli usually, but since I’ve been pregnant I haven’t eaten it once without throwing up. So, I steer clear of broccoli these days.
What makes you run late: when i lose my purse. which is often. Usually, it’s under a coat or something.
X-rays you've had done: Teeth, wrist, ankle, chest/lungs x1000
Yummy food you make: I don’t consider myself a great cook. I did make some zucchini and pepperjack quesadillas last night. those were tasty.
Zoo animal: Oh, I love seeing the big cats. I love their coats and prints. I also always love to see the giraffes if the zoo has them.

grandpa gets a webcam

2011-09-19T11:11:00.002-06:00

okay, so, i guess i might be late on this but i just watched this youtube video and man alive! is it funny? i love this couple!

ps i realize i haven't given anyone a real "update" lately. i've been slacking. but i'll get to it soon, hopefully. just bare with me here for a minute.
pps oh, so you really want an update? okay... i am 33 weeks pregnant officially. that means seven weeks until my due date and five weeks until i'm full term.
"Hello little growing and happy baby inside of me, I love you so much & we can't WAIT to meet you!"

what’s been on my mind lately…

2011-09-12T11:46:00.001-06:00

so, lately I’ve been doing a lot of visualizing and relaxation techniques. Mostly, I’ve been imaging what my little baby’s laugh is going to sound like.

If it sounds like this I wouldn’t be at all disappointed:

or even this:

expressions of love.

2011-09-02T13:23:00.000-06:00

I love this video that is going around lately. you know me and love... we're tight... i love love. I love love stories, i love couples in love.

I believe in love.

"Don’t withhold those natural expressions of love... Express gratitude for what your spouse does for you. Express that love and gratitude often. That will make life far richer and more pleasant and purposeful."

Oh, hello Seattle!

2011-09-01T14:02:00.002-06:00

So, this past week Levi and I spent the week in the beautiful and gorgeous Western Washington. Oh, we loved every minute there and were so sad to say goodbye to family, friends, Seattle, spending all day together, delicious meals, green trees, and all that going home entails.
Thursday night was my sister, Angie’s baby shower. I was so glad that they planned it so that I could attend. It was so much fun to see people and celebrate Angie’s little baby boy that is coming soon! My cousin, Talia, came out to help and party with us. We were all so glad to have her there. It was a B-L-A-S-T to say the least. While we were their we canned peaches, saw movies (the help = amazing), stayed up late talking and having way too much fun, made jewelry, and just spent time with family. It was perfect.
We were lucky enough this past week to attend Les Miserables which happened to be showing at the 5th Avenue this past month (crazy that August is now “this past month,” right?). It was so much fun. We went with my Grandparents & my Aunt Debbie & Uncle Greg & cousin Jordan and his girlyfriend Liz.

I loved every second of it and had to remind myself that it was not karaoke and I was no invited to join the cast on stage to dance & sing. Levi loved it too. It was his first “theater” experience and I think it’s safe to say that he was blown away.

My fam-bam.

I’m so glad you jumped in, Grandpa! :]

Things that make me terribly happy:

2011-08-17T16:11:00.001-06:00

I love lists & I love happiness. Why not combine the two?!

Talking to someone and when they start talking realizing they have an accent

Nutella

Old Couples

Sleeping in your own bed after being away.

Getting a hug from a little kid.

Hearing crumbs getting sucked up by the vacuum.

Marathons of your favorite TV show.

The feeling after a really good workout.

Continuous green lights when you’re driving.

Really good pens

Baby yawns

Tearing out a piece of perforated paper perfectly
(VICTORY!)

Exact change.

Seeing a garden full of flowers in your favorite colors as you drive by.

Finding out something was cheaper than you thought it was.

The sound of soda being poured into a glass of ice.

Taking off high-heels and nylons at the end of the day.

smiling in the middle of a kiss.

nicknames.

the first time a person uses your name

When the two pack of Starbursts are both your favorite colors
(pink & red, por favor)

Successfully doing something on the first try.

Perfectly rapping an entire verse of a song.

looking over pictures and finding awkward candid ones that make you laugh out loud.

When you can’t finish a sentence because you’re laughing so hard about the ending.

Accomplishing something before the microwave beeps.

The first bite of an apple.

wild flowers just because.

Turning on the radio to the song that you’re craving to hear.

The moment you remember the word you’ve had on the tip of your tongue.

when the lights start to dim before a movie starts.

sleeping on clean sheets after you just showered.

The sound of little kids’ uncontrollable giggles/laughter.

Changing into sweatpants.

Rushing to the public restroom after an event and not having to wait for a stall.

Perfect parking spots.

Winks from your significant other from across the room.

Just-shaved legs

Dresses with pockets

questions on a test that give away answers to other questions.

Not wearing make up and being able to rub yours eyes.

the moment you can let a laugh out after trying to hold it in.

so there you have it. what things are on your happiness list? or what things did I include that are better placed on your “pet peeves” list?

Faith

2011-08-16T14:43:00.000-06:00

I'm on the library's computer because they're doing maintenance at our apartment & have no power... but I ran across this awesome poem/quote I never wanted to forget:

Faith is risking what is

for what is yet to be.

It is taking small steps

knowing they lead to bigger ones.

Faith is holding on when you want to let go.

It is letting go when you want to hold on.

Faith is hearing God’s yes

when everything else says no.

It is believing all things are possible

in the midst of impossibilities.

Faith is looking beyond what is

for what is yet to be.

It is seeing the light in darkness,

the presence of God in all.

~ Ellen M. Cuomo

2011-08-10T15:41:00.001-06:00

at this time in three months I will (hopefully) be holding my sweet angel in my arms.

On the one hand:
I am more than ready for this. I am ready to have this baby out & breathing air & in my arms.

On the other hand:
three months is not enough time to get everything I want to get done… done!

But, congratulations to my Sister-in-law, Amy… who gave birth to her sixth little precious baby. Lincoln Joshua was born on Sunday morning & I am SO excited to go to Utah this weekend & meet him!

Oh, be still my heart! I can already smell his sweet baby scent, feel his soft little legs, and his sweet baby cheeks.

summer is synonymous with happiness.

2011-08-04T21:55:00.001-06:00

Summer is here. School is officially a thought of the past for the next few weeks & Levi and I are loving it. Shortly after we wrapped up finals I jumped in a car, blew my sweetheart a kiss goodbye and headed out to Washington for a family reunion (poor levi had to stay and work.. boo!) Our family goes to Lake Mayfield every year in July and for the past couple years I haven’t been able to make it since I’m in school. Laaaame.

But, this year did no disappoint. Seeing family, hanging out at the lake, sea-doo-ing, boating, quilting, eating my body weight in cookies, etc… are all ingredients to a successful family reunion. I wish I would’ve taken more pictures (aka I didn’t even bring my camera).. Mom? Did you get some good ones? I got back this week and, although the trip was a total BLAST, I am glad to be back with my Green Tie Guy. He’s pretty remarkable. :]

Lately I’ve been feeling crafty & creative in only the lazy way I know how to be. So, I made an ottoman. Say what?! Yes, I made an ottoman. Well, I didn’t hammer anything, I mostly just reupholstered a side table to be a footrest so we can comfortably put our legs up and watch the television. Below you will see a silly picture taken with my cell phone. If you want to see a good picture you’ll just have to come visit & see it for realz. I’m planning on making a few of these to sell. Not to make a profit or anything really, mostly just because I was getting so frustrated with how expensive ottoman’s can be.

Life is good, my friends. Summer break means I am sleeping a ton & feeling better. It means Levi and I have time to take a walk after dinner & just bask in one another’s greatness (mostly, I just bask in his, let’s be real here). I’m excited for what the rest of august holds:

Seattle (with Levi this time!)
Utah for Kirsten’s birthday & graduation (go, kir!)
The Drive-In
Les Miserable’s with the family (I’m reading the book & getting even more excited to see it again EVERY SINGLE DAY!)
Popcorn & a movie late at night snuggled up on the couch with Levi.

Mostly, I’m just looking forward to a nice, relaxing break before school starts up for Levi & I both and then a little baby comes! Life is going to really pick up the pace in the next couple months & I’m really enjoying this time we have right now.

6 months

2011-07-26T16:04:00.000-06:00

I'm six months pregnant.
six months. pregnant.

say what?!

It's pretty insane to think. a few things i have been surprised with this pregnancy:

I never thought i'd be sick for so long. I thought for sure I'd only be sick past 18 weeks. Not into my sixth month.
I am actually a very emotional person. I've kind of prided myself my entire life on the fact that I am able to control my emotions. Now... not so much. It's been the cause for some pretty hilarious circumstances.
I burp like a belgian. I know, very lady-like. but I think I've forgotten what it's like not to have to burp multiple times a day.
I didn't think I would love my baby already. I do. I love this little eggplant so much already. I already want to have the best things and the make sure our home is safe & baby-proofed.
This pregnancy has blessed my marriage so much. With my minor in Marriage & Family Studies I've taken courses and gone over transitions in marriage many times. Pregnancy and the birth of a baby are often hot topics. I was geared to work my tushy off at my marriage. It's been such a great experience for us. We've grown closer & stronger as a couple in such a short amount of time that I know it's been a blessing from above for us.
I'm pretty proud of myself for taking full classes & being the head teacher's assistant for the anatomy & physiology department while finishing my first semester as a wife. It was really hard, I'll be honest... really hard. A lot of times I wanted to quit. Looking back it was a lot harder than I let onto & a lot harder than I admitted to myself. I'm glad it's over & grateful for the experience.
I am slowly starting to love being pregnant. There are special things that I am going to miss... feeling my little munchkin kicking inside and laying in bed having Levi feel our baby kick. That's fun.

sexy and modest?

2011-07-20T20:36:00.001-06:00

"I find the whole concept of being ‘sexy’ embarrassing and confusing. If I do an interview with photographs people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe. Then there’s the choice of clothes. I know everyone wants a picture of me in a mini-skirt. But that’s not me. I feel uncomfortable. I’d never go out in a mini-skirt. It’s nothing to do with protecting the Hermione image. I wouldn’t do that. Personally, I don’t actually think it’s even that sexy. What’s sexy about saying, ‘I’m here with my boobs out and a short skirt, have a look at everything I’ve got?’ My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder. - Emma Watson

Gotta get done by Friday (sung to Rebecca Black’s Friday)

2011-07-19T12:31:00.001-06:00

So I can get down on Friday… (I know, I’m really clever)

if you come to visit me this week/day and expect:

a normal conversation.
our visit to last more than seven minutes.
a clean home.
a showered girl.
a girl with her hair done.
or a nondistracted girl.

come back another day. maybe next week?
Because, finals week is here. and that means I’m grading papers like a mad woman (surprisingly this is more stressful than doing my finals/homework), studying, writing papers up the yin-yang, and attempting to eat every hour so I don’t get sick.

You might expect to see this:

But can I just say this:
whenever Levi & I go through stressful weeks like this (not that we’ve had too many of them) I always start bursting with love for him & turn into a giddy high school girl.
He might as well be Justin Biebs, I tell ya.
I can’t even stand up straight sometimes. He’s a hottie, ya know?!
But seriously, he has a way of balancing things and still managing to show me how much he loves me through little things during times like this that I just appreciate so much!

How about you? How’s your week going? Finals for you or just summertime and everyday madness?
Either way, make it romantic!

