Happiness.

Happiness is the Olympics.

You had to see that one coming... Seriously, everything about this program makes me happy. For example, I just watched Jonathan Horton attack the high bar!! It was amazing. And I may have squealed. More than once. To watch the world unite in a little healthy rivalry every two years always amazes me. And the technique and athleticism of these competitors!! So inspiring. And those opening ceremonies yesterday! Beautiful. Some may complain that they couldn't live up to the grandeur of Beijing, but I daresay they did: in their own way. I could go on, and I probably will over the coming two weeks. Be prepared. (Momentary relapse in commentary: Ryan Lochte on the Gold Medal stand....Hottie McHottie, AND he doesn't do drugs (ahem Michael...). A++). (Commentary #2: Can I just say how much I LOVE overhearing teamtalk? It's wonderfully sweet. Jonathan Horton was just telling his teammates to remain humble no matter their standings. Love it.)

Happiness is relationships.

No, I'm not talking about me, but several of my friends are in the various stages of relationships!! And it makes me cheese seeing Facebook relationship statuses change, pictures tagged together holding hands, wedding invitations, etc. You'd think with the chronic singularity of my life right now all this would make me sick...but it just makes me overwhelmingly happy :D. I may or may not have teared up the other day creeping through a budding relationship. A relationship that I've been rooting for since it was just in the whispering stages of a crush. I'm a sappy, happy mess. But it's cute. One of my best friends from junior high, Cheyenne, got married today. And I can't contain my happiness for her!! I love love. I just love it.

Happiness is ABCFamily programming.

Yes, I'm almost 21 and watching shows geared for 16 year old girls. Don't judge. Nearly every ABC Family original show is incredibly addicting!!! I'm currently addicted to Jane By Design. I think it's their casting. Totally beautiful characters--it just pulls me in!! Oh, and the incessant drama. Love it. I might have stayed up til 2 am watching this show... and it isn't even a suspenseful show like Pretty Little Liars to insist I keep watching!! I just love the characters!! And the main girl has STYLE! It's like a living, breathing version of fashion boards on Pinterest. As exciting as the Olympics are, my thoughts frequently turn to Jane. That's a problem. I need to be focused on the Olympics!!!! Well, I guess need is a strong word.

Happiness is decorating.

The superintendent decided to shuffle my mom's office around, so she was put in a new office space. New office space = blank walls = Kristen gets to decorate!! So we went to Target yesterday (my favorite store ever) and picked out a picture frame and some flower pins for her wall. Today we went into her office and set them all up. It was magical. I love letting my creative side shine through. Speaking of which, two crafties have been completed. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of pictures. It will be wonderful, no doubt.

Happiness is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's new movie being rated PG-13.
Yes, that was important enough to make this list. I'm so sick of my favorite actors being in Rated R movies!! What's the point of my liking you if I can't watch your movies??

Happiness is writing a talk for church.

Yes, you read that correctly. I found happiness in preparing to talk in church tomorrow, kind of sick, huh? Don't get me wrong, my thoughts of public speaking have not changed in the least, but I am so excited to give this message on obedience. I'm grateful, no I'm happy, to have been given this chance to prepare a talk on this subject because it has reminded me the reason for obedience. And I'm reminded of the blessings of obedience.

Happiness is life.

You just have to look for it.

Sound of Music: Dark Knight Style

Studying just got a little more wonderful.
After seeing The Dark Knight Rises for the second time, I realized something. That movie has some dang good music. So what was a girl to do? Uh, buy the soundtrack, obviously. And now I have some awesome, inspiring music to study to since I can only concentrate with instrumental music. I think I might be a little more excited to study now... but don't quote me on that;).

I dare you to listen to this song and not get a cheesy smile on your face. Or maybe it's just me. I love me some Hans Zimmer.

The Day I Gained an Ounce of Cowboys Pride.

If there were any NFL team that I would have to root against from now until eternity...it would have to be the Dallas Cowboys. First off, they aren't that talented of a team (sorry to bring this to your awareness if you are a Cowboys fan). Second, they aren't the humblest of people. Take T.O. for example, AKA the reason I started disliking the Cowboys in the first place: he's rude, unsportsmanlike, greedy, and the list goes on. And don't even get me started on Romo. Not a pretty place.
I digress. Today (and by today I mean yesterday because I fail at posting on time), I found something I never imagined I would find: respect for the Cowboys. Yes, this respect is more for the city of Arlington and Jerry Jones' personal funds, but it is in the name of the Cowboys. If you are confused, I'm talking about Cowboys Stadium. The biggest, most extravagant football stadium as of 2012. I'm talking 1.2 billion dollars big. Today (again, yesterday), we toured this football haven. And it was amazing. Well, more like awe-inspiring.
In case you don't ever have the chance to, or you want to be inspired to, visit Cowboys Stadium, here are the highlights. Slash the pictures that turned out well:).

 

Me, looking all cute. 

