family

MY WARRIOR

Early Tuesday morning, at 12:33 am, we received a text from my Mom into our family group text telling us that my Poppy passed away.
I shot right up in bed and the tears started flowing.
I couldn’t believe my Poppy was gone.
The man I’ve seen almost weekly my entire life.
My Poppy, Fred S. Ball, lived a great life. He made many momentous changes for the state of Utah and impacted every persons life he came in contact with, for the better.
He was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 1998. His doctor told him before the Whipple operation that he had a 3% chance of living three months and a 1% chance of living one year—
That was 17 years ago.
So now you know why we call him a warrior.
He fought so hard and defied all odds against his health.
He was a warrior for the state of Utah by playing a large role in bringing the Jazz, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the International Airport to our great state.
He was a prominent business & community leader to many.
He was the first person I knew that was Gluten Free.
He always said, “Isn’t your nana a great lady?”
He loved the game of baseball.
He made the perfect ice cream sundaes.
He always wore bright polo shirts & loafers.
His dog, Sir Winston, was his best buddy.
He was fascinated by traveling the world.
He loved Utah Football and Basketball.
He said “Hi ya pal!!!” every time you walked through his door.
Throughout his countless days in the hospital, the staff always loved him because he was so kind and happy despite his circumstances.
My love for good food comes from him.
He loved watching me dance all growing up and even at BYU.
He taught me to believe in myself.
He told me anything was possible.
He adored Will and is so proud of his decision to pursue medicine.
His 4 daughters meant the world to him.
He is now my angel up above watching over me.
During his final days, I asked him what advice he had for Will and I and he told me the above statement.
A quote I will definitely cherish forever!
I love you Poppy.
God be with you until we meet again.
Anyone interested in seeing a video from KSL News or Press articles on my grandpa see here:
(KSL News)

Fred Ball, longtime Utah booster, dies after a life of pitching the place he loved.

(SL Tribune)

Governor’s Statement on Passing of Fred S. Ball

(Statement from Governor Gary Herbert)
(Utah Pulse)
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diederich

COSTA RICA (part 1)

We arrived back from our vacation in Costa Rica yesterday and we’re already missing it so much.
I have been listening to a lot of business talks lately and one I loved was about how wonderful the work/life balance is. I learned that it is great to work hard.. but it is also great to play hard! So after a lot of hard work we decided a week in paradise with my family is just what the doctor ordered.

 

One of our favorite things to do in Costa Rica is go see the Manuel Antonio National Park. It is neat to see so many unique animals and learn a lot about the land of CR. Our guide used a telescope we could look into and then he took my iPhone and took pictures THROUGH the telescope. So we have some of the most amazing pictures you couldn’t get otherwise.
That frog above camouflages itself to any leaf it is on. You seriously COULD NOT see it with the human eye alone.
NATURE IS NEAT PEOPLE.
The beaches at Manuel Antonio are also absolutely gorgeous.

 

So if you ever in Costa Rica I highly recommend that National Park. But you better be on watch when you go to the beach.. because the raccoons come out and steal your stuff haha!
But for real, National Parks are legit.
I’m ashamed I haven’t been to all of them in Utah!
Another day we did my MOST FAVORITE EXCURSION EVER.
My dad got a killer deal on a day long excursion for all 10 of us on a boat owned by a guy he met in Jaco (kinda sketchy looking back and thinking about that…  ha). But we trusted him and went out on his boat to Tortuga Island. I seriously have never had a more fun day on vacation!
It combined all of my favorite things. Boating + snorkeling + swimming + fishing + eating + jumping off high things+being with my fam.

 

As we were going out we saw tons of dolphins swimming next to my boat. I am a sucker for those things. They’re sooooo cuteeeeee.