To my firstborn

2011-07-11T14:23:00.001-06:00

My sweet little baby,

Oh, it’s so hard to believe that in just over 4 months you’ll be snuggled up on my chest and snoring in my arms. I wonder what that time will be like? I know this much: I can’t wait. And I can’t wait to love you more than I already do. I can’t wait to see your sweet little face… will you have your dad’s nose or mine? What color are your eyes? Oh baby, I love you! I can’t wait to pinch your little tushy and kiss your cheeks & tummy & head & arms & just kiss you! Your dad and I are so excited for you to come into our home. We’ve been preparing a very long time for this (our entire lives in fact) and have always wondered what it would be like. Now here we are… walking the plank just about to really see what it’s like. We love you so much already!

This pregnancy has been an interesting and real growing experience for me. I used to get worried that I might resent you a little bit for making me so sick. It’s funny though, I know I won’t and I know I never could. I thought I’d be passed being sick and miserable by this point, but I’m not. And I can tell you this much for sure… I do not resent you even a tiny bit. I love you with all my heart. The days I spend hunched over the toilet or laying on the couch have come to mean something to me. I’m not being lazy.. I am working harder than I’ve ever worked on anything in my life. It’s victory points with every number that goes up on the scale! I love taking care of you already. I love being cautious and feeling your sweet spirit all about me. I love eating healthy and with you in mind. Your dad is really great about making sure you get the proper nutrients already… he really loves you a lot already, little squirt.

I can tell already that you are a very special person. Did you know I’ve been so blessed to have you in my life already? I’ve felt the hand of the Lord in my life this semester in different ways than I ever have & have seen it more abundantly than ever before. I’ve been blessed in my studies and my work and in my marriage. I’m doing well on my tests when I am putting in 25% of the effort I used to. I know that it’s not luck that is doing that – it is because I have your sweet spirit within me. I’ve been blessed at work because things just seem to fall into place. I’ll admit it’s been stressful, but right when I think I can’t do it someone shows up and takes over. Dad and I have been so blessed in our relationship to have you. Already, you’ve brought us closer together as we are making the transition into parenthood together.

I love feeling you kick and squirm about; especially when Daddy talks to you and gives you kisses. Whenever someone touches my stomach I smile at the little fist pump you give them that only I can [usually] feel. It makes me so happy to know you’re active and already a little (okay, a lot!) social. Your dad and I have been so happy to be surprised at what you are. Will you be my little princess or prince? I’m enjoying this time I have with you to just bond. To be excited about my sweet baby coming; not my little ballerina or my little soccer player. Just my sweet, darling, perfect baby. The stereotypes and the hype can all come later – for now I’m happy to just be having a baby. You sure did make us laugh at the ultrasound last week when you were just bunched up in a ball, like you were doing yoga. A dancer perhaps?! Or maybe you will follow after your father and be a wrestler? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. No matter what I can’t wait to be your biggest fan.

Baby, I love you. I’m excited to experience life with you. To see magic through your eyes and to see the miracle of life transform before my eyes. You are a miracle. I hope you realize how divine you are & the miracle that you are. We are so happy to have you be coming. I can’t wait to meet you, bugaboo. To hold you in my arms and sing you to sleep. I can’t wait for you to meet your grandparent’s, great-grandparents, uncles, and aunties that will all love you so much! You are coming into a home that is bursting at the seams with love for you.

Now, just stay put where you are. But when the time comes if you wouldn’t mind coming as quickly and easily as possible that would make your mother a very happy person. But, even if you don’t I’ll still take you.

Love,
mama

somedays you gotta dance.

2011-07-09T12:19:00.005-06:00

moving the table aside and dancing in our little kitchen while levi's on campus doing his homework?

without a doubt completely worth everything i put off to do so.

(My major change petition can wait one more day, right? that paper I need to write this week? you can wait too. Cleaning? I swept, that counts for something, right? ...right?!)

Oh dancing, you're so good for my heart and my soul.

have a romantic saturday, everyone & make sure to dance. :]

"There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good."

-Edwin Denby

ps curious what sparked this impromptu dance performance? Check it out!

baby shower!

2011-07-06T17:04:00.001-06:00

So, my darling sister, Angie threw me a darling shower this past weekend. A darling shower by a darling girl, imagine that?! It was so much fun to see everyone, the food was nothing short of amazing, the games were hilarious, and the gifts were all darling & very appreciated. Thanks to my Auntie Pam for letting us party at her house!

Warning: picture overload… proceed with caution – you have been warned.

The McFarlane side. :)

Yummy Hawaiian haystacks for dinner.

For your viewing pleasure: the most awkward picture I’ve ever taken.

The yummy dinner & Auntie Pam’s beautiful kitchen!

The party people

Angie made a diaper cake from my sister’s & it was the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!

Look at Angie’s cute bump! Doesn’t she look great?!

Now, here is the opening of the gifts… Thanks again to everyone. Levi & I can’t tell you what a blessing it is to have some help as we’re starting our family. :]

Cute purse (Thanks, Lolohea’s!) and blanket (Thanks Grandma Mac!)

Levi’s Mama & sister’s got us a bassinet! Yahoo!

Even though you couldn’t be there: Thanks, for the carseat, Mama!!

This was so cool! In the top of the diaper cake was a string of fun things to pamper myself with:
nail polish, lotions, a file, etc… It was so fun!

…my lovely baby bump…

2011-07-05T12:22:00.003-06:00

…check it out!
I’m 22 weeks and some days in these pictures (aka about 5 1/2 months). Enjoy!

ps sorry they’re taken with my camera phone/a little bit blurry and/or awkward… our camera is out of commission and will be charged and ready for action soon.

lately

2011-06-28T19:51:00.003-06:00

so, life is getting hectic & crazy… but when is it not? Finals week is approaching & I am really starting to look forward to the six weeks of break we have.
Here’s some pictures of the happenings around here in the past week:

Picking dandelions because they’ve been everywhere!

I married ~~Hugh Jackman~~ Wolverine, didn’t you know?

Rachel came home from her mission and came to visit! We loved having her here & can’t wait for her to come back for Fall!

Did you know we’ve been married 6 months today?! We spent the day in class and then Levi had an hour between his day classes and his night class tonight.
We spent the evening grabbing a five dollar pizza & watched an episode of Arrested Development.... we laughed that our 6 month anniversary was just like our honeymoon. (remember how we were both sick for most of our honeymoon? we spent most of the time laying on the couch and watched all 3 seasons of arrested development. It was tender)

I was really sick right before we sat down to eat/watch… but I think Baby just wanted to let us know that s/he is very much a part of our life. Life is perfect, my friends. Maybe I'm too much of a hopeless romantic, but the song "just another day in paradise" just kept running through my mind. As I woke up this morning I couldn't have had a bigger smile or a giddier step to my walk... I love Levi more than I know how to say and can't believe we've been married six months already. I feel like it's been ten seconds. I couldn’t have ever imagined spending my 6 months anniversary in a better way or with a better person. <3

Music

2011-06-14T11:56:00.001-06:00

In honor of summertime I updated my playlist to include all the songs of summer for me. Summertime might as well be synonymous with Country to me.

Mmm-mmm! I love it. Enjoy it! Lately I’m obsessed with Hip to my Heart (the second to last song on the playlist)… so I recommend checking that one out, STAT! :]

In other news, my sister, Katie & Mamasita are coming to visit this week (they’ll be here Thursday!) and I am SO SO SO excited!

This weekend

2011-06-10T09:25:00.001-06:00

I have a little bit of this planned:

and as minimal amount of studying as I can get away with.
I’m hoping the weather stays nice so I can enjoy the sunshine without feeling guilty for not studying.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Oh, and levi and I are going to the nik day show here this weekend (he’s a great singer/songwriter/pianist who went to BYU-Idaho. I even know him! say what?!) and guess who the opening act is? Let me give you a hint…

click here to see who it is

Forsaking Sin

2011-06-07T14:24:00.001-06:00

I am reading an article for my Family Relations class and just read a quote on forsaking sin by Elder Scott. I loved it & just wanted to make sure I could save it and find it again easily. I love how he describes each area and step of repentance.

“Decide to stop what you are doing that is wrong. Then search out everything in your life that feeds the habit, such as negative thoughts, unwholesome environment, and your companions in mischief Systematically eliminate or overcome everything that contributes to that negative part of your life. Then stop the negative things permanently. Recognize that you’ll go through two transition periods. The first is the most difficult. You are caging the tiger that has controlled your life. It will shake the bars, growl, threaten, and cause you some disturbance. But I promise you that this period will pass. How long it takes will depend upon the severity of your transgression, the strength of your determination, and the help you seek from the Lord. But remember, as you stand firm, it will pass. The second period is not as intense. It is like being on “battle alert” so that you can fend off any enemy attack. That too will pass, and you will feel more and have increased control of your life. You will become free.”

er's, iv's, and tmi

2011-06-02T21:17:00.002-06:00

So this week, as I mentioned earlier, has been anything but relaxing. The weekend was wonderful (hello, family reunion!) and then Levi and I came home to reality. We got back late Monday night and stayed up late doing homework and finishing up a few things.

This week is the first lab test for Anat&Phys since I’m the head TA; I’m basically in charge of it. I’ve spent hours writing the test, setting it up, and making sure that there is always a Teacher’s Assistant there to proctor, etc… needless to say, it’s been a hectic few weeks & I’ll be glad when Friday evening comes and all the tests are graded & I can have a normal week.

So, curious why this week has been even more crazy than it should be? Or why the title is ER’s & IV’s? Well, as you may or may not know. I’ve been sick throughout this entire pregnancy. Really sick. My first trimester I was throwing up way too much and honestly, should’ve gotten some sort of help a long time ago. On Tuesday night I finally did just that.
In the past two weeks I started feeling better. I was only throwing up once a day to every other day. Yahoo! Not too shabby, if you ask me. I was pretty happy to have a light at the end of the tunnel. Until about Thursday of last week (so a week ago right now). I started throwing up more and more and more. I slept it off and continued throwing up 1-3 times a day over the weekend. I was still doing okay; heaven’s knows my first trimester was 1,000 times worse than that. It wasn’t until Tuesday when things really went downhill. I threw up a couple times during the day, felt SO nauseous, and was just ready to throw in the towel. Then, Tuesday night I was home and working on stuff. I started throwing up every 20 minutes or so and throwing up everything. I tried all the tricks I had used in the past and nothing worked. By about the third time I threw up I was shakier than I’ve ever been and so dizzy I could barely stand up. We called my midwife (love her!) around 10:30 and she said I could come in the next day and get some medicine, but if I threw up again to go into the ER to get some fluids. So, after I threw up one more time… Levi persisted that we head into the ER (thank heavens for my top notch husband).
Around 11:00pm we went to the ER and were admitted quickly (one of the perks of a small town). We met with the nurse & doctor and soon enough I was hooked up to an IV (ouch! no bueno) having 2 liters of water dripped into my body and a big dose of Zofran. Soon enough I was feeling better & around 2:00 we headed home. I went into see my midwives the next day and got a prescription for Zofran. I’ve been anti-prescription meds until Wednesday but I finally reached my wit’s end and just need to start feeling better. I feel better now knowing that my little peanut is getting all the nutrients s/he needs. So, this week was eventful and so far I haven’t thrown up since Tuesday (knock on wood) and so I’m hoping that sticks.

So now, the test is going smoothly & I am feeling more and more like myself everyday. It’s nice to be back. :]

twue wove

2011-06-02T12:24:00.000-06:00

I just want to say that my name is dara & I adore my husband. that's all folks! Carry on!

...ps i promise i'll update soon. This week has been manic & will only continue to be so until tomorrow evening.

when all is said and done.