Note: If you decide to visit the stadium, I cannot guarantee this feature (aka me) will be there. 

This stadium seats 82,000 people, with standing room for another 10,000. The old Texas Stadium held 65,000 people.  

High school football games are also played on this field. They switch out the NFL field for a HS regulation field. This process takes 12-13 hours and the field comes apart in 10 yard sections.

 The massive screen. Who needs to watch the field when you can watch a larger than life version of it in clear view? I don't remember how wide it is, but I do remember that it is 7 stories tall... and it's nearly twice as wide as it is tall. You do the math (because I don't want to..)

Just chillin' in Jerry Jones' personal viewing room. Complete with his own elevator (which provides direct access to his room from his parking space INSIDE the stadium), four LCD tvs (which can follow any teammate throughout the entire game or any other NFL game), and what I'm pretty sure was a mini bar. Yeah, he's not loaded or anything...

The retractable roof. It takes 9 minutes for this puppy to retract and bring the beautiful rays of sun into the stadium. 

You see that black blurb toward the right of the picture? Yeah, that's a light the size of an 18-wheeler semi truck. The enormity of this stadium ironically dwarfs itself. 

When the contractors installed the video screen the roof dropped. 4 inches. They expected it to drop as much as 12 inches. ...No worries though, they haven't reported any changes in height since then.

Rangers Ballpark. Really a beaut of architecture.

 Ever worry you're going to run out of something to cheer at a game? Fear no more, here is every cheer imaginable. 

Why, yes, we did enter the private space of the Cowboys. And it smelled. Like a locker room. Go figure.

Sometimes I pretend that I'm a Cowboy fan so that I can take cool pictures like this.

At the start of every game, the Cowboys run through this star.

I'm pretty much famous.

Me madre y yo. We just scored a touchdown, no big deal.

Sike. We just like to pretend we are awesomely athletic.

Other random facts:

The stadium has over 3200 LCD TVs housed in their bars, concession lines, hallways, etc.

Of all the bathrooms in the stadium, 60% are women's and 40% are men's, and this percentage can change based on the audience during particular events.

Okay, so maybe the Cowboys have ONE thing going for them. I'm not a full fan. Nor do I ever believe I will be. But now I think just a little more highly of them. Er, Jerry Jones at least. And they make pretty snazzy shirts...

Photobooth

I blame you Photobooth. I blame you for the pangs of homesickness that I am feeling right now. Yes, I am indeed at "home", with my family, but anymore my home is that place that I live 10 months out of the year -- good old Provo.

I was feeling rather cute today, so I made the only rational decision I could think of--I opened up Photobooth to take some diva pictures. For my enjoyment, at the bottom of the screen lay snapshots from the past year. The year since I got this computer and discovered the magic of Photobooth (how many times can Kristen say Photobooth?? So far...4). As I scrolled through these lovely, yet horrifying, pictures, my thoughts began to drift to a far distant time. One where 6 girls lived in the quaint quarters of P-town. Oh wait, that was a month ago. Time FLIES. I feel like I've been gone for a year, if not longer!! I miss my roommates, my best friends! Come to me, my precious[es]! This past year has been one of the greatest and I will always regret not documenting every detail! There are so many memories that I wish I had pictures, but alas I do not. But I do have some pretty great ... PHOTOBOOTH (count it..5!) pictures!

Enjoy!

That one time after work that Megan made me cry. From laughing, of course.

umm... no comment.

this is what I do instead of studying. 

Eggs on your head, give you pretty dreads. 

Yeah. This is embarrassing. Live it up. You won't see this twice..

You, you there on the left (who may desire to remain nameless), I love and miss you!

I feel like this accurately describes us all.

Kristen - overly excited for the delectable, yet adorable nature of food.

Mariah - cuts to the chase and just worries about the task at hand -- eating it.

Megan - in her own little world...;)

I love you two!

Saucy Mamas: Mars-Style

Daggum. We are cute! Maybe it's just the red lipstick...

NOPE. We are HOT.

Love y'all!

Thanks for letting me share these moments of fun with you! I love these girls (and more not pictured in this post) and can't wait to be back around them!!

To Do List.

There are about a million things that I wanted to accomplish this summer, and I had all the means to do so. I'm not working, and I'm home alone 4 days a week. So what have I done this summer? Not much. SO maybe if I write down everything that I intend to do, it will happen? It's a start, right? And look how many things I've already done!! Pretty good, I must say! I got the important stuff out of the way and now I can have some FUN!

• tie dye a t-shirt, ombre style
• clean out closet of all things unused
• read Wicked
• read The Great Gatsby
• explore Pottermore/read Harry Potter
• finish decorating new guest bedroom
• party it UP, Cove-style (aka go to Walmart with friends and see a bunch of movies...)
• make some pretty rad playlists
• craft (TBD)
• craft (TBD)
• craft (TBD)
• dental checkup
• eye exam/order contacts/glasses
• wisdom teeth removal
• paint bedroom
• get a snazzy new haircut
• go on vacation

Geez. Maybe I should start waking up before 10am...