 

Side note– it sure is fun to be with my sisters and their husbands. My family has gotten so big in the last couple of years and I absolutely LOVE it. All the husbands get along great and YES my sister in the yellow suit did just have a baby.. so that’s super casual.
SPEAKING OF HER BABY. Luella stole the show the entire vacation.
Honestly having a niece is the BEST THING EVER. She was soooo much fun and I am tempted to make Will move in with me to Eliza & Josh’s house so we can be around her more haha.
She’s growing up so fast!
(if you have me on snapchat you will see I’m slightly obsessed)
“Mom.. I’m not so sure about this swimming thing..”
I mean how could you not love that dang face?!
Okay back to Tortuga…

 

 

After being on the island for 2 minutes we came across the most BEAUTIFUL parrots. I have never seen one up close and honestly they kind of scare me… haha do birds scare anyone else???
I feel like any second they are going to attack me!
But this Parrot “Lola” was nice.

 

The island itself is super neat. I kept on saying I SWEAR it is the same island from the Even Stevens Movie hahaha.  Looks identical!

 

 

Also, fishing was harder than you’d expect. Reeling in those big fish is a big ol’ workout!

 

Eliza had to hold back Isabelle from falling in hahahaha.

 

With 3 dancers there’s always a dance party going on… the captain thought we were ABSOLUTELY INSANE I swear.

 

 

Seriously the best fam I could ever ask for.

 

Another favorite memory was nights on the beach with Will. I can honestly say there’s nothing better than being on the beach when it’s all quiet and serene. We love to just sit and talk about EVERYTHING. From our future to our past to the present. We love it. That’s the great thing about vacation! We get to TALK like we don’t at home. At home it’s always the hustle+bustle of LIFE but out there the only care in the world is where you are getting your next meal.. (or is that just me hahaha)

 

The sweatshirts above are from Mako Brand. My friends from BYU started the line of clothing and we’re basically obsessed. If you love supporting start up businesses like I do, go buy something and SUPPORT.
I ran out of time today but will post 1 more in a bit!
Until then,
xx liv.
Details: 
(I put this because I usually always get e-mails or comments so this is easier)
Denim Romper-  Old Navy (I can’t find it online but it was in stores last week!)
My floral hat- Urban Outfitters
Bella’s blue swimsuit- Anthropologie (2 years ago)
Bella’s black scalloped swimsuit- Victoria’s Secret
Bella’s denim shorts-  GAP
Eliza’s yellow swimsuit- Victoria’s Secret (similar)
My floral swimsuit- Albion Fit
Our  sweatshirts– Mako Brand
My necklace- T&T Shoppe
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bear lake

SKI THE BEAV

This week we ventured up North in search of some better snow.
We went up to my cabin in Bear Lake and skied at Beaver Mountain all day Saturday! Luckily it snowed 5+ inches Friday night so we were in for some great skiing all together as friends.
I forgot how much I love Beaver Mountain. It is where I first learned how to ski! It is such a fun local resort and huge PLUS… no lines to wait in!
Gotta get the road trip snacks of course before we head up….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah & Pete..  one of the greatest people alive. They are going to do Teach for America in Arizona this summer! So proud of them that they were accepted.

 

 

It’s kind of funny because Bear Lake this time of year is a complete GHOST TOWN. Since most people only go up there to be on the lake in the summer, the winters are pretty much dead as can be.
 Even all the shake shops/restaurants are shut down! But luckily my favorite restaurant is literally the only one open this time of year! Cafe Sabor. Will and I always share the huuuge burrito and stuff our mouths with the chips + salsa.

 

 

I can’t get over how much I love this place!!!

 

 

 

We are definitely making this an annual ski trip.
So see you next year Beaver Mountain!
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babysitting

WHAT’S UP?

Sometimes I have this inner debate with blogging.
A part of me says, “Why am I posting pictures on a website that people can see? Why the heck do they care about my regular ol’ life?”
and the other part of me remembers that I initially started my blog because I am the one that cared!!
 I love taking pictures and love posting them and love the idea of always have an online journal.
But the other day I started laughing when I was looking at my Instagram feed/grid or whatever. It literally is always either a picture of me with Will, flowers, or kids I love HAHAHAH. I need to branch out!
So if I ever go MIA for a while and you wonder what’s up……. Just know I am probably doing my regular old routine…..
working one of my jobs
driving to one of my jobs
hanging with Will
watching Parenthood (my newest Netflix show!)
killing spiders around our place
on walks with my friends
eating food
attempting recipes that usually fail the first time
babysitting kiddies
hanging with the fam
driving to get good Diet Cokes
going on a run
studying
orrrr……. taking pictures of flowers, cool floors, or colorful walls.
Haha! That really is what my life consists of daily I swear. I NEED TO MIX IT UP!
So yes, down below you will see those following things lol.