2011-05-25T14:46:00.001-06:00

lately I’ve been thinking about the future. Both the obvious future that is staring me in the face (hello, baby growing inside of me. I’m your mama. and you can hear me now!) but also the less obvious future. Like when I die, future. The legacy I will leave. What will it be? Will people think of me as they do when the reminisce on Marjorie Pay Hinckley? I don’t know about you, but the second someone mentions her name I think of this quote:

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."
-Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I want to remembered for a legacy of service like that. Then I think of Emma Smith (another one of my heroines). I want to be remembered for the strength which she had. Two quotes to describe her are:

“She was then young and being naturally ambitious and her whole heart was in the work of the Lord and she felt no interest ex[cept] for the church and the cause of truth. Whatever Her hands found to do she did with her might and did not ask the selfish question ‘shall I be benefited any more than any one else.’ If Elders were sent away to preach she was the first to volunteer her services to assist in clothing them for their journey and let her own privations be what they might.”

“I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she has ever done; for I know that which she has had to endure—she has been tossed upon the ocean of uncertainty—she has breasted the storms of persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would have borne down almost any other woman.”
Lucy Mack Smith about Emma Hale Smith

I also want people to know that I had fun. That while I was on this earth I was madly, head over heels, in love with my husband for as long as I lived. I want people to know without a doubt that my children were my heart and soul.That when the sun was shining you could find me at the park quicker then you’d find me at the house watching TV. I want people (and the Lord) to “know I was really here and that I really lived.” That I served in the church with all my might and I knew it was true. I want my children to remember me as being an example to them of optimism. I want people to smile and think happy thoughts of me, instead of “Oh yeah! Dara, I remember her… she was in my math class” or something. I want to leave my mark.

Then it hit me. If, in 30 years, I want people to say “yeah, Levi & Dara they are GA-GA about each other & almost disgusting in public because they are dripping in love for each other”…… I have to be that disgusting and in love now! I have to start now & never, ever stop!

so, here’s to today! to turning the page and starting to write history with a plan in mind and a goal insight. I, personally. CANNOT WAIT. Life is going to be so.much.fun! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go give my rockin’ husband the smooch he deserves.

Happy Wednesday!

much ado about nada

2011-05-24T14:27:00.001-06:00

so, the latest happenings around here, you ask? Nothing. Unless you count doing homework & working & shopping for baby items the latest “happenings,” our life has gotten drastically boring the last couple weeks. We love it though! It’s fun to be in Rexburg again & get to see so many friends & spend time with them. We’re having a BLAST!

Our weekend recap:

Friday: We went on a group date that my friend, Chantal, put together for a class. It was at the Flight Museum here in town & levi lost his mind. He was in heaven and loved looking at all the planes & getting to sit in his favorite plane of WWII (mustang?)… it was really fun to see Chantal & Shawn & their cute little baby girl! We had a blast.

Saturday: After doing homework we went to Idaho Falls with Angie & Spenser to look at some baby consignment stores (SCORE!) at which we found some great deals (hello, Boppy Pillow in brand new condition for $12 & pack-n-play for $25). We went to Red Robin & enjoyed bottomless fries and endless laughs. Saturday night we went to a bonfire with some of Levi’s old roommates and had a good time at the Sand Dunes.

Sunday was a relaxing day and we enjoyed stake conference and then Angie and spenser came over for dinner to enjoy some yummy chicken sandwiches inspired by the ones at Red Robin. Yuummm! then we went to the park, laid down a blanket, and threw around a frisbee. Then we came home and roasted s’mores with them and Jesika & Zack. Good times. Very good times.

Life, my friends, is good. we’re happy. we’re healthy. we’re blessed. and we’re having a ball!

just let the love begin

2011-05-16T13:25:00.002-06:00

This weekend we were blessed with lovely weather (can I get a yahoo?)! After doing homework and working on Saturday morning, Levi and I trekked out to Idaho Falls to buy a vacuum & go grocery shopping at Winco. Later that night we went to the Nature Park here in town with Angie & Spenser and roasted hot dogs & s’mores & mmm-mmm it was yummy! (fyi, the vanilla & caramel marshmallows are to.die.for. in a very serious way) Then we skipped rocks at the pond & fed the ducks our extra hot dog buns… and we might’ve chased some geese… woops… It was a really fun night! It’s been really fun to live so close to Spangie (that’s their celebrity name, of course) & do fun things with them.

After stopping for dessert at Snoasis (which is the epitome of summer in rexburg. I can’t ever have too much!) we parted ways. Levi & I came home and popped in the first season of Modern Family because some awesome people let us borrow it (Hi, Jesika & Zack!). We intended to watch two episodes then go to bed. Good joke. We watched an entire disk. And loved every second of it.

Saturday is the epitome of what Saturdays should be made of. I wasn’t too sick, we did a little work, a little hang out time, a little fun, and a little R&R. As my head hit my pillow on Saturday night I couldn’t help but smile & pray that more saturday’s are come that are just like this one.

THEN! I came home from class & TAing this morning to a sweet note & these beauties:

Please ignore the pillows on the floor in the background & please don’t judge me. or do. I don’t really care.
Monday just got way better. :]

songs that get stuck in my head

2011-05-14T11:00:00.003-06:00

here's a list of songs I can't get enough:

You Lie - The Band Perry
Breathe Again - Sara Barielles
A Cake... Just in Case - Katie Dellenbach
You and I - Ingrid Michaelson
Shark in the Water -V.V. Brown
Arms - Christina Perri
Crawl - Chris Brown
First Dance - Never Say Never
New Soul - Yael Naim
Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars
Taylor Swift - Better than Revenge
Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Cooler than Me - Mike Posner
Save Me From Myself - Christina Aguilera

... apparently I've been in a girl singer kind of mood lately. Or at least "girl power" kind of music. What're you listening to these days? Any tips of good music to keep my ear open for?

PS for my Family Relations class we are required to create a blog. I'll post at least weekly in it about thoughts and ideas on families that we're studying. If you're interested check it out! You can find it here. It'll have ideas on families, transitions, and theories that may or may not prove themselves in my life. It's just getting started. But yeah. Just FYI, I have two blogs now. & that's the other one.

the testing center

2011-05-10T18:34:00.000-06:00

so, i'm sitting here on one of the second floor's trusty computers taking a break before I embark into the Testing center at BYU-Idaho for my first time since December. Rows & rows of desk with proctors walking around eying you down if you so much as twitch... I'm not excited. I'd much rather take my time... breathe.... and not feel like I have a dragon breathing down my neck for the hour I'm in there. the testing center really makes no sense to me... I can't raise my hand and ask the teacher if I have a question/need clarification, the results might be immediate but they only tell me my score not what i did and didn't know, and mostly it's just scary!

All I have to say is... the testing center causes WAY more panic/anxiety in me than is normal/healthy/good. I'm lucky that two of my classes this semester won't ever have tests in a testing center... but i'm seriously dreading going in there right now. Wish me luck!!

Hoppy Easter!

2011-05-05T18:08:00.003-06:00

So, this year for our very first Easter together, Levi & I were treated to a delicious dinner at my sister, Angie’s, house. We were there with another couple, Ron & Jeehye. Everyone brought a little something to contribute & boy howdy was my MIND BLOWN! Mmmm! From green bean casserole, to funeral potatoes, to salad, to dessert. It was one of those meals that requires either a fork lift or some bubble wrap so you can roll out of the house. Mmm-mmm good! It was fun to just be with them too & enjoy their company, obviously.
What I am trying to get at though is, I found the cutest cake idea & decided I HAD to make it for Easter. When else could I justify framing a cake in yellow peeps to make a sunflower cake?! Levi was my wonderful assistant (he did most the placing of the chocolate chips) and I thought it turned out great. It was fun & easier than acorn stew! (Is acorn stew even easy to make? Idk, but I know it’s fun to say!)
Anyway, pictures.. because I was THAT proud. Without further ado, I present “a peeping sunflower”

please excuse my crazy eyebrows.. they struggle ~~sometimes~~. most times.

TA-DA!!

informational only.

2011-05-02T14:28:00.001-06:00

So, questions have been coming in and I guess I will answer them. In a list, of course. Am I capable of anything else? I’m starting to doubt it.

Our little bundle is due November 5th, making me 13 weeks now.
we are not finding out what our baby is(I know, I’m crazy… you could never do it.. you’re too much of a planner, blah blah… well surprise so am i. I just don’t want to. more on that later.)
yes, I was sick. I want to take this moment to apologize to any friends/family members we may have ‘snuffed’ or ditched during our stay in Salt Lake. I was throwing up. a lot. more than I want to write about on a blog. So, sorry we were less than social during our stay in Salt Lake…
my baby is currently the size of a peach. A peach! What a peach!
I’m still feeling sick but starting to feel better, and the insomnia is killin’ me!
cravings? nothing too crazy: pickles, apple juice/sauce, oh and white gummi bear smoothies from Jamba Juice (mmmm! I wouldn’t say no to one right now!), white cheddar cheez-its, and s’mores.
yes, I have been having pretty crazy & wacked out dreams. The one about the cows was probably my most involved one. But I have crazy dreams every night.
No, angie and I did not plan this. I was pretty shocked when she called to tell me she was pregnant though because Levi & I were certainly aware that there was a huge possibility I was pregnant as well… we found out I was a week or two later.
I always dreamed I’d be one of those girls that has great pregnancies and loves every minute of it. Truth? I’m not. I’m trying really hard to love it & embrace every moment of it, but mostly I just don’t like it. I hate being sick, having head aches, huffing & puffing just from walking a flight or two of stairs, and oh the aches!
but, I am getting SO excited to have a BABY here. in this house. in 6 months! Ya ya yahoo!!
With that said, there are a few things I do love about being pregnant.. like how I absolutely have to get nine hours of sleep each night, how all my teachers are so excited for me/supportive, and how it’s kind of fun.

So, there you have it. We’re very excited… in fact Levi & I already love this little darling so much & can’t wait for him/her to make an appearance!

Coming Soon...

2011-04-29T15:20:00.002-06:00

Have you seen the new trailer for this new movie coming out in November? It looks awesome!

(Here is the link to the video if you can't see the embedded one.)
It’s supposed to debut November 5th… so stay tuned!!

running with the bulls & tickling them too!

2011-04-27T11:02:00.001-06:00

Just a few nights ago I had a dream that I had to share. Lately I've been having some wacked out dreams that are just way too random to share... but this one... oh man.

So I had a dream that an old friend and I were busy working on a ranch for the summer. I wasn't married and it was just us two girls and my grandpa and dad with the family we were staying with. Obviously, we had over 100 head of cow.

Much to my dismay, each week we were required to "let the cows run" up and down and around a track just outside their pen. Once they were done running, my friend, Grandpa, Dad, and I were responsible for making sure the cows got back into their home. Well, the second time we were doing it the cows went wild. MAD COWS I TELL YOU! They refused to go back into their pens and were just running around. My cowboy of a grandpa was just laughing at me as I ran around frantically trying not to get charged. Then my friend, Melissa, told me we had to tickle the cows behind their ears in order to calm them down. So, obviously i started to tickle them behind their ears.

....needless to say I woke up to Levi shoving my hands off of him and saying "stop tickling me, Dara." Apparently, I had started tickling Levi's armpits (and moved onto behind his ears) during my dream.. woops.... It made for a good laugh though & we still giggle about it every now and then.

green ties & life’s little wisdoms

2011-04-23T13:37:00.001-06:00

Can you all believe that TWO YEARS ago this week I met Levi for the first time?! And tomorrow will be two years to the day that I saw that guy with the green tie looking at me at church & smiling like he knew me. Who knew two years later he’d be my husband? If you’d have told me that I would marry him that day I would’ve said “I wish!” but never believed it.

