1.31.2008

jungle jim's playland...

is seriously where it's at.


it's official: we have the coolest granny/mom/c-hop ever.


chloe was addicted to the carousel & the "pri-ee harees."
translation: pretty horsies.


and this ride was a lot faster/harder/bumpier than we had anticipated.
hence myron, on the verge of barfing.


holly might have been excused from school.
sorry tjh; yay for us.


and jtlyk,
605 tickets buys you an awesome flower necklace, one bouncey ball, 1 plastic bracelet, and a rubber duckie with a pink bow, holding a heart that says be mine.

pure awesome-ness.

hit it up: you won't be sorry.

{happy thursday}

1.30.2008

Portland Visitation

My older sis is in town.

And that means forget responsibility & party like a rock-star.


Pedi's for the girls...


Outdoor fun for the boys...


Playtime with fun uncles...


And treats with cousins...

+ more.

{Photos of my brand new nephew aka love of my life...coming soon!}

Thanks for chillin' with us, Heidi, Zach, Tyler, & Gavin.
{Miss ya Gar!}

Oh! And...

PS: Did I mention my sister just started her own blig-blog?

See it's awesome-ness here.

1.28.2008


I am sad to hear news about the passing of the prophet of my church,
dear
President Gordon B. Hinckley.

But as I view pictures of him, my heart is filled with the upmost-joy & major-peace. I am so happy that he has been reunited with his sweet/amazing wife.


It is with super-deep reverence that I *try* to articulate my feelings about this wonderful man & what his service, sacrifice, and example have meant to me in my own little Angie-life.

I am beyond grateful for the life he lived, the man he was, and the truths he taught.

Presdident Hinckley is very near & dear to my heart. He has lead my church through my teenage years, into my adult life. He has been an upbeat, positive, encouraging beacon of light, & an example of strength & faithfullness. His words have comforted me time & time again. His counsel has helped me along, & assisted me with important decisions about my crazy existence.

I specifically remember a time, back in the day…I was a senior in high school. I was a very happy girl & had a pretty rockin’ life. But I was, however, approaching graduation…a time when I would kinda hafta be a big girl & make big girl decisions…and…let’s just say…that was REALLY freaking me out.

I attended a broadcast over @ my church to listen to the prophet speak. I was a lil tardy {of course}…and so I got stuck in the hard/cold chairs, like, in the very back.

And, I was wearing a REALLY cute black dress that my mom made, if you wanted to know. {said dress, sadly, wouldn’t even fit on my big toe now…}

His talk was entitled, “A prophets counsel, and prayer for the youth.” He discussed guidelines that would help us kiddos/young adults throughout our lives….the six B’s: Be grateful, Be smart, Be clean, Be true, Be humble, Be prayerful. I have recorded in my old-school personal journal the specifics of this talk & the feelings I felt while hearing it. I refer to it often.

That evening was one of THE most spiritual experiences of my entire life to date. I recall feeling as if he were speaking directly to me. Tears streamed down my face *onto my adorable black dress* as I listened to the counsel from my loving prophet. His words were exactly what I needed to hear, at the exact time I needed to hear them.

Ever since that time, I absolutely & unequivocally *know* for sure, that there is a God in heaven who loves me. He loves all his children, regardless of their faith or circumstance. And, I am profoundly grateful for this knowledge.

I am also deeply humbled that Heavenly Father loves me enough to send me a prophet, to teach-n-preach modern-day revelation.

Here is just a small compiled list of things I have learned from this amazing man,
President Gordon B. Hinckley:

*To not take life too seriously:

“We need to have a little humor in our lives. We better take seriously that which should be taken seriously, but at the same time we can bring in a touch of humor now & again. If the time ever comes when we can’t smile at ourselves, it will be a very sad time.” -Hinckley

*To never give up:

“We are in a period of stress across the world. There are occasionally hard days for each of us. Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds. Opportunities will eventually open to you. Do not let the prophets of gloom endanger your possibilities.” -Hinckley

*To be better:

“Shape up. I say that to myself constantly. Shape up. Stand a little taller. Be a little better, a little stronger, a little more thoughtful, a little humbler. A little more prayerful, that you may be worthy of the guidance of the Lord and of His wonderful blessing.” -Hinckley