Next week.


And side note:
Ben and Jerry's has a new ice cream flavor: Chocolate Therapy. Yeah, it DEFINITELY has therapeutic  qualities. It has healed my oral surgery wounds (not really, but it sure tasted good enough to distract me from the discomfort;))

A Big Day.

This is monumental you guys. I am writing on my not-so-secret blog. CRAZY, right? I seriously started writing this on my other blog, mostly because it is more accessible, but then I thought...there's nothing TOO personal in this--share it with the WORLD! So, here I am, p-p-posting away for your lovely eyes to read.

The past few days have been Killer (capital K intended). I had my wisdom teeth out last Thursday and today was the first day that I felt normal. I still look like I ate way too much and kept a little food stashed in my cheeks for, oh say, a year, but I can actually think for longer than three minutes without zoning out, I can walk around without getting light-headed, I can eat real food, I'm not constantly thinking about the next time I can take pain meds, and I had energy to do my make-up (that probably was this biggest help :) ). Depending on who asks, I give two very different responses on how the surgery went -- if I'm talking to someone who still has their wisdom teeth (and very well might get them removed in the near future), my surgery went great. If I'm talking to someone who has been through this procedure...kind of nearly awful.
NOTE: Feel free to SKIP past the following (tiny) details of my surgery. This is more for my memory's-sake than for your entertainment.
I chose to take a pill the night before and morning of my surgery which was supposed to calm my anxiety and sedate me, and then I would get nitrate gas immediately before and during the surgery. The pill was advertised with the highly probable side effect of amnesia, but I would be semi-conscious during the surgery with the added loopy-ness of the nitrate gas. That's fine, I thought, if I'm awake for it, I won't even remember it. This was the clear choice for me, since I have a semi-irrational fear of going under general anesthesia that I won't wake up. So that's what route we took. I was awake throughout my entire surgery. I felt the needle pierce into my skin. I heard the nasty drilling and breaking of my teeth. I felt the suture string glide past my not numbed lips. I remember the surgeon telling me that my lower left tooth was being exceptionally stubborn and they'd have to break it some more and then hearing the drill return to my mouth. Luckily, I couldn't see what was going on and my mouth was numbed very well, so I was only relying on the gruesome details that my ears could give me, which was limited. So I am grateful for that. As for that amnesia that I was counting on? Yeah. It never came through. Ya little booger. 
It could have been much worse than it was. I only swelled to giant-chipmunk-size on my left side. The right side was baby-chipmunk. And my surgeon was amazing. I'm not sure how long it usually takes for wisdom teeth removal, but I was in and out in under an hour (including the time for checking my vitals and allowing the nitrate and numbing to settle in). She was very concerned about me, she kept asking me if I was okay, if I could feel anything, and I never could. At one point, a stray tear "escaped from my eye" and she stopped working and tended to my emotional state. She was amazing--all things considered ;).

In other news, we went shopping today, and my year-long quest for a chambray shirt has ended. Yes, my friends, that is why there was a Pinterest-bombing of chambray outfits. SORRY! Ha. Really, I'm not. I also picked up a beautifully plain lace top that will be the perfect accent piece. Let's just say it took all my conviction to resist trying on all my clothes and their new styling possibilities tonight.

And the meat of my story, and the best part of my day: I watched Moneyball with my dad tonight. My dad and I are, in many ways, the same person, except for that I'm a girl...duh. But really, I love learning about my parents and seeing myself in them. Tonight, it was that extremely emotional side. You know the one. It's the one where you tear up at telling or hearing a story, a story that has nothing to do with you, but has impacted your life in ways you can't describe. Well that's how it was tonight with the story behind the Oakland A's and Moneyball. Dad spent some time in the Oakland area in his early adult years, and I think that had a little to do with his emotional connection to this story. But more so, I think it was his testimony of the Lord's hand that shone through this emotional reaction to a very improbable story. As this team beat the odds that were stacked against them and turned a losing streak into a record-breaking winning streak, I could faintly hear my dad, sitting three feet from me, sniffling. That sound is one of my favorite memories of my dad. He's an easy cryer and so am I. I will always remember the Firesides that he would speak at and stand before the youth, stopping mid-sentence to choke back tears because he was overwhelmed with the Spirit and because of his testimony. I know that in that moment as he was watching this movie, he was thinking about the blessings of the Lord in the lives of that team and in his own life. There are acts of God all around us, but we just have to be humble enough to open our eyes and see them. Today, I was blessed with an opportunity to connect with my dad. He doesn't know how much this experience means to me, but it has helped me grow closer to him in understanding him and understanding myself through him. I know that the Lord is involved in every aspect of our lives. He loves us. He will always love us. He will guide us through this life, if we but let Him in. Open the door. Find ways to be gracious and find His hand in your life.