Today I am so thankful for my wonderful husband. I couldn’t sleep last night so I laid in bed and was thinking of all the things Levi’s taught me in the 5 months we’ve been married. What has he taught me, you ask?

it’s okay (and even a good thing) to cry. especially if it’s in front of him.
even when you have a hard day you can still be nice to each other.
sometimes saying “I’m sorry, I was wrong” is all that is needed to right a wrong.
If you just take and take and take in a relationship you feel bad.
even when you’re sick or stressed you can still show the one you love that you still love them.
moving isn’t fun. packing is even less fun. unpacking is a little more fun.
communication is really important.
sometimes when I’m in a sad mood, levi just reaching over & tickling my arm as we lay in bed helps make everything a little better.
I can be happy anywhere as long as I can have the promise of visiting family soon & levi with me everyday.
the ‘as is’ department at Ikea is da best.
the need to dance is real & encouraged.
little notes on the fridge to tell you love someone sometimes mean more than the words themselves.
a little effort goes a long way.

….to name a few.

I love you, my green tie guy.

lost in transit.

2011-04-21T22:21:00.001-06:00

So, we’ve moved! We are no longer residents of downtown Salt Lake City and have set our sights and our furniture and ourselves back in Idaho. Oh, blessed Idaho. I swear, as I was driving up the road by the wheat fields and the temple started to come into view the sky whispered “Welcome home, Dara.” I breathed a big sigh of relief that I didn’t even realize I’d been holding in. It was glorious!

Our trip to Washington was wonderful, as expected. We spent the week sleeping in, sewing pillows, reading books, staying up way too late, eating way too much delicious cooking, cheering on the Mariner’s against the Bluejay’s and just soaking in every minute. Sadly I left my SD card in Utah & didn’t get any pictures – woops! But just know this, the version of Sense & Sensibility that my mom has DVR’d is the best I’ve ever seen, Levi is still talking about the book he read, Unbroken, my brothers are still my little brothers no matter how big they get, my sister Katie is still the smile and welcome home that I always anticipate, my mama’s arms still fit perfectly around me, and my papa still as supportive & loving as ever.

We’re getting settled in our apartment here in Rexburg & are feeling overwhelmed with all the space, it’s more than twice as big as our last apartment (it was the only apartment we could find… a little big for us, but we’re just happy to have and affordable place that’s so close to campus). It’s fun to live so close to Angie & Spenser and be able to see them so often. They’ve been a huge help to us as we’re moving in and such (seriously, half my house would not be unpacked were it not for angie..) but yeah. we’re just settling and getting into a routine. Life is bueno.

So yeah, there ya have it. We haven’t fallen off the face of the earth, we’ve just been travelling and moving & doing all that fun stuff. This semester is going to be busy, busy, busy but we’re excited!

dear seattle, I miss you.

2011-04-08T10:15:00.001-06:00

TONIGHT.
Levi and I head up to Washington. Oh, blessed day! Seattle, how I have missed you. The wet snow and constant drizzle here in salt lake has made me miss Washington even more the past few days & I am beyond excited to see my family. I’ve missed them so much. My mom keeps asking me what I want to do… so I’ll tell you:

[In no particular order]
-eat gyoza & possibly yakisoba.
-watch home videos.
-sleep in
-sew.
-have lunch with katie & papa
-veg with the fam
-visit the cabin so levi can see it.

other than that… I don’t care. I just want to see my family & am perfectly content if we never even leave the house. Oh this next week will be a much anticipated sigh of relief. I can’t wait to wrestle kyle, jam with dallin, stay up late talking with my mama, giggle with katie, and eat lunch with papa. I’m going to miss not seeing alicia & christopher & company as well as Angie & spenser & 1/2, as well as my grandparents. It won’t be the same without them of course, but I’ll cross my fingers our family can all be in one place within this year (Christmas, perhaps or Thanksgiving?). Anyway. I’m excited. We’re headed out tonight and will arrive tomorrow evening sometime-ish.

Until then, Sai-anora Salt Lake & hello, Seattle!

the war at home.

2011-04-06T17:33:00.001-06:00

“…I’d rather help than watch.
I’d rather have a heart than a mind.
I’d rather expose too much than too little.
I’d rather say hello to strangers than be afraid of them.
I would rather know all this about myself than have more money than I need.
I’d rather have something to love than a way to impress you”.

Po Bronson

Isn’t life splendid?
Today, as I was folding clothes and packing up our small apartment I couldn’t help but feel so blessed. I have everything I could ever want & then some.
It got me thinking of all the people who are less blessed than I am right now.
Those whose health may be less than ideal, who may be struggling to find rent for this month or next, who are unaware of what their purpose is in life, who are asking the questions that everyone asks without any idea of where to go for the answers.
I was thinking of those children who are dealing with abuse; be it abuse from their parents, siblings, or peers.
I was thinking about that mom & dad whose hearts are breaking because their child (although grown up and on their own… still their child) is floundering.
I was thinking of all the people who don’t even know their families.
Of the countless people left without homes because of a natural disaster.
Of the millions of people who don’t even have a home to lose should a natural disaster ensue.
I thought of the woman who digs through our dumpster each day for cans and cashes them in.
I thought of the single mother who is working and going to school to provide a better life for her & her children.
The girl in the park with a guitar singing her dreams for a few dollars, hoping to be ‘discovered.’
of the man just praying for an extra shift at Safeway so he can pay his electric bill.

You’re a wonder, how bright you shine
A flickered candle in a short lifetime
A secret dreamer that never shows
If no one sees you then nobody knows
And all these words you were meant to say
Held in silence day after day
Words of kindness that our poor hearts crave
Please don't keep them hidden away

And I was also thinking of how it is our duty to care for them.
How could we not help someone we knew was hurting so?
If you had the means to stop world hunger there is no doubt in my mind that you would do it. If you could cure cancer it would be done. If I could abolish abuse I would not hesitate. If I could rid the world of all iniquity and unnecessary inquiries, I would do it in a heartbeat. But the simple truth is.
I can’t. You can’t.
We can not do it on our own.
All we can do is reach out to those around us. We can donate a dollar at the check out to the local hospital,
we can donate cans of food and coats to homeless shelters, we can smile to a downtrodden face.
we can even fly across the planet and volunteer in orphanages.
We can contribute to loans for women trying to get on their feet.
But there is no way we can single handedly change the world.
But we can change someone’s world.
And that’s where it all comes into play. Our neighbor’s burden becomes ours and ours becomes theirs & somehow, our burden is lifted and so is theirs.
It becomes lighter on their back and we are sustained because of the goodness we have provided.

So, go on get out there and change the world.

“The answer lies in helping to solve the problems of those around us rather than worrying about our own,
living to lift burdens even when we ourselves feel weighed down,
putting our shoulder to the wheel instead of complaining that the wagons of life seem to be passing us by.”

-David S. Baxter

ebates

2011-04-04T14:15:00.000-06:00

so, I am not generally a huge advocate of advertising things on my blog, but I had to share this awesome find I found.
Lately, I’ve been all about groupon, groopdealz, and livingsocial. but there is one little gem that I think gets left behind far too often. Ebates.
At first I was skeptical, but as I’ve started looking more into it – it is actually genius. all you do is shop at your favorite online stores (that you’d be buying from anyway, of course) and you can get up 8% back.
sound too good to be true? it’s not. just wait.
for example:
say I was in the market for some new shoes… all I do is go to ebates and browse their first. I’ll go to Nordstrom’s (3%) website, kohls (2% back), and DSW (4%) and shop like normal. After I decide to make my purchase from one of these stores, I will receive a form of payment however I’ve chosen (you can choose pay-pal or receive a check), or you can choose a charity to donate your cash back to or send it to a friend. It’s pretty awesome.

I like to just shop through there & if I don’t buy anything it’s not a big deal, but I have found some fun stores on their too. you can order diapers, shoes, camping supplies, gifts, gift cards, anything... it's awesome!

(also, they have TONS of men stores, Cabela’s, home depot, etc… so you can get paid cash back for buying gifts! HOLLA!)
Check it out, yo!

foto venerdi

2011-04-01T17:30:00.000-06:00

last week levi & I went to the Mayan. It was really fun. We both ordered the bean & cheese burrito (which was amazing) and the chips & salsa was to die for. But the show was awesome. we decided that someday it’d be SO much fun to go back their with our little chi’rens. they would love it too. If they don't we will disown them... except not really. we'd still love them.

(oh, and btw I colored my hair. darker.)

levi even found some artifacts that were PRICELESS!

I was exhausted after our long hunt for the artifacts, before our adventure even began! (see how pale I am from the trek?! …or at least I tell myself that’s why I’m so pale)

On the weekends they have divers, fire dancers, trapeze artists, and those people that dance in ribbons (for the life of me I can’t remember what it’s called… like a cirque de sole or like p!nk does)

(I just rememebered, that The Mayan is featured on one of those LDS comedy films – I think it’s Single’s Ward)

Love at Les Madeleines

2011-04-01T10:06:00.001-06:00

Just three blocks down from our apartment there is a small café. One I have driven by a million times & told Levi I had to try. One Friday as I looked them up online and read reviews.. I KNEW that place needed me to eat there. So, that very next day Levi & I set out for a lunch date to Les Madeleines…. it did NOT disappoint!

It is as charming as I’ve imagined any specialty café should be. It’s as inviting as your mama’s kitchen. the staff is as friendly as your best friend. the service makes you feel like you’ve escaped to Europe. and OH the food! I walked in knowing exactly what I wanted, “sesame chicken salad wrap.” if that didn’t already sound good to me it’s described on their site as, “Sesame chicken salad wrapped in butter lettuce and a rice wrapper served with a miso dressing and edamame” I love butter. I love chicken salad. and I love rice wrappers.

Oh, give me one now, please!

I was bummed when they said they were out of ingredients for them!
L AME!
Don’t they know I've been waiting to eat there for months! They should’ve saved me one! ;]

So instead, I ordered the equally tantalizing to the pallet: Turkey Avocado Sandwich… mmmm I love avocado! This sandwich DID NOT disappoint. It was SO good. The bread is what really got me… they make their bread (as well as all their food) from scratch each day & it was SO good. It was buttery and soft and delicious! It was fluffy where it needed to be & just crisp enough where it should be. So worth it. Levi ordered the same thing.

If you’re going to eat there I recommend getting the frites (it’s just French for french fries) with your meal, not the side salad.
It was a good side salad, but the dressing was a little acidic/vinegar-y for me (maybe I’m just not high class enough). Levi loved the salad though.
But the frites were DELICIOUS! See that guy in the green tie?
Yeah, he dug in & loved them. :]

(their presentation rocks too; that sprial that Levi is diving into is his frites)

We also splurged & shared their lavender lemonade. say what?! the only other time I’ve actually consumed lavender was at a small ice cream shop on small island off of Seattle. THAT lavender flavor was amazing.

So we tried it.

and we loved it!

in fact, we are going their tomorrow for lunch or tonight for dinner (depending on when levi gets home from work, they close at 6:00.)
Maybe I’ll take more pictures so you can see JUST how darling this little café is.

Oh, I’m in love!

Girl turn your records on….

2011-03-30T16:40:00.001-06:00

…tell me your favorite song…

Even when I only have less than two feet to dance in my kitchen, my heart may as well be live & on stage. If you think I’m kidding bout the two feet thing… I’m not. Not even room for any fulfilling floor work.
But betweeen youtube videos of so you think you can dance favorite’s and my two feet of space and wonderful music - - I am content.
So much more content than I would’ve been from not dancing at all!

but just you wait BYU-Idaho! as soon as we get back to rexburg I am HITTING UP the studios & dancing to my heart’s content. that may be awhile, but still. Consider yourself warned.

I wasn’t kidding my my ‘about me section’ when I said I just can’t go too long without dancing… it runs in my biological make-up just as thick as blood.

Sunday.