*To measure up to the divinity within:

“Some of you may feel that you are not as attractive and beautiful and glamorous as you would like to be. Rise above any such feelings, cultivate the light you have within you, and it will shine through as a radiant expression that will be seen by others. You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others. -Hinckley

*To serve:

“I do not care how old you are, how young you are, whatever. You can lift people and help them. Heaven knows there are so very, very very many people in this world who need help. Oh, so very, very many. Let’s get the cankering, selfish attitude out of our lives and stand a little taller as we reach a little higher in the service of others. As Browning said, “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp.” Stand a little taller, stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Live the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Forget yourself.” -Hinckley

*To be happy:

“We can lower our voices a few decibels. We can return good for evil. We can smile when anger might be so much easier. We can exercise self-control and self-discipline and dismiss any affront levied against us. Let us be a happy people. The Lord’s plan is a plan of happiness. The way will be lighter, the worries will be fewer, the confrontations will be less difficult if we cultivate a spirit of happiness.” -Hinckely

*To be faithful:

“I hope that prayer will take on a new luster in our lives. None of us knows what lies ahead. We may speculate, but we do not know. Sickness may strike us. Misfortune may overtake us. Fears may afflict us. Death may place his cold and solemn hand upon us or a loved one. Regardless of what may come, may faith, immovable and constant, shine above us as the polar star.” -Hinckley

*To pray:

“We can draw nearer to the Lord in our prayers. These can become conversations of thanksgiving. I can never fully understand how the Great God of the Universe, the Almighty, invites us as His children to speak with Him individually. How precious an opportunity is this. How wonderful that it actually happens. I testify that our prayers, offered in humility and sincerity, are heard and answered. It is a miraculous thing, but it is real.” -Hinckley

And lastly:

*To have joy:

“In all of living, have much fun & laughter, life is to enjoyed, not just endured.” -Hinckley

Till we meet again…

1.24.2008

why i blog


i’ve been thinking a lot lately about the blog.

*why do i blog?

*what’s the point?

*why do i spend 45+ minutes a day posting/stalking when i could be doing something more constructive…like…sleeping?

And my answer to you is this:
because it makes me happy.

occasionally {slash a lot of the time} i get a tad {slash very} embarrassed because i realize that anyone in the world out there has access to every lil detail o’ my slightly-eccentric existence. i am someone who feels very UNcomfortable in front of people. i don’t enjoy being in the spotlight…and i’m kinda feeling anxiety just thinking about it. {smile} i am not what you’d call the most *confident* individual in the world. {chuckle} i definitely just enjoy chillin' in my own little corner. and because i’m prone to over-analyzing things, i sometimes fear that readers will misunderstand me or that i might inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings by somethin' i write. i {sorta} worry about safety on the internet too. so, occasionally i’ll contemplate in my lil angie-brain…maybe i should just erase the darn thing?…

but then i ponder ‘bout the blessing this silly little hobby is in my life. i people. i my friends. i hearing people’s stories. {i making s by pressing alt, & a #3.} i am amazed and intrigued to learn new tid-bits about the peeps around me & what makes them tick. i am inspired daily by the amazing chicks {and dudes} that i am e-associated with. i even meet kindred spirits who live hundreds o’ miles away, who i would have never otherwise become bffls with. i keep in touch with close family. and, i totally just enjoy sharing random, ahem…very random, details about my crazy life.

blogging is also an excellent source of endless inspiration. an amazing gift, a cool thought, a cute crafty somethin’ somethin’, some fashion advice, two lovebirds , a miracle, a fun tag, some talented writing skills, a tasty tuesday, some before/after eye candy, a great product, a yummy song, a girl after your own heart, a fun-n-happy picture header, a sentimental tribute, a good deed, a random fact about chuck norris, a fun fam, a severe LOL, a domestic project, some amazingness, a cool quote, an awesome couple, a RM, a superb list, a happy snap, a cute tradish, a fabulous find, a shout out to edward, a seriously cute house, a lil love passage, an enjoyable re-cap, a home décor lovely, a fabulous reception, a delightful utah friend, a new beginning, good news, a wicked shiner, some birthday delight, bling bling, youtube greatness, a to die for photo shoot, some spiritual uplift, an amazing makeover, some fun kids, an ode to something great, a rockin’ soundtrack, wonder woman, a kind word, a cute dress, a tender home video, a cute haircut, a kodak moment, a smart friend, a rockin' read, a pearl of wisdom, a FUN group, an awesome bathroom, a bucket list, quite possibly the funniest thing i've ever read, an example of awesome, a hip bloggin' mama, an upcomin' debut, a good story, a place “to sit a while” {jk, les}, an adorable set of children, a t.d.f. scrapbook, a family update, a movie review, some motivation to be super cool, a fabulous home improvement renovation, a delightful treat to view, an encouraging post, a childhood memory, & SO much more is/are just a click away!

