Well that was fun.. so here's another!

First Christmas

Since we aren't incredibly established and aren't yet pulling in the 7 figures we will be we decided to set a $100 budget for Christmas presents for each other. This way we could have some money to go stay in Jackson Hole or PC for a couple nights and snowboard, be romantic, etc. Well I'm convinced we will get better at sticking to budgets but we had already spent more than that by the time Black Friday rolled around. We got some great deals, but embarrassingly spent way over our allotted budget. (in our defense we are building up the things we own from the ground up)- (or from the bottom to the top). 

It was all worth it in the end to look at our beautiful, puny Christmas tree-complete with 6 ornaments. It made me even happier to put our Black Friday findings under it and our new wrapping paper beside it. 

Our four room apartment is really great. We decorated every square inch of it (read: I decorated every square inch of it). When I say four room apt it makes it sound a lot bigger. Notice I didn't say four bedroom apt. Jokes on you. Unless you've seen it. And in that case-joke on everyone, involved. 

Another thought: I think we need a puppy to dress up in Santa clothes. My sister and I took my family's dog, Mars, to Petco looking for outfits and Mars pooped right when we walked in out of pure excitement. I want to spread that kind of excitement. 

Love, sweet Love

Marriage

It's interesting that when you get married you become a lot more aware of your actions. It used to be that I could come home from a long (or short) day of school and just watch Netflix or, on the productive occasion, paint, write, read; etc-but mostly watch Netflix. My responsibilities did more than double when Todd and I got married, they quadrupled. I don't know how it happened but we rarely have any spare time and (honestly)I constantly feel like I'm not doing enough. Part of this is because of how close we are to our parents (which is wonderful) and part of it is probably just real life. I'm learning and I have a long way to go. 

Another adjustment that everyone warned me about: online shopping- and really just shopping in general. Thankfully my husband is pretty good about this, and lets me get most everything I ask for, within reason. He was not very good, understandably?, about a certain green dress I bought before our wedding from Emerson Fry for 400 bones. You only get married once though right! I intended to wear it for our engagements that we intended to do in Murfreesboro, TN, but intentions alone could not create engagement photos.. the dress became slightly worthless aaaaand after some tears we traded it in for a $400 sweater instead!

It is literally the best thing I could have ever hoped for being married to this guy. He is hard working, mostly patient, creative, more handsome than Thor AND he's even learning to laugh at my jokes.

One of my favorite things to do when we lived in Tennessee was to read the notes that Todd would write on the iPad when we he was out knocking in Nashville for Vivint, and I was back at the apartments in the Boro. For a while he didn't know that back when I was in school I had synced my iPad to my iPhone so everything was shared. He would write motivational things to help him stay driven or details he needed to remember about individuals, but he would also write different thoughts he would have throughout the day (something he did on his own phone before we moved to TN). It was the best insight into what he was thinking because he isn't always a huge sharer. One of my favorites was: "Make a joke about who the boss is," apparently a technique he would use with people on the doors. Sometimes I'm a big bully of a wife and still look at what he has written periodically. One of the more recent entries was before we had bought our Honda CRV and we still had my old Civic. He wrote I'm going to take this Civic from the bottom to the top. He must have been listening to rap music, but the message was just so positive and optimistic I died when I read it.

One of my most favorite things about Todd though is his ability to produce endless one-liners and make life a little lighter. Most of them are dirty but a few of them are funny things he doesn't even really realize he says. Like the other day I told him "you're just a bully babe" to which he responded "you're just so sensitive, like a piece of Kobe steak."

I feel like I'm writing a paper for my second grade class. One of my favorite things to do, one of my favorite things about Todd.. So, in keeping with the flow, to finish I will write one of my favorite things about being married:

I love that whatever is important to me becomes important to him. Yesterday I was outside and he text me to let me know that my shows were going to be on soon (New Girl and The Mindy Project). He listens to me complain, tries to keep up on whatever drama is going on with my friends, and tries to find a way for me to do whatever it is I want to do (instead of just talking about it). 

I hope this wasn't too sappy for you, I'll be better next time :)

The End.

Some wise, and then some humble thoughts

"Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle. The world you desired can be won, it exists, it is real, it is possible, it's yours."        -Ayn Rand

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark."
What incredible guidance. I think sometimes we try and sacrifice those things we want because of our love for others. Sometimes this can be noble, right and mature-but sometimes it is cowardly. Sometimes it is a silly, misguided, ignorant thing to do. We do the people we love no favor by not attempting to magnify and stretch ourselves. Sooner or later (probably sooner) we will have to find time to face the situation we have created for ourselves.
Passions are a wonderful thing; a guiding light. They add color and depth to our lives. May we always be able to feel them, and often have the opportunity and luxury to embrace and exploit them.