2011-03-27T19:32:00.001-06:00

So a few weeks ago my beautiful mama told me about a song that I absolutely had to hear. It’s called “Come to Jesus” by the LDS boy-band, Jericho Road. I love it. I can’t get enough of it. I’m trying to find it online & can’t find it anywhere; but I’m trying to find a way to put into this post; does anyone know how?

The song is so touching. It’s so poetic & all I want to do is dance to it. The message is so uplifting and pure.

I can’t find the lyrics online, but a few of my favorite lines are:

“Weak and wounded sinner,
Lost and left to die,
Raise your head for love is passing by
Come to Jesus, Come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus & live.

Now your burden’s lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain
So sing to Jesus, Sing to Jesus,
Sing to Jesus & live.

Like a new born baby, don’t be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk, sometimes you fall.
So fall on Jesus, fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus & live.

Sometimes the way is lonely,
And steep and filled with pain,
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain,
Then cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, cry to Jesus, and live.

When the love spills over and music fills the night,
And when you can’t contain your joy inside,
Then dance for Jesus, dance for Jesus & live.”

And with your final heartbeat,
Kiss the world goodbye,
Go in peace and laugh on glory’s side,
And fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus, fly to Jesus & live.”

Okay, so I may or may not have just typed up the entire song. My bad. I just couldn’t pick a favorite. I love that this song reminds to come unto Jesus during our hard times as well as our good. How often do we forget our Savior in our happiest moments? When we read in the scriptures (over & over) that we are never alone, it does not mean that we are not alone in our darkest moments, it means that even when our happiness is overflowing & we don’t think anyone can understand how happy we are – someone does. Just as He understands our sadness, He understands our elation just as well as we do. Even more so. If you can, I highly recommend this song. It’s on iTunes, under their album “Day of Rest.” It’s a more soft CD than their other ones, more Sunday music. But I do say, it’s worth the $0.99 it costs to download it. It offers a spiritual comfort during dark times & a wonderful worship & celebration during times when you just want to “dance for Jesus.”

Have I ever blogged about Jericho Road? Well, they saved my life. I’m not kidding. My 8th grade year of middles school and 9th grade of High School were some of the hardest times in my life. You see, I had a close group of girl friends. In fact, there were six of us. All of them were awesome. We got a long & had sleepovers as often as our parents would let us. Near the middle & end of my 8th grade year the girls started making decisions that I wasn’t totally comfortable with. They weren’t TERRIBLE decisions, but with my all-seeing 8th grade eye - - I knew what road they were headed down & I knew that road was one I didn’t want to take. I started to intentionally pull further away from them. I wouldn’t hang out and opted to spend most Friday nights watching a movie with my parents. Not most 8th grade girl’s dream, right? But it was better than going down that road. It was hard. I was very lonely. All I wanted was a friend. My mom was my only friend & I was thankful for her kind shoulder to cry on and her understanding ear.

Each day I would come home from school and put in my jericho road CD that I had gotten months before at a fireside they put on in our area. I would turn it to #5 (yes I still remember) and put it on repeat. Then I would lay down in the middle of my floor with my arms stretched out and breathe. My eyes would be closed and before I knew it tears would be streaming down my cheeks. I would do this for any amount of time. I would cry and get it all out and be able to go out and about my daily routine. It gave me strength. It made me know that what I was doing was right. even though it was hard; my Heavenly Father knew how hard it was & He truly would “melt the madness.” I loved it. It gave me hope & courage & strength when I needed it most.

I know that for some people, Jericho Road is just a joke boy-band. To me they were so much more. They were saviors. I would even email them back and forth during that time & felt like I had a friend. What great men. To me, they were no joke. Jericho Road was my live savers during middle school & high school. I still don’t know what I would’ve done without them. I am very thankful for them & they will forever hold a special place in my heart. :]

The Jericho Road song, “You Melt the Madness” can be found here, but I’ll post it below as well. I’ll be honest, I haven’t really watched the video; I just know the song rocks. It says it’s dedicated to soldiers. Sweet. This song applies to everyone.

you know, it’s interesting. Something about this song still soothes my soul. It brings peace to me & takes me to a place that everything is okay. oh, how I love good music!

foto venerdi

2011-03-25T16:33:00.001-06:00

so these are the only two pictures on my sd card from last week. I don’t even have any on my phone. bad, dara.

These were taken from my wonderful’ cousin Pene’s little boy’s sending off party _{(that’s a mouthful to say…).}I’ve been meaning to blog about that & plan to do so this week.

Make a Wish granted this little darling with a wish & he is currently enjoying his time at Disneyworld! (oh, and angie & spenser came to visit and stay with us. I’ll write about that too.. my bad)

We love you, Mason!!!

_{and yes, you are correct. I didn’t edit these a lick. Brought to you complete with red eye… what can I say? I have a date in 45 minutes with my man & I wanna look my best. Priorities, people! ;]}

life.

2011-03-24T17:13:00.001-06:00

I found this quote online & loved it. I think it’s so true and really applicable to how I feel…

“The city seemed both crazily inhuman and human. How could people live like that, on top of one another, always running, so competitive, always looking toward the next thing? And how could people live any other way, so separate and alone in their individual houses and delineated, proud plots of land? It seemed that everywhere you went, people quickly adapted to the way they had to live, and called it Life.”

-The Ten Year Nap

a word to “fashion bloggers”

2011-03-22T19:18:00.001-06:00

I was just telling Levi about how some bloggers will post pictures of their “daily outfit.” he was appalled. I quote:

“Are you serious? That is so vain! That just tells me that their life is so boring that all they have is their clothes.”

oh, dear husband how I love you. :] Thanks for being on board with me about the whole “daily outfit” idea.

I told him that usually they are wearing something that someone sent them to advertise & he replied:

“oh, well that’s different. If it’s a business like that…. but still though…”

I love you, bugaboo.

letters

2011-03-21T11:57:00.001-06:00

Dear Guy with the Green Tie,

I miss you. You have now been gone for 4.5 hours. That is 4.45 hours too long. I am sick of your work schedule interfering with our newlywed time together. There is a winter wind advisory out today and for your safety, I think it’d be best if you came home. Right now. I don’t care that the wind isn’t going to be THAT bad. I just care that you’re home. We could even make hot chocolate with ice cream in it! And snuggle on the couch while we watch Knight & Day! Does that sound good, or no?

Although I do appreciate the work you are doing; working hard filling out taxes all day for complete strangers & learning so much… I would appreciate it also if you were home sitting next to me on this futon. I have found that the weekends usually trick me. I get used to spending every second with you for two days straight! Okay, I think I found heaven! Then! Monday morning while I am deep in a blissful dream you come and kiss me and say “have a good day!” I am ripped from my sleeping stupor to a harsh reality.

Just come home soon, okay? I miss you.

Love,
Darby

baby!!

2011-03-21T11:10:00.001-06:00

Emmett is born!!
I am a proud new auntie to this little bundle of joy!! at 9 lbs 6 oz, with a 15 inch head circumference this little tike isn’t messin’ around!

oh! I just want to squeeze him and love already!

The proud parents! Doesn’t alicia look AWESOME?! Who knew she just had a baby come out of her?!

and OHHHHH!!! I need him!

I love this picture because Sheldon looks like he is so happy he doesn’t know what to do besides point at Emmett. And Westu looks like he’s about to pounce him. true, brotherly love.

Congrats, Alicia & Christopher! I am so happy for you guys & can’t wait to get my hands on that little guy!

foto venerdi

2011-03-18T12:26:00.001-06:00

So, I was lame at taking pictures this week. Even when levi and I went out to Gateway (the outdoor shopping mall here) earlier this week and shopped around and tried on ridiculous hats, gloves, scarfs, etc… that were on clearance at UO… next time I wont be lame. promise.

Last Friday night Levi’s Dad was in town and we went to dinner at Amy’s house ^{(yummy! I always love your cooking, amy!).}We played games and talked till midnight. It was really fun to see everyone…

Last Saturday we went to Dancesport’s [amateur] National Championship (for Ballroom, of course!) which is held at BYU every year. It was so fun to see the Professional’s showcase, the competitions & my old team (go PBD!) compete. I was so proud of all my friends and it was fun to see Mimy. Me, being the smart woman that I am didn’t take ANY pictures of the competition. I know, I know, major blogging no-no; I was just so caught up in the cabarets, the friends, the atmosphere, the dancing! That I completely spaced everything. good one, dara.

But! on the way down Levi & I saw a double rainbow! Now THAT I did take a picture of! ^{(I just realized that you can’t even see the second rainbow in this picture… rats)}and yes, I was that mildly crazy woman hanging half her body out of that honda to get the picture. :]

This week I did something fun! I made Stromboli! I got the recipe of my mother’s BEST stromboli off my sister’s cooking site which can be found here.
_{(and yes I am that cheesy wife who puts hearts on her husband’s dinner… and someday I will be that cheesy mom that cuts her kid’s sandwiches into hearts)}

on a thoughtful thursday

2011-03-17T11:41:00.001-06:00

I just got an email from my grandpa that I had to share a quote from. In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.

I just loved the quote. How true it is too? If one thing is going wrong in our lives it doesn’t mean that all things are going wrong in our lives. we still have so much to be thankful for. This life is not the reward, this life is the journey. If you’d like the entire interview let me know. I can forward it to you. :] thanks for the enlightenment, Grandpa!

hey jude

2011-03-14T15:48:00.001-06:00

If this video doesn’t make me want to adopt an asian baby someday, I don’t know what does. love it!

*Be sure to watch around 1:20, he gets really into it. I love it.

Hey Jude Kid - Watch more Funny Videos

also, this makes me want to have asian babies. Marie, give me one of yours please? kthanks.

foto venerdì

2011-03-11T17:57:00.001-07:00

This week green tie guy had to run errands for work. so I met him at my new found obsession.

chick-fil-a. have you eaten there?

it’s amazing.
get a 12 piece chicken tender (they’re small tenders, soofs) meal with polynesian sauce.
srsly. so good.

also, did I mention that my bff mimy came into town to watch Dancesport?
I adore her, that’s all.

have a GROOVY weekend!

I don’t wanna marry someone unless I have a job first.

2011-03-09T11:16:00.002-07:00

woah, easy their little tigress…. hahaha for some reason I know EXACYTLY how this little girl’s mama talks… TOO GOOD!

Isn't that adorable!

ps. i'm debating something. & i am in serious need of YOUR input. Should I change the url to my blog to include something about my green tie guy? or would you, my family & friends, prefer I just leave it as is, so no confusion ensues? :]

precious pillows.

2011-03-07T16:43:00.001-07:00

so, I’ve been wanting to get some pillows for our futon to add a splash of color and comfort to our{little}living room. However, on our shoestring of a budget spending 17-20 on one pillow wasn’t going to cut it when I wanted to have at at least 2-4. So, last week I had a genius idea. I was going to make them.

_{Don’t gasp too hard, yes I am still your dear darby who is on the lower end of the spectrum of creativity & craftiness… but when you realize HOW I made my pillows you’ll be able to breathe easier and not fear that I went off somewhere strange. I’m still here.}

I went to target and picked out two packages of cloth napkins of 4 napkins per package. This means I could make a minimum of 4 pillows, and actually I’ll be doing some smaller ones and be able to get probably 6! Oh, did I mention that it’s around $10.00 for one package. Yeah, I got everything I needed for just under $25! I am so pleased with the pillow. Although, I think I’m going to wait to do the rest of them until I have my hands on a sewing machine (and a good teacher… I don’t even know how to thread a bobbin!). It took close to three hours to sew this bad boy by hand, since I had to make the stiches ^sosmall by hand. But I’m pleased and it was fun to work on. (no, there aren’t 2 or 4 pillows. It has two different prints on it and I put up four pictures because I’m cool like that).