blogging encourages me to notice the tiny miniature things about stuff that i wouldn’t otherwise notice. it reminds me to take photos of the everyday craziness that would otherwise go undocumented. it reminds me to cherish the blessings that have been sent to me directly from my Heavenly Father. and it reminds me to savor chloe’s childhood that is flying by so freakin’ fast.

i must admit, the whole thing sorta cracks me up though. a web-log is such a *supa small* view into someone’s life. it is a very *etsy-weency* representation of someone’s existence. Like for example:

view A:

someone might think from viewing this photo on my blog, that i am the most organized person in the world.

view B:

talk about false advertising! this is my reality. this is my living room at the moment & like everyday…

but that, my friends, is the beauty of blogging. it encourages me to remember the happy organized closets, when i’m overwhelmed by the crusty-mac & cheese dried on the tile and/or the more serious, inevitable trials & conflicts of life. blogging is a way of forcing me to search for the very best in things & in other people. it is a community for anyone to share their strengths & dwell on the happy. when i am having a bad day, it challenges me to look & think about & share the good. it inspires me to accomplish cr*p & do better. {even though *confession: i’m SO not even done with my ironing yet.} it is a place for me to record life’s most serious drama & it’s most trivial, yet beautiful details. it is a place for me to hang my heart, vent my news, & meet my muse.

there might come a time when I choose not to blog.
maybe i won’t have time to make time.
maybe
i will get tired of it.

but for now: it just makes me happy.

here's to you, my beloved, blogger.com.

1.23.2008

whew....

{just} finished my layouts for class tomorrow!
*sorry so late* it's been a crazy week!






may the kitting festivities o' the night begin!


good thing i have my good friends lauren, heidi, audrina, and whitney to keep me company...
*thanks laura*

see some of you girlies in a few short hours!

{sleep well & happy wednesday...}


1.18.2008

reasons why i fall deeper in love every single day:

{just to name a few}

he is the most genuinely real person i know.

he is also the funniest, by far.

he is just kidding 96.9% of the time.

he often worries whether his chloe’s feet are cold.

he doesn’t believe in shaving on the weekends.

he can figure out how to fix/rig anything.

he pulls out all the stops to help me when i am stressed.

he knows all the words to leo the lion.

he has integrity.

he is honest.

he is good.

he is a big fan of rap music.

he knows the scriptures.

he calls my mom clodhopper.

he sprays and squeegees the shower daily.

he says it like it is.

he loves just sitting & talking with his grandpa.

he has a deep love for his parents & sisters.

he picked out all the pink & red starbursts & put {only} those colors in my stocking.

he cooks. like, yummy meals. like, every night.

he buys me pink chuck taylors instead of red roses for valentines day.

he dances with our daughter every day, because he wants to.

he makes me feel safe and accepts me for who i am inside.

he mops, if i sweep first.

he is a very hard worker.

he wants to be a cage fighter.

he likes to search out the perfect gifts for people online.

he could beat you in a pepsi drinking contest.

he gets the best bargains and most rockin’ deals.

he has lengthy conversations with his daughter, in chloe-language.

he is her hero.

he is my absolute everything.

***

babe, thanks for being born.

i know it’s not your birthday or anything…

just wanted you {and my blogfriends} to know that i very much appreciate that you exist.

happy weekend!

{a}

1.17.2008

i did sort my buttons


do you ever have weeks where you feel like you've been SO out of control busy, but then after a weeks-worth of blog-neglect...don't feel like you have much to show for it?

