30, flirty & thriving

day 30 - a picture of you from last year & now, & how you've changed since then.

mesa falls 2010

salt lake temple 2011

i have changed in many ways since last year, & am still continuing to change.

some of the physical differences include:

• my hair is now blonde instead of that awful redish-brownish-blonde-streaks color.
• i weigh 5lbs less.
• i am healthier & in better physical shape.
• i'm not a vegetarian anymore.
• i've been off soda pop for 18 months now vs 6 months.
• i've been studying russian for 3 1/2 semester now, rather than just 1 1/2.
• i'll be getting my associates degree at the end of this semester.

some of the more mental & spiritual differences include:

• i lived in china for 4 months (having gained all the experience & knowledge that comes with it).
• i recognize the importance of being a member of this church & what it means to have an eternal companion 10x more than i used to.
• i'm a lot less stubborn than i was last year.
• there are some large changes i've experienced mentally & spiritually since last year that i can't necessarily express to you in words.  if you know me, you'll know i've changed.

well, there ya go folks.
30 day challenge: accomplished.

29

day 29 - a picture of your favorite pastime.

i'm not sure what my favorite pastime is.  favorite is a very definitive statement.

one of my favorites though is reading.

 it used to be walking my dog, but i can't really do that anymore.

28

day 28 - a list of the qualities you hope to find in your spouse.

i think that any quality i hope to find in my spouse, he should be able to find in me.  so this is not only a list of what i want to find in my spouse, but a list of qualities i'd like to better find in myself.

the first & most important 3 he must have are:

• the willingness & capability to put aside every other dream, for the one dream of having a righteous & loving family.
• a firm belief & ever growing testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• & unwavering honesty & respect

now, if i were to search for "my dream man", he'd would also have/be the following:

• a logical, problem-solving mind
• a hardworker (physically & mentally)
• brilliant
• intelligence.  not just smart, but intelligent; someone who knows how to use what he's learned.
• oh yeah, he must be crazy in love with me & who i want to be.
• an overall good person, with a desire to help those around him.
• a love for animals, nature, & life in general.
• a big sense of adventure, accompanied by a desire to see the world & all the different people & cultures in it.
• it'd be nice if he had some really large sum of money tucked away that he'd surprise me with once we were married.
• a returned missionary
• bilingual
• financially savvy.  (i'm awful with this stuff.)
• a love for the outdoors
• physically fit & active (being healthy naturally coincides with these two)
• a love for the arts & the ability to play the guitar, piano, banjo, or something cool... ya know?
• oh yeah, he'd be a total babe.

yup, that's my dream man.
now, i do recognize that people rarely get the man or woman of their dreams, but i also think that the person they do marry is better:  they're real.

27

day 27 - a picture of someone or something important to you.

my family.
i hope this one is self-explanatory.

26

day 26 - a picture of someone who has gotten you through the most.

 my annaleez, leah.

she has been my best friend for 7+ years & has seen me through the thick & thin.

i don't know what i would do without her.

i love her.

awkward

day 25 - a picture of your biggest insecurity.

 

well, because i'm insecure about it, i'm not going to post a picture of this feature on myself, rather, here is one that emphasizes it nonetheless.

good ol' love handles.  i can never get rid of them.  i hate wearing swimsuits because of them, & i hate wearing anything tight around them.  i feel so awkward when someone picks me up or hugs me, & their arms or hands touching my love handles.  i just hate it.

oops, 22, 23, 24...

so this challenge is turning out to be more than a challenge than i though.

i have been in utah this past weekend & so i forgot to do my day posts.

here they are!

day 22 - a picture of your favorite musician/band.

i have several favorites.  i can never pick just one.

neil young

the tallest man on earth (kristian matsson)

& the black keys

day 22 - a list of the first ten songs your ipod plays on shuffle.

1.  sugar magnolia     by:  grateful dead
2. criminal     by:  fiona apple
3. roxanne     by:  the police
4. on your porch     by:  the format
5. slow life     by:  grizzly bear feat. victoria legrand
6. biting your tail     by:  iron & wine
7. i won't back down     by:  tom petty & the heartbreakers
8. sometimes (i wish)     by:  city & colour
9. tout le monde     by:  carla bruni
10. you can close your eyes     by:  james taylor

 day 23 - a picture of someone who inspires you.

one of my closest & best friends, lindsay.

 lindsay is the kindest person i know.  she has a genuine heart.  she is in touch with what "really matters" in life & never lets things really get her down.  she's always doing what is right & never alters her standards.  not to mention her crazy fun-loving attitude that can bring a smile to anyone's face.

i admire & love this girl.

my age in 4 months

day 21 - a picture of something or someone that has recently had a big impact on you.

whenever i receive a letter, it's a big deal.  it changes my day completely.

these are the last four letters that i have received that have really made a difference in how my days were going when i received them.

specifically, the letter from my mom (the red heart).

the things she said in that short note really touched on a few sensitive thoughts i'd been worrying about at that time.  not to mention the sincere motherly love expressed in it.  it's amazing what a few small words can do for someone.