TA-DA!

Overall: I give this project two thumbs up & can’t wait to make more! It was very easy, especially for a non sewer like me, and even more rewarding… and comfy!

weekend warriors.

2011-03-07T12:20:00.001-07:00

This weekend was very [un]eventful. We had a lot planned for saturday but… well I’ll start on Friday.

friday:

Levi and I went over to his sister’s (amy) house to hang out with her darling little kiddos while amy&mike went out for a hott double date. We watched megamind (okay, HILARIOUS) and partied with our little nieces and nephews. it was a lot of fun! I just love that family.

saturday:

what we had planned?: lunch with miss kaeli & miss beth, run to ikea to look at some lamps, head over to a really fun bbq with some good friends…

what actually happened?

We had lunch with Kaeli & beth. It was so much fun to see them! I haven’t seen either of them since our reception in centerville, and we all know that those aren’t the real places to hang out (if you’re the bride or groom at least). Anyway, it was reallly fun to get together with them.

After we parted ways with them we departed to Ikea. On the way there my cold I’d been battling exploding into sheer pandemonium. I was throwin up all night, sneezing all over levi,…. ok it wasn’t that bad. I didn’t throw up. But I reallly wanted to.
We pulled in to McDonald’s to get a bag (just in case). at this point I thought it was just something I ate and it would pass quickly. No such thing! We ran into IKEA to get our lamp (which I love!) and got the heck out of there.

no we didn’t go to the bbq. seriously, I was bummed. I was really excited to see Brei & Shana but no such luck. I could barely keep my eyes open, let alone stay vertical. So Levi and I headed home and spent the evening with my sneezing and coughing and dying. oh fun.

sunday:

I was hoping I’d wake up on Sunday feeling better, but no. I was still really sick. so I stayed in bed until about 2:00, at which point I got out of bed and moved to the couch. I finished a book and made a pillow. (I’ll post about that soon, I promise.. because I am so dang proud of it!) Then we went to bed early. Overall, it was fun to just be in with levi all day and sleep and have a day off. I just wish I wouldn’t have been miserable the entire day. bleh.

good news: I’m starting to feel better today! My nose is still running at a pace that would give Niagara Falls a run for her money, I’m wheezing as if I have emphysema, and my throat is still sore. But I’m improving! HOLLA!

ps has anyone seen despicable me? I love the movie. LOVE it. Hands down one of my new favorites. Now, who will purchase it for me? ;]

i believe in unicorns.: Are You Ready for a Giveaway?

2011-03-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

i believe in unicorns.: Are You Ready for a Giveaway?

how cool is this giveaway?!

foto venerdì

2011-03-04T17:28:00.001-07:00

“Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives.”
-CS Lewis

saturday date

sometimes we try and mix things up so you guys don’t have to see just pictures of us all the time.
(yes, that’s one of our walls)
(cute shirt. thanks aliciasister)

she was a beautiful doctor. she was young and beautiful, she had red lipstick…

a couple nights ago it was really warm & levi and I needed to run to Walgreens. So we walked.

our quick “errand” turned into an hour+ walk in the warm evening. it was wonderful!

This weekend I have a whole of of nothing planned!
Other than a h-o-t-t date tomorrow with a guy who I see SERIOUS potential with, but that’s just between you and me… ;], I plan on vegging alllll weeeeekkkeeend loooong.

Have a romantic weekend, family & friends! :]

ding dong merrily on high.

2011-03-03T15:53:00.001-07:00

I posted some more pictures on facebook of our wedding. Since people seemed to have issues with the last post of my pictures (woops, my bad), this might be easier. There are two albums, fyi. here's a link to one of them:

More wedding photos

little list.

2011-02-25T13:09:00.001-07:00

random list: there is no point to this list other than I want to blog & am lacking any funny story or charismatic vocabulary to tell it:

I don’t like cantaloupe.
levi & I finally put pictures up in our apartment. pictures soon possibly?
it’s “storming” here. it just makes me grateful I’m not in rexburg. a storm here is better than a good day in rexburg. holla!
secretly, I’d love to be a famous blogger. ha!
Levi & I will have our 2 month anniversary (woah! I almost just typed year… talk about jumpin’ the gun!) next week. that’s nuts. I feel like we’ve been married for .5 seconds.
our stake conference is in the assembly hall (I don’t really know what that means, but I do know it’s on Temple Square)
I’ve been choosing to use the word “wack” quite often today. say it, it’ll make you smile.
I’ve been feeling all artsy crafty lately, but have been lacking materials.
I’d like a nice sewing machine someday. then I’ll be a REAL WIFE. :-]
Levi is kicking BUTT at his internship.
I am absolutely LOVING mine & wish it could be my fulltime job. hmm, maybe after graduation.
I thought buffalo wings were made out of buffalo until I was in High School.
but I always loved to eat them.
I have a history of becoming obsessed with a music artist: it started with Billy Gilman, then onto Justin Timberlake (or was it the other way around?), then onto Josh Groban whom has stuck. I still love him.
I read twilight before it was popular.
I’m an extrovert by choice. im’ content to stay home & watch a movie all alone (or with my green tie guy of course!).
dancing is more than just a hobby, it’s like breathing to me.
I miss my family, but am so glad to be close to family.
rehab speaks to me. I can’t hold still when it’s on.
apparently I talk to Levi every night in my sleep.
this morning I woke up, very uncharacteristically, in a very good mood. I was singing “peanut butter jelly time” in an opera voice and dancing in the kitchen. until I woke up and realized levi was staring at me…. woops. I went back quickly to making his pb&j sammy. my bad.
I need to go grocery shopping.

what’s on YOUR mind right now?

drum roolllll

2011-02-22T18:44:00.001-07:00

you’ve been begging & I’ve been listening. Here are the promised wedding pictures. My computer doesn’t have enough space to store them all; there is over 300! so I can’t do any cool, tricky post or anything at all. so just flip through; there are lots of pictures in this album that aren’t on facebook… ENJOY! (there are a few repeats.. okay quite a few… but I’m too lazy to go through all three discs and sort them out right now. sorry!)

true love.

VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

foto venerdì… a little late

2011-02-19T11:13:00.001-07:00

have a redneck weekend!! :]

sneak peak!!

2011-02-16T10:09:00.001-07:00

The photographer sent me a sneak peak of our wedding pictures that got sent back ‘return sender’ (my bad, I apparently don’t know my own address… speaking of which; if I have given you our new address let me know and I can see if it’s correct)

what a fun daaaayyy! can we do it again, PLEASE! this time with no sickness & warrrmmm weather?!

anyway, I can’t WAIT to see the rest of the pictures!

friday.

2011-02-11T16:29:00.001-07:00

I’m going to start a new tradition. each friday I’ll post at least one picture. this is to encourage me to take more pictures & so you can see how levi & I are growing at such a rapid pace (since we don’t have kids, we have to be obsessed with ourselves instead of our children, right? ;]) this week I give you

“I love you & kisses!”

sometimes I send picture texts to Levi while he’s working so he’ll know what he’s missing and how much I miss him! Now, I’m sending it into cyber world to let you all know how much I love and miss YOU! (sadly, this is the only picture from this week but I was DETERMINED to start this tradition now before I forget about it or lose motivation.

inspiration.

2011-02-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

you know how you’ll feel one way your whole life. but just kind of stagnantly feel that way? and then all of a sudden something will come across your path in life and you’ll be motivated more towards that kind of thing? or you’ll feel that way more strongly?

is this making any sort of sense? well, let me give you this article to read; it’s beautiful. something about it is so real, so sincere, so honest, so beautiful. and it compels me to [someday] be the most wonderful mother I can.

article found here. enjoy!

mmmmmm

2011-02-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

Oh! I am so glad you’re here! I have so much to tell you of what’s been going on lately! I’ll do a semi-list kind of lay out so I can keep my thoughts semi-organized.

I got a job! yes, ma’am! I am going to be working at a call center (I don’t even know what it’s called), but not making calls, just entering data into computers, stuffing packages for clients, etc… I’m not even sure what the company is but they paid well and were willing to work with my schedule & hire my short term! ya ya yahoo!
Last night we watched the SuperBowl (shocker, right? Didn’t 98% of the rest of the nation watch it as well?) over at my Auntie Pam & Uncle Dennis’ beautiful home. It was SO MUCH FUN to just be with family. Levi & I were talking on the way home & I realized I like football. I don’t LOVE it. I’ve gone years without watching the football and never missed it; but I do miss my family. I loved having such a fun excuse to sit together and enjoy life, commercials, good cheese, and yummy food; of course mingled in with a giving each other a hard time & catching up.
We bought a TV! We found an AWESOME deal @ Target last week and after much deliberation & looking around we finally found the perfect fit for us! It’s a 37 inch Vizio LCD. It’s been so much fun to use our blueray player that my parents got us for our wedding on such an awesome TV from my grandparents! Thanks guys! our date nights just got A LOT cheaper – we don’t have to go out now! haha (I’m just kidding… don’t worry we’re not psycho… well, not too psycho)

Levi and I have been really trying to utilize this time we have together right now. With no homework and me not having a job until now we’ve been going on a lot of dates that we won’t get to go on when we’re in school; and I love them. I love that I wake up in the morning to the sweetest note I’ve ever read and on the back I see this:

Sometimes when I don’t have to do my internship I drive that green tie guy to work & then pick him up and we go on a lunch date together! chipotle has our names written all over it & I’m glad Levi loves is as much as I do! Oh!! Give me fresh veggies, local farm supported meat, wrapped up in goodness & call it a Chicken Burrito for only 5.95!

Sometimes I ruin our pictures by sneaking a kiss. I’m so sorry (I’m not even a little bit sorry)

We are in one of the original wards of the LDS church. When Brigham Young came to the Salt Lake Valley he formed 19 (?) wards and they still exist. We’re in one of the oldest buildings in the church. It’s beautiful! The chapel has original artwork and is the most beautiful chapel I’ve ever been in. Stained glass & original cry rooms so mothers could rock their children and still see the sermons. It is an amazing building & very rich in culture and history. We are LOVING it. It’s a great ward so far. I will try and get some pictures of it this week; but it’s stormin’ and rainin’ outside right now.

This isn’t our chapel, but it’s a picture of a cry room; because I didn’t know what they were and so I figured I wasn’t the only one
(you probably all know what a cry room is; but just humor me)

So, overall, life is gooood. We love being married. It’s the best decision I ever made and the best thing ever. As long as it’s with the right person. I could see how marriage could be awful & miserable with the wrong person; but that’s another post for another day… cough cough, stepping down from my soap box… anyway, we are so happy we decided to be in Utah at this time; it’s so fun to be near so much of both of our families. Who knows where we’ll be next year, right? So, we’re just soaking up every minute we have here.

dont text and walk.