A large Bravo, but maybe not an Encore

I'm blown away by my dad and the perseverance, passion, and class he has shown running his campaign for Utah State Senate. To run as a democrat in the state of Utah is a feat in itself. You run the risk of being opposed on every idea you raise before you're able to articulate word one.
In defense of this beautiful state's politics-it is the way it is because that is the will and word of its people, and that is correct. But Utah, you're missing out. I firmly believe there is much to be gained by an increase in bipartisanship (in most all situations) but particularly and relevantly, here in Utah.
We are so blessed to carry different skills, thoughts and opinions. I feel like we aren't maximizing and benefiting from this truth when we have one party's candidate forever and ever voted 9.5 out of 10 times, every time (ha). I guess my real beef is the option to vote straight democrat or straight republican at the start of our ballots. Doesn't this do an extreme injustice to those candidates who put in long hours, money and faith into sharing their message and promoting those improvements they wish to implement? Instead we can just skip past ever even seeing their names.
Moving away from that... I am so happy we live in such a wonderful country-surrounded by people interested in doing good, and my hope is that these next 4 years bring necessary change and increased cooperation.

Crazy proud of my dad and the hard work he put in to participating in something he so believes in!

Car Problems

I have the patience of a mature 5 and a half year old. It's kind of like I just realized that other people have their own feelings and thoughts, and that an outside world exists outside my own mind.
So for this and many other reasons I am grateful that my darling boyfriend possesses strengths that I do not. We were up in Bear Lake for a Halloween party this past weekend thrown by my friend Courtney. Most of us stayed the night afterwards, but most did not have to leave after 3 hours of sleep like lucky Todd and I. I needed to be back to help with canvassing for my dad's campaign so we were off at first light.

Thanks to the turbo's malfunctioning on Todd's Audi, he has to add water to the coolant something or it overheats and affects his transmission. He was checking it before we left and accidentally dropped the cap somewhere in the engine area......... We spent about an hour looking for it, then drove down to his brother's gas station to continue looking with the help of better tools. Another hour later, with the assistance of the crew there we found it and we were off! Without heat (the wires had been affected). But then the light came on to tell us we were over-heating, again. So we had to stop about every 8-10 minutes to add river run off water to the coolant thing (?) which was pretty decently cracked by this point, to the extent that water was just rushing through. Todd has been working on his car for the past several months and must have been out of his mind frustrated at this point. I'm not the most help when it comes to things dealing with cars, I mean had it been a Japanese car-I would've been all over it, but German cars-I just don't know much (haha).

Finally we got to Logan and tried a couple different products the Auto Zone had to offer. The second one worked, a putty to jam up the hole that the water was leaking through. And 2.5 hours later we were leaving Logan. I tell this story in part because it was ridiculous, and in part because I am so impressed by some people's natural ability to be pleasant no matter the situation, take things as they come, and stay a healthy amount of grounded when they are upset.

In summation: It's fun to learn from people who have different strengths and skills than you, and also to feel appreciated for strengths you possess that they don't. :)

Good friends, good life, poor photo quality

Finally got to have the back-porch night I've been wanting. The weather was great and you don't find cooler people than my co-workers/bffs. I'm actually kinda obsessed with my back porch.. and my room..and the Hollywood House in general.

 Hare Krishna, back in full force. Festival of Colors is cool, but I'm too claustrophobic. And it made my car ridiculously chalky-go figure. 

Spent some good time in SLC roof sitting, enjoying a Sunday gelato, looking at road bikes (this weekend I'm committing to one!)




















Umm I wore some shoes.. made for a good picture. As did the temple. But mainly my shoes.

 Aaand my job is a pain sometimes, but every once in a while we are rewarded nicely. Nordstrom gift cards all around for helping out with the boys.  These boys:

Lastly, I don't think I could be sadder that Ms. Alex is going to be leaving me. She's been a great roommate, a really great listener and a reaaaally quiet sleeper. :) She keeps me in check and always supports me-aaaand I love her.

Asking for it

I'm not going to pretend like I've never thought, "are you kidding me-that girl is asking for it" when I see some woman running by herself at night, and I've never argued on the side of feminism.
Having said that, I do get extremely frustrated by the limitations I feel just by being a woman.
The first time I became particularly aware of how restricting it can be was in L.A about 4 years ago. Santa Monica-9:00 P.M, my sister and bro-in-law are putting the kids to sleep and aaall I wanted to do was go for a walk. There was a huge lightning storm coming in from the west and there has never been anything more tempting for me than watching lightning on the water. But could I go? Are you kidding, no way. It's dark, and even the secluded wealth of Santa Monica can't be separated from the streets of L.A, especially the closer you get to the boardwalk.  Instead I had to wait for my sister, and honestly it probably still wasn't a good idea. I let myself enjoy it regardless, but it took some effort to swallow my feelings of legitimate uneasiness.

This is a truth I experience no joy in pointing out. I would love it if we lived in a world where I could do nice things for anyone: where I could pick up hitch-hikers, and take in the homeless, and just implicitly trust everyone I passed.
And I realize this isn't that world, but I'm not going to look at the girl running by herself at night and judge her for it anymore. And I don't think anyone else should either. There is nothing more liberating (to me) than having time to think and just be, by yourself. Running at night-right up there on the top of my list of things I find extremely rewarding. Last night, I was running by a park and I got to watch the sun set with some great music in my ear and not a soul around me. I have a right to that, and so does the girl I've always berated for her ignorance.

I think we just accept the way things are too often. Then we blame those who break these norms, when really we should be fighting for them, and for their right to break them. Someday soon I'm going to buy a dog, and I'm going to live somewhere it's always warm. And I'm going to be safe, smart and practical. But especially for now, I'm also going to work on being a little less judgmental, and a little more supportive.