20

day 20 - a picture & a letter.

i've been putting this day off (for about 20 days now) because i don't like the idea of posting a letter to someone when anyone can read it.  so instead i've decided to write a letter to someone, & post a picture of that letter.  ^_^  i find my way around the rules.

19

day 19 - a list of some of your goals/plans/dreams.

run a marathon

learn to pluck a song on the banjo

get a 4.0 this semester

backpack europe

bike to st. george

become fluent in russian

learn french (attempt fluency)

live in a foreign country for a year or so

make a blanket out of old music t-shirts

get married & start a family

own a great dane

get a masters

get a doctorate

lose 20lbs

hike mount olympus

backpack king's peak

create a library of my books

serve a couples mission (when i'm old & married)

the legal age

day 18 - a picture of somewhere you want to travel.

of all the amazing places i want to go,

switzerland

is near the top of my list.

specifically, the matterhorn mountain (in switzerland)

17 (a day late)

day 17 - a picture of your favorite childhood memory.

my favorite childhood memories involved no one but myself, my imagination, & all my stuffed animals, but because i don't have a photo of that, i'll just post one of my favorite pictures from my childhood.

i loved my pup.  i loved spending time with him even more.

16

day 16 - a picture of someone you do the most crazy things with.

 my beautiful leah.

she is my annaleez partner in crime.

we always find way to just cause mischief amongst ourselves.

we live very exciting lives together hahaha.

15

day 15 - a list of your favorite songs. 

i have been anticipating, & also dreading this blogpost.  i love music!  but how can i pick my favorites?  they are constantly changing.

so here's a list of 20 of my current favorites--in no specific order.

• heart of gold   by: neil young 
• september   by: earth wind & fire
• paper bag   by: fiona apple
• i'm gonna be (500 miles)  by: the proclaimers
• the way i am   by: ingrid michaelson
• love vigilantes   by: iron & wine
• quelqu'un ma dit   by: carla bruni
• everlasting light   by: the black keys
• slow life   by: grizzly bear (with victoria legrand)
• hard headed woman   by: cat stevens
• sometimes the wheels   by: neil halstead
• i won't back down   by: tom petty & the heartbreakers
• troubles will be gone   by: the tallest man on earth
• postcards from italy   by: beirut
• wheel   by: john mayer
• tiny dancer   by: elton john
• i met up with the king   by: first aid kit
• come away with me   by: norah jones
• better together   by: jack johnson feat. paula fuga
• green eyes   by: coldplay

fourteen

day 14 - a picture of someone you miss.

lately i've been missing my dear amy.

we moved to utah during the summer before our junior year of highschool.

she moved to georgia 8 months later.

since then we have only seen each other twice.

it's been almost 2 years since i last saw her, & boy do i miss her.

she was my saving grace in highschool.

i love her.

luckily, she'll be moving back to utah this july!  i'm very excited.

13

day 13 - a picture of someone you commonly go to for advice & why.

one of my best friends, m.e.g.

megan is the friend i most commonly go to for advice.

she & i see eye-to-eye on many things, so it helps to get her advice on something when she is not emotionally attached to the situation, as i might be.

megan is logical, frank, considerate & trustworthy.

it is these very qualities, that i value so highly in her, that make her my choice adviser.

she cares about me & wants the best for me, but at the same time, she doesn't dismiss my thoughts, worries, or hesitations.

love her.

 [clearly she knows what she's doing]

12

day 12 - a picture of something you're afraid of & the reason why you're afraid of it.

drowning.

to be stuck, under water, without air just freaks me out.

instantly, it's life-threatening.

once your brain goes without oxygen for just over a minute, you are rendered completely helpless.

it's not like a cut or a broken limb, which, even if it requires lengthy treatment, is not all together life-threatening.

it is danger at it's most intense moment (in my eyes).

that's why i became certified in life-guarding skills, cpr, first aid & a.e.d. skills.

to help be more prepared.

elevenses

day 11 - a picture that can always make you laugh.

there are two pictures that can always make me laugh.  the first is:

[megan & lindsay are going to hate me for posting this, & i can't believe i am, but...]

this picture always makes me laugh, without fail.  we took this a week before i left to ukraine, & when taking it i said "make the ugliest face you can" & somehow we all made the exact same ugly face.  it cracks me up.

the second is:

this picture sums up the majority of my junior year of highschool.  driving around in the jeep, eating pizza, blasting rap songs like "jane fonda" by mickey avalon, & just being ridiculous with these girls.

ten

day 10 - a list of your bad habits.

i eat when i'm not hungry-just bored.
i take forever to "get to the point".
i bite my nails (sometimes).
when working in a group, i tend to assume leadership & become a bit of a control freak.

those are just some of the bad habits i have.
there are more good habits i should have, but don't.

9er

day 9 - a picture of something you hate.

ignorance

hate is a strong word.  i can't really think of much else that i literally hate.  i mean, i don't like plenty of things.  but hate....not so much.