2011-02-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

all over lately i’ve been seeing campaigns discouraging people to not text and drive. my personal favorite are the little livestrong bands they hand out at byu-idaho that say “don’t drive intexticated.” Clever. Well, I’d just like to say a big “amen!” to that (i’ve seen a lot of people texting while driving lately & they drive like maniacs!) and also add that it’s dangerous as well to walk while using your phone unless it’s hands free. What brings upon this sudden vigor towards walking safety you may ask? Let me take you back to last Monday. The 24th of January (also, the same date that I attended my first Josh Groban concert years and years ago; but that’s completely irrelevant). I was making my Grandma Jenna’s lazy day stew with the help of my mamasita 1,000 miles away. Upon gathering all the ingredients for said stew at the store I headed home to prepare my meal. I was on the phone with my mom when I realized we didn’t have a can opener! I already had the beef in the crock pot and some veggies chopped up. So I quickly ran across the street (Thank you, Smith’s, for placing a store directly across the street from me… i know you did it because you knew i’d be there about 2 times a day) to buy a can opener. As I was leaving I hung up with my mom and took my phone out of my pocket to call my green tie guy. As my hand emerged from my pocket with the phone in hand I suddenly realized that I was not standing on solid ground. No, i was mid air as I had not realized there were TWO more steps that I had failed to see. I thought I was on the landing and put foot down. I went flailing and flying through the air down the two steps as I watched my phone descend down the next flight of stairs… My breath caught and I realized not only was my phone broken all into pieces but so was my ankle! Okay, my ankle wasn’t in pieces but it hurt really bad! I quickly (well, slowly really) grabbed my phone and limped back up the stairs to our apartment. I layed on the bed and tried not to cry. I never cry. well, not never, but REALLY RARELY ever from physical pain. I realized I was maybe going into shock a little bit. So I called Levi and talked to him and put my socks and shoes back on. The swelling had already started. oh my goodness! I limped and got the can opener trying not to cry with each step I took. as the days went on I was still in pain but tried to ignore it. I iced it and wrapped it and tried to elevate it as much as possible.

So, that was a week ago, my ankle still feels tender and like it needs to realign but it’s doing better. Yes, i can walk without crying & no i can’t run yet. But i am doing better. So the moral of the story? Don’t touch your phone while you’re walking. And don’t buy a can opener on a whim. It’s not worth it.

Do you have any funny stories of walking and/or driving and talking or texting? This story reminds me of a time I fell at the Sand Dunes, the first time green tie guy and I really hit it off… but maybe I’ll let him tell that story; he does it A LOT more funny than I do.

Other news: We have an apartment with internet now! We finally got it all figured out and set up; so we’re reconnected! Ya ya yahoo! Hopefully now I’ll be better at keeping in touch with those I love better. I feel so disconnected from everything.

Oh, and other, other news! Our wedding pictures are in the mail and coming now! Stay tunnneeeeedddd!!! (I CAN HARDLY WAIT!!), and yes I will give an update on our new place & location and all the goody details i know you’re DYING to hear. ;]

His & Hers Towels

2011-01-27T22:19:00.001-07:00

His & Hers

Hair color:
- His: dark brown
- Hers: who knows, she’s been coloring it since she was 12.
Eye color:
- His: Green, dark and AMAZING green.
- Hers: Brown
Favorite Color:
- His: Green, the brighter the better! (shocking that he was wearing a green tie that first sunday!)
- Hers: Purple, all shades & anything purple!
Majors:
- His: Accounting
- Hers: Health Science: Lifetime Wellness & Health Promotion
Candy:
- His: Caramello all day, everyday
- Hers: Fastbreak or Starburst Gummi Bursts
Would you bungee jump?
- Him: Duh, but then again it is different now, I am married.
- Her: No way, no sir!
Scent (Perfume/Cologne):
- His: Abercrombie fierce
- Hers: Varies: Wakely, Lovespell, Heavenly Stardust, Juicy, etc…
Fruit:
- His: Mango
- Hers: Raspberries (okay, so it’s a berry. Sue me!)
Birthplace:
- Him: Kansas
- Her: Hawaii
Favorite Childhood Toy:
- His: Farm Set
- Hers: Barbie’s
Favorite Food:
- His: Mexican
- Hers: Italian or Mexican
Unexpected Food/Drinks:
- His: Room Temperature Water, NO ICE
- Hers: Burnt popcorn
Dream Vacation Spot:
- His:
- Hers: Florence, Italy. It is a perfect little town in such a romantic city!
Dream Job:
- His: Accountant or Tax Lawyer or CFO
- Hers: Stay at home mama or Occupational therapist
Time to get ready in the morning:
- Him: about an hour or 45 minutes
- Her: about an hour
Unknown hobbies as a youth:
- Him: Skateboarding (he was a punk, she did ballet… what more can i say?!)
- Her: Shooting
Favorite hobbies now:
- His: Shooting
- Her: Dancing
Nicknames:
- His: Leevy, Cheeky, LVJ, Leevby, baby
- Hers: Darby, D-baby, Daby, baby
Secret Crush:
- His: Her.
- Hers: Him.

What about you? What is something about you? Or what other things would you like to know about us?

2011-01-21T12:54:00.001-07:00

our new tiny apartment for the next three months!

Daytona Beach

2011-01-20T12:52:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, we went to Daytona Beach for the second half of our honeymoon. we loved Daytona. It was a little slice of heaven. Everyday we’d wake up, roll out of bed and put our swim suits on and head to the beach. It was fun to go there during the off season; the beaches were practically empty! We both loved Daytona & would love to move there someday. How fun would that be? Here, live in paradise!

I took this picture because I wanted to document that ride. See that Boomerang? The two HUGE poles that are going higher than the building? (Okay, before i precede let me say this: i am TERRIFIED of heights. The first fight Levi and I had was over a bridge that was maybe six feet high… I can’t even do the high dives… i literally will pee my pants) Well, that is the BOOMERANG. It’s a pretty popular ride at carnivals & fairs & tourist attractions. One night Levi and I were walking back to our Hotel from doing a little souvenir shopping & he saw that. Slyly, he said “let’s go check it out, Dara!” So, we went up. The guy working it was talking to us. Offered us $30 for both of us, which is a lot off considered it’s supposed to be $25 each passenger, and the next thing I knew I was hyperventilating on the ride and being projected WAY TOO HIGH in the air for my unaccommodating phobia. But, I can say I’ve done it. Levi was just as shocked as I was after we got off. Who am I?! Anyway, yes, i couldn’t stop screaming, no we didn’t buy the DVD – it was too traumatic for me. :]

The view from out hotel was amazing. we had an ocean front room & woke up to a view similar to this every.single.morning.

Seriously, we were close to the beach; if you didn’t believe me before you should now. The only thing blocking us from the ocean was the pool, lazy river, and hot tub. :] We were on the sixth floor! We loved playing & exploring the beach everyday!
(don’t mind my stark white legs.. I AM from Washington & Idaho, ya know?)

If those faces don’t scream this is true love, don’t mess with us,
then I don’t know what else would besides us actually screaming those words.

We even found some little critters on the beach. Levi felt like this little catfish would feel out of place since he wasn’t in the water,
so he helped him feel more at home by making a face like his so he would have friends. What a man! ;]

Since we ARE poor college kids we did have to get creative with our meals..
okay not really.
But this WAS the first starfish levi had ever touched.
The first starfish he ever saw in the wild was in Washington in August!
I am so glad I got to be apart of these big moments with him!

Since we were just 45 minutes away, we stopped by the Kennedy Space Station.
It was really expensive to go through the entire center, so we just took a few pictures outside and looked around. :]

On this day, as our last day in Daytona, we were going to get all dressed up & eat at The Garlic, a very nice restaurant we had heard of. a few days before we had eaten at a small Burrito place called Tijuana Flats. OH MY GOSH! That food was better than any place ive EVER eaten. We became obsessed. and chose to eat there as our last night instead of the nice place we had been planning on… yeah, it was THAT good! I wish the had them around here; but if you see one EVER you have to stop and try it!

This picture CRACKS me up for a few reasons… Levi looks like he is about to get a bad case of the tired jollies (you know, uncontrollable giggles), I look a little concerned but mostly buzzed (iswearimnot)…. but this is Tijuana Flats. It’s a really fun environment with TONS of options!

The next morning we were at the airport at 4:30 and headed home to the snow in salt lake.. BRRR!
We had so much fun & it never goes too long until one of us says
“let’s just go back to Florida…”
haha and we’re only half kidding… more like dreaming.

So that was it. Then we came home to our Open House in Utah & reality hit.
We now have a place in downtown SLC in a darling little building. Life is bueno!

honeymoon

2011-01-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

For our Honeymoon, Levi and I were so blessed with the generosity of many people. Because of said generosity, we were able to go to Florida for NINE DAYS! We spent the first four days in Orlando and the last five in Daytona Beach. It was a lot of fun, to say the least. Just what we needed. Remember how we were both sick, sick, sick? Yeah, we slept A LOT. We layed in bed and watched Arrested Development & The Office and slept. It really was picture perfect and just what we needed. Neither one of us wanted to come back (…no offense…) once we started packing up.

We stayed at the Wyndham Resorts in both places & were treated close to royalty. The pool in Orlando was our favorite attraction at the resort and we utilized the warm weather & the outdoor pool in the middle of December in a way neither one of ever has (we’d never been swimming in December in an OUTDOOR pool!). This post will be Orlando only. I’ll do a Daytona post later… until then, sit back and enjoy the nice weather!

Luckily, our condo had a kitchen so we saved money by making our own breakfast & lunch. Buuuut just about every night we did go out for dinner. This table? You might recognize the paper tablecloths.. anybody? Macaroni Grill! It was a lot of fun. This was the first restaurant we ate at. :]

Don’t mind me looking like a twelve year old… I couldn’t find my mascara in my luggage – so my eyelashes are close to albino. haha

Does this guy look familiar? No, not the one on the left… daniel, aka my dance partner, has been doing an internship at Disneyworld this past semester (how cool, huh?!) and was so nice enough to give us free tickets into Disneyworld – Park Hopper passes – for free! :] we had a lot of fun that day; thanks again, Daniel! It was really fun to see a familiar face all the way across the country!!

Disneyworld was a blast! It was so fun to just walk ar ound, ride rides, and check out the different shops!

We might’ve even acted like honeymooners while we waited in line… oops!

After we had exhausted Disneyworld (we were pretty impatient about 80 minute lines… so we didn’t last TOO long) we took the train over to Epcot. Epcot proved to be our favorite place. They have a different section of the entire “land,” which is built around a pretty big lake, that is dedicated to a different country. It was a lot of fun! I loved Italy & Levi got a pretty sweet Manchester jersey in England (cool to say huh?!). We went from Mexico, to Africa, to Italy, to Japan, to Germany, to China, to Canada, to England, back to America!

We got exhausted from walking around and this picture certainly shows it! this is near the end of Epcot. We decided Epcot was our favorite place. They had some awesome and really fun rides.

After that we jumped on a shuttle from Orlando to Daytona. And SLEPT the entire way! It was a lot of fun - - we both loved it & lucked out because our ideas of “fun” are the same; therefore we spent majority of the day just walking around Epcot and looking in all the shops and learning about all the different cultures. More to come on daytona…

2011-01-13T17:03:00.001-07:00

i interrupt this slew of marriage posts to bring to you “Dancers Among Us” a project started in 2009 by the genius, Jordan Matter. It is a depiction of dancers doing everyday things. I love it! (don’t worry honeymoon post is coming soon!)

“This is an ongoing project that began in the spring of 2009, featuring top professional dancers in everyday situations around New York City. There were no trampolines or other devices used for these images, just thousands of hours of training!”

“They energize everyday situations, dancing in crowds and rejecting the notion of a cold and impersonal city. Flying high and bending low, they celebrate what most people seem to ignore, bringing light and life to ordinary moments. Onlookers are sometimes fascinated-- laughing, gawking in disbelief, and getting caught up in the excitement. At other times the dancers go unnoticed, rejoicing in the solitary moments that so often define life in New York City. Nothing in the fantasy I’m creating is too small or unimportant-- eating, shopping, sleeping, commuting, working, playing, cleaning, dating-- passion, intensity, and humor permeate each activity.” says, Matter, on dancers (i knew i liked this guy!) If you want to learn more about this project – the inspiration came from his 3-year old son – check out here; you can also see more pictures. Enjoy!