{
please say yes.}

'cause i've definitely had
one of those weeks.

it's been a
great 7.5 days, mind you.
just pretty
uneventful.

i did
mom stuff.
and
wife stuff.
and
angie-job stuff.
and i
ironed. {still not quite done...}
and i
sorted some buttons.
the end.

{happy back to blogging!}

1.09.2008

the man with many shirts


it is time.
time for me to catch up my ironing.
i count 50
plaid/plain/stripey work shirts.
i repeat: it is time.

i'm giving myself a week.
{i shall report back.}

bring on the {light} starch, steam, and DVD after DVD.

{happy wednesday}

1.08.2008

well, after six months of naked curtain rods....

i finally decided to bust out the fabric-n-sewing machine & recruit my {super} kind mom to help me with my valances for the living room...

i'm really diggin' the color they bring.
they make me happy.

{this is what they look like; there are three.}



thanks mom, for holding my hand, every single step of the way!

{oh, and happy birthday too- to you & your son david, aka my brother.}

love, ang


1.07.2008

rain: i love you

az is basically perfection right now.

*days like today are the days that cancel out the ugly-ish trees by the side of the freeway & for-real-bushes that are on the way to church that totally look like for-real-weeds.

*days like today are the days that cancel out the {extreme} hotter than hot temperatures june-september.

*days like today are the days that cancel out the fact that tulips & gerbs only last .2 after planting here.

&

*days like today make me want to go on a long stroll with my family-n-dog.

so we did.

and we got about 3/4 of a mile away, and it sorta started pouring.

{it was very, very fun.}


and chloe looks a tad bitter in this picture, but i promise she had a blast.

so did mr. miyagi, so did myron, and so did i.


rain, rain, don't go away, come again another day...

{happy wet monday}

1.04.2008

2 thumbs up.


i'm all about it.
mcdreamy meets fairytale...my kinda movie.

i went to enchanted with clodhopper today.
it was delightfully cute & fun & silly.

i left the movie:

*with a smile on my face & believing {even more} in fairytales

*loving all things disney & their happy ability of making an entertaining flick without PG-13-ish content

*appreciating the fact that i brought a girlfriend, as i know myron {probably} would have mocked it the entire time.

*coveting giselle's amazing thick red hair. {and in turn, realizing that life's just not fair.}

and

*wishing that i could open the window, sing "a-ha-ha" and have birds/mice/bunnies clean my entire house top to bottom while i danced around in a pretty dress...that i made from curtains.

best five bucks i've spent all week.
{happy weekend}

1.03.2008

after a long days work...


i was so excited to chat with this girlfriend when i got home from work today.

i just miss 'er when i'm gone.

she told me all about her day with daddy.

it went something like this:
"shla blah tamuphamet cla put de. ya. ROAR! meow. oh bebe. tla mephut bleh blah blah kaa kaa, oh no. plemutepha ket ROAR! Quack. shhhhhhhh! ma pa queeze to la poo blach no."

{chloe-language is the best.}

and as we got her ready for bed: brushed her teeth {note: sucked on toothbrush for a little while}, and read the scriptures {note: looked at pictures, and discussed lehi's sweet beard}, and said cute little prayers that last .5 seconds aka her attention span...i just counted my seriously lucky stars that myron & i are entrusted with such an amazing little person.

i am so thankful for my little girl.

{happy thursday}

1.02.2008

gives me chills everytime...

i've been preparing away for my seasons of love class tomorrow.

i've had this song in my head all day, slash i've been belting it while cutting paper.

never seen the musical, but sure {love} the song!

{happy wednesday}

1.01.2008

"This year, is gonna be incredible.
This year, is
gonna be the one.
All the planets are lining up for me.
This year, I'm gonna
have fun…"

*Chantal Kreviazuk

Today is my number uno favorite day of the year!

I’m obsessed with the freshness of the clean slate feelin’.

I {heart} setting new goals & making plans on how to accomplish them.

And I appreciate the fact that my husband is off work as well.

I have very good vibes about 2008.

This year is gonna rock; I feel it in my bones.

I've set some happy resolutions, keeping {this} awesome quote in mind:


{happy next-365 days of your life!}