Growing foods and flowers

Fresh paint

So… I'm coming out of my pasta coma.  Things are looking bright. I really believe that Spring is my favorite time of the year! Spring looking into the summer/ early summer all that stuff. It's like the grumpy part of the year is over and the rest is just going to be awesome. 

We took a trip. Washington DC. That was great and awesome too. I come back from vacations and I feel this renewed energy and optimism and I just want to be happy and move forward in life. We had a great time in DC, and I'll have a whole post about that soon.

We're going on another trip soon. One I've been waiting for since I met Hunter! Then I got a great assignment to be the head cook for the girls camp food. Things like that challenge me and get me excited for some reason. I love all the planning and organizing and providing some really great food for all those wonderful girls and their leaders. That'll be the beginning of June. Then at the end of June, we get to sit at the beach for a whole week! 

Hunter and I have also been really good at doing projects in the mornings. Since we got back from DC we got on a way better schedule and actually get up in the morning. We extended our garden a little bit and freshened up our house. Remodeled our closet. We also painted the neutral walls in our house a clean crisp white.

Simple things like the white walls really just make me excited.  Excited to get up in the morning just to go look at my house. 

Some lovely girls in my ward have also invited me to walk and rollerblade late in the evenings. It's been the perfect time for me to get out and exercise and I absolutely adore our chats. I do not absolutely adore the rollerblading, but I'm trying to fit in. Peer pressure. Just kidding. Actually I prefer walking to rollerblading simply because we can talk more. I just love talking. 

I made a list about 100 things long, no really, of house projects that Hunter and I can do the rest of this year.  I emailed it to him right as he got to work this afternoon. He hasn't responded yet. That might be a sign. Just kidding again! Hunter is so great and supportive of all my ideas and trusts me and knows that they'll will turn out so good. 

Here's some pictures of what's been going on lately:

^^started our closet remodel. It should also be noted that Hunter was very excited about this project because he got to get a bunch of new tools ^^

^^ took a break from the closet remodel and went to Washington DC. More on that later, remember?

^^Came home and smiled because our garden is looking like this. ^^

^^A week later we finished up that closet and painted it white^^

^^ this picture is actually from Christmas. It was the fastest one I could find to show you the old color of our walls. In real life it was seriously a mix between pink and brown. Yuck. 

^^ threw the house together as best as we could in the middle of painting so I could throw my student's spring recital. What a rewarding time for all those weeks of lessons! These kids looked good but they sounded even better! What a great privilege I have to work at home with these talented young people. 

^^ and here, these pictures were taken just today! We put our house all back together and I'm just seriously basking in the light- literally the actual light- that comes from these beautiful white walls. 

Maybe my house is symbolic for my life. Because just as our sliding glass door got shattered a few weeks ago and it felt like everything around me was shattered, this week after some hard work I can see freshness and optimism- fresh paint. 

Ouch

I think all of life's frustrations broke our glass window today. 

My life has been a large pile of pasta, Netflix, sleeping and tears lately. 

President Uctdorf rang in my ears when he called it "the very fabric of our world tear[ing] at the seams." 

Eek. Kind of dramatic. But I think we've all been there. 

And he and others also reminded me of hope, gratitude, prayer, Christ and the Atonement.  

It will all work out. I know. I really do know that.  

But for now I just want more cheesy rotini. 

The man turns 27

My Everything's birthday was yesterday. And the most important thing I can record from this past year is that Hunter truly became my best friend.  We've always been in love and enjoyed each other but this year we just had a ball.  Happy birthday, friend! And lover. 😘

Showering Tara

It has been such a joy for us and hunters family to see his sister Tara fall in love! Spencer and Tara and getting married this weekend but we had such a fun travel-themed shower for her a few weeks ago. Here are some highlights:

Congratulations Spencer and Tara! 

Lately

^^launching paper lanterns for Chinese New Year. We still don't know why we celebrate Chinese New Year 

^^An early morning of target shooting. 

^^cant wait for the Gilbert temple to open. And missing the open house already. 

^^ some craaaaaazy February weather lead to swimming with nieces and nephews. 

Sunday night s'mores with my parents spoiled husky.  

^^  Can't even start to describe how impressed I am with hunter. He installed this fan in our front room. He rewired, cut the hole in the ceiling, crawled through the attic, put in the metal brace etc etc etc. the whole time I kept saying "HOW do you know how to do this?!?!"

^^ and. The sweet tooth fairy bakery opened up down the street. I've never been a cupcake gal. But those days are over. I'm obsessed. 

Golden years

My honey. Hunter. Threw me the most sweet, well thought out, perfect surprise golden birthday party. I turned 29 on January 29th. And when I came home from being away for one hour-only one hour- hunter and our families and friends had put together a full blown party at out house!  I was completely surprised and so happy. Probably my favorite birthday I've ever had. I love partying. And I love being with my favorite people. Hunter really did the best job and knows me so well. He put together the entire "golden" spread of party food, got tons of golden candy, decorations and favors. He put the party lights up in the backyard- which I know from experience takes way longer than an hour- how DID he do that part? I still wonder.  Had food from my favorite Italian deli- and tons of play on word golden snacks. When I thanked my mom and his mom for all their help they sincerely told me that hunter had honestly done all of it on his own. Awwwwwww. My boo. 

I also bought myself a new birthday purse. Got a killer giant cupcake from a darling friend from church. A pedicure with mama. And some ikea stars in their golden best.