My kind of shopping!

I think that’s a yes…

What a good wholesome recreational activity for a family!

First date gone bad?

Super mom?!

true love?!

foto dal ricevimento

2011-01-13T12:31:00.001-07:00

Can I just preface this entire post with a big sigh of contentment and a heart full of gratitude?! My mother, father, sister’s, aunties, grandparents, in-laws, brothers, etc… all really made this happen. Since I was so sick the day before we got married I spent the majority of the day in bed, as did Levi. So when I say that family & friends did everything - - i am NOT exaggerating. It was so humbling and I felt so loved at the amazing act(s) of service they did for me.

With that said… enter my fairytale wedding.

The lighting is a little off in these pictures, but in case you dont get the gist… our theme was everything PEACOCK.
Our main colors were deep purple, deep turquoise, and that jade green you see there! I LOVED it!

I really felt like I was walking into a fairytale. Did anyone get a picture of the entryway? i loved it! My aunt Debbie & and Aunt Cryste worked so hard all day along with the rest of them family and I just can’t say how much I appreciated all the work that went into everything. Thanks for building those gorgeous pillars, Grandpa!

I loved that cake. I wanted something traditionally untraditional. I wanted
something that people would remember & I got JUST that!

For my food I chose to have a crepe bar! Who doesn’t LOVE crepes?! I mean, look at that chocolate, the fruit! OH THE YUMMINESS!!

Whenever I would picture my wedding day I pictured dancing. LOTS of dancing. i wanted a
party that redefined party on google to say “dara & levi’s wedding reception.” the good news is
I can officially say it is changed… okay not really… but it was a PAR-TAY!

The ‘rentals! (i promise I wasn’t drunk on my wedding day, even though these pictures both suggest otherwise) :]

Levi & I always felt like the “dances” got really boring and awkward for the
audience so we invited all mothers & sons and daughters & fathers to join in.

I’m so glad we did because I love the pictures we got from them!

Like i said before, once we get more pictures back from the photographer I’ll post them.
Thank you so much to the family & friends that took these pictures!

Here’s a post of pictures before I get the profesh ones back from the photographer

2011-01-12T13:52:00.001-07:00

Once upon a time I got married.

We spent the afternoon taking pictures in the frigid cold outside the temple.

(and apparently darby’s dress was GLOWING… who knew?!)

the groomsmen even had enough man power to hoist up a bride in all her many layers!

The bridesmaids were strong enough to stand still & still manage to smile even though it was

colder than any of us imagined it’d be.

What good sports everyone was through the freezing (& very muddy) weather.

what a very, very good looking bunch;

thank goodness for handsome groom’s & beautiful bridesmaids!

Darling niece's & nephews! ooo! they just melt me heart!

Seriously, it was THAT muddy. It was all a blur. levi & i were both sick sick sick but just happy to be married.

That’s just the temple. Pictures from my fairytale reception are coming next. :] I’m just trying to do things in order.

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams. – dr. suess

2011-01-10T11:57:00.001-07:00

12/28/2010

i married my green tie guy. the man of the dreams. my knight in shining armor. my future baby daddy. my companion. my helpmeet. but most importantly, on december 28, 2010 i married my very best friend.

My engagement was a little weird. It was tricky planning a wedding from 1,000 miles from where it was being held. It was tricky coordinating schedules from two families that originate from a total of five states. But, it was amazing. with the help my dear, blessed mother, okay let’s be real… it was all my mother’s doing… i had a wedding that far surpassed my dreams. My mom did everything in her power to ensure that I had the wedding and reception of my dreams. And it was better than my dreams. Reality really was better than my dreams. The morning of the wedding went by all too quickly and I soon found myself waiting in the waiting room talking with the sealer & my soon-to-be eternal companion; blown away that this day had actually come. i had prayed and prayed not to be nervous or have doubts or any sort of fear. and i didn’t. i can truly say all i felt was pure bliss & excitement in a way I have never before experienced. i was HAPPY!

It’s interesting because the Sunday night before we got married (we got married on Tuesday) i developed an awful upper respiratory infection. i lost my voice & couldn’t stop coughing. i woke up monday morning and called Levi only to find out my poor fiance had the stomach flu in a BAD way! He could barely stand up without wanting to die. we were a site to see! Through the help of many amazing family members & friends though, the reception was set up & I was truly BLOWN away. I’ll post pictures when I have them; but just know that the only word I can think of to describe the reception was: enchanting.

It’s interesting because the day of the wedding I was sick, sick, sick, as was Levi. But looking back I don’t remember that. I remember laughing with my sisters and mom in the bridal room, i remember dancing to “tonight’s gonna be a good night” with EVERYONE at the reception. I remember how carefree I felt. I remember HAPPINESS. Not sickness. That tells you something, considering how sick Levi and I both were. I don’t remember being sick until someone brings it up. I was just happy to be married to Levi & everything else became just fluff. Beautiful, breathtaking, fluff. When I have pictures I’ll post them…

but just know that my wedding day was everything I never could have even imagined it would be. The temple was AMAZING. The luncheon was just what we needed. the reception was a PAR-TAY. i loved meeting so many new people & finally getting to meet my new sisters in law. Overall, it was a perfect day.

ps seriously, be prepared for the picture post that is ahead.

2010-12-20T23:02:00.001-07:00

I get married in seven days [okay, seven days and two hours]. I am so very, very EXCITED!!!

obscure bodily happenings…

2010-12-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

This morning I did something I only do every couple months. Purely out of curiosity… i stepped on the scale. Something so strange happened. A number I haven’t seen on that scale since High School stared back at me. In three months I’ve lost ten pounds (i know this because i weighed myself at the beginning of the semester). Curious what my diet and exercise has been? Ya know, I am on the pre-marriage (or LGN) diet… supposedly. My diet has consisted of eating Taco Bell a minimum of 2x a week, gushers, pudding snack packs, yogurt, string cheese, nutella, pretzels (gluten free of course!), fast breaks on a regular basis (i mean, i’ve been working hard and needing A LOT of rewards;), cold cereal every morning, etc… (for those of you that don’t know, apparently another way my body reacts to stress is by developing a wheat allergy; so those are basically the only premade foods I can eat. rats!)

I always knew that I lost weight when I was stressed but I NEVER thought it’d be that intense; i mean i’m eating a diet that is every middle school or even elementary school child’s dream come true; pumped full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup… one thing just doesn’t make sense… how have I not GAINED ten pounds instead of LOSING ten pounds? I mean, i’m not really complaining; i can’t really visibly see a difference; but maybe other people can? It’s just kind of funny to me. Who knew in order to lose weight all you had to do was eat tons of taco bell (specifically a #3 with crunchy tacos & cheesy fiesta potatoes) & gushers.

Other weird habits of our body? Since we’ve gotten engaged Levi has grown 1-2 inches. At 24 years of age Levi has grown 1-2 inches. Who does that? Apparently Levi has a disease called stress-induced growth patterns (just kidding, that’s not even a disease). But yeah, pretty crazy, huh? in about 2-3 months time my main squeeze has grown 1-2 inches. He’s almost exactly 1 whole foot taller than me. COWABUNGA! Good thing I bought heels to wear to our wedding our it might look like Levi and I moved back to Jane Austen times & he was marrying someone 15 years his junior.

In other news, I get married in 12 days. i am SO excited. :]

there will be an update coming on the jane austen yule ball that levi and I went to a few weeks ago – stay tuned and be patient… neither one of us have much time on our hands these days.

my green tie guy!

2010-12-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give a little SHOUT OUT to my green tie guy (fyi, this IS the tie
Levi was wearing that first sunday weever met!) He’s been working so hard &
has been nothing but supportive to me as i’m freaking out about wedding
plans, work, & school. He’s just making me fall more and more in love with him.
I love that man so stinking much!

(did you know, Levi reads my blog without me ever even asking him to?!)

Q&A

2010-12-09T23:02:00.001-07:00

So, my sister, Angie did a little survey. I decided to steal her idea because it seems a lot less overwhelming at this point then anything else. So, here’s my own wedding survey ;]

Where/How did you meet?

We met originally in a dance class. I sat by the cutest boy in the class & struck up conversation. We both ended up dropping the class after the second day. Then we found out we were in the same ward – the seed was planted long ago!

when did you start dating?

well, we went on our very first date on May 28, 2010. But we didn’t start “seeing” each other until beginning of July & we didn’t start dating exclusively until July 23rd.

Where was your first kiss?

outside Levi’s house right before I left to go home for seven weeks & right after I had just met his family (well, some of them) for the first time… talk about a good kiss!

What was the first holiday you spent together?

well, this is fun! It was the Fourth of July & that’s actually the first night was sat and talked. and talked. and talked. I swear, something about my grandma jenna & her “special days”… they’re just good luck for me! (her birthday is the 4th of July & she passed away on July 25th - - the day Levi and I had our first kiss)

Do you remember the first time you said I love you to each other?

of course i do! We were sitting on the stairs at redondo (a boardwalk in my hometown) and watching the waves crash and just talking. Levi turned his body to face me and with the sweetest look in his eyes said “dara, would it be alright if I said I love you right now?” I smiled sweetly & replied “yeah…” …..nothing……. so i awkwardly said “you’re awesome” and went in for a hug. I pulled away to see a blank stare on Levi’s face. I realized that there must have been some sort of miscommunication. I responded “what did you say?” and apparently; he had said, “would if FREAK you out if I said I love you” haha woops! Good one, Dara :]

when did you start talking about forever?

we actually decided to get married the night before we said i love you. haha, levi had planned on bringing up the topic just to see if we were on the same page & obviously it just worked out that we decided to get married that night.

When & how did he pop the question?

September 17, 2010 you can read Levi’s Story on our proposal here (it’s a good one, if i do say so myself!)

Where will the wedding be?

in the Seattle, Washington Temple; for time & all eternity <3

How long have you been engaged?

We’ve been engaged about three months now.

How long until your wedding day?

oh, just a little less than 18.5 days.

What are the colors of your wedding?

we went with more of a “theme/inspiration” idea. My theme is Peacock & so all the colors are deep turquoises & blues, Deeeeeep purples, and a brighter green. Like a peacock!

what will your reception be like?

well, it will be held at the LDS Stake Center & let me tell you what it will be a PARTY! We’ve hired an amazing DJ and have fun food planned. The decor should be stunning & we just plan on celebrating with those we love & care about all night long!

What will your first dance together be?

I won’t tell you the specific song, you’ll have to come & see, but I WILL tell you it’s a Josh Groban song (yes… it’s true. Levi James McFarlane AGREED to dance to Josh Groban for our first dance as man and wife… and HE LOVES THE SONG!!)

Are you taking a honeymoon?

yes, we are going to spend 4 days in Orlando, FL and then about 6 days in Daytona Beach, FL. I’m pretty dang stoked!

what i am thankful for

2010-11-25T21:34:00.001-07:00

….this year… (in no particular order)

doctors and modern medicine.
family.
new family (namely LEVI)
the Lord’s hand in my life.
summertime.
long talks.
family dinner.
a great education.
awesome roommates/friends.
great music.
scriptures.
temples.
math classes.
nephews (and now nieces too! yahoo!)
parents who are incredibly supportive & unbelievably loving.
fun trips to boston & south carolina (all in the same year!)wh
great photographers (see pene)
new josh groban albums (yeah, a review is coming of it)
tender mercies.
wild flowers.
love.
dentist and floss.
harry potter.
shopping.
the chance i’ve been given to grow in so many ways this year.
make up.
hair color.
jobs.
cadavers.
sisters.
brothers.
the chance i’ve had to wake up each morning & take a deep breath in.

Happy Thanksgiving!

what are you thankful for?!