 

We babysat the babies a couple weeks ago and LOVED it.
They keep us busy as ever but we enjoy being temporary parents.

 

We chatted with Mitch on Mothers Day and it was the BEEEST!
Anyone who has a missionary out knows that Mother’s Day brings on a whole new meaning when you get to talk to a sibling, friend, or lover 🙂
(except I never talked to Will on the phone or via Skype the entire 2 years! Crazy huh?)
And another weekend we babysat some other kiddies who we absolutely ADORE!
She really is my BFF.

On Saturday night she asked me if I wanted to wear a matching donut shirt, do our hair in twinner braids, and go get donuts at 7-11.
I couldn’t say yes fast enough.

 

And happy news that my friend Sarah is my new work buddy for the next 2 months!
It is theeeee best having her around.
And a carpool buddy.
And on Friday, Will FINALLY completed the MCAT!
The night before the big test we came home from doing our laundry at Will’s parents when we found a Cheesecake on our porch with Good Luck balloons from some friends in our neighborhood.
So thoughtful!!
I am so dang proud of him and all he put into studying for that.
He studied at our church building or the local library every single day since January 1st!
Now we wait 6 weeks to hear his score ….. … not cool.
He may apply for the one in August to take it again to be safe.
But for now I am enjoying having a husband again 😉
We celebrated at Market Street
(I may or may not have won a gift card on an Instagram giveaway hahaha SCORE)

 

Ohhh excuuuuuuuse me.
Not intentional posing I swear.
He’s going to kill me for posting this but heart eyes alllll day for this one.

 

And that’s a wrap of blurry pixelated photos that Blogger won’t fix for the life of me no matter what coding I put in. HAHAH.
Over it.
Hope everyone has the HAPPIEST Memorial Day remembering those dear to you.
xx, liv.
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not so cool

THE NOT SO “COOL”

I think in the blogging world (also, can we admit how strange this world is?!) it is so extremely simple to make your life seem glamorous and happy-go-lucky all the time.
I am not going to write about the times Will and I get in a fight or the struggles or hurt I have sometimes.
I choose to write about the good.. the happy! Because if we all wrote about what makes us sad we would always leave our computer/phone screens feeling worse than we already do.
A huge goal of mine with blogging has always been to try to SHARE HAPPINESS. To be a source of good. However, sometimes I fear that makes me come off as though my life is perfect in way too many far fetched ways.
A couple weeks ago I while lookin around on the gram I found an account titled @wearealluncool and couldn’t have loved it more. Because it’s so true! I know for one I am very uncool. I spill on my clothes EVERY TIME I eat, I have some hideous toes, and I trip down stairs in public more than I like to admit.
After seeing that Instagram I decided that for fun today I am going to share some of the “un-cool” parts of my life.
1. This is the “cottage” door.
In pictures you always see the doormat but not the actual door and here it is! It’s so scuffed and old. This doesn’t make me love my life/place any less but sometimes I see people MY AGE building their own homes and I’m over here all befuddled like “Heyyyy here’s my door!”(Also, if you’re wondering it was my landlord that named this place The Cottage. I would’ve named it “Quaint Little Tuff Shed” but he got the naming rights first lol..) 

2. I was driving and singing at the top of my lungs last week and this happened and I swore really loud

 

 

3. Our stove top has tin foil on it and I didn’t know stove tops still had tin foil on them  

 

 

4. I have never eaten a meal without getting food on myself or my clothes 

No matter HOW HARD I try Will always says “Oh sweeeetie. You have chocolate all over your nose.”
-__-
MY BAD

 

5. We use our dishwasher as our storage space 

YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO.
Our place honestly just doesn’t have the sufficient storage we need! So since our dishwasher doesn’t work we use it as the storage and it works like a CHARM.
6. Welcome to the cottage bathroom
Very scary 70’s tileage goin on
7. I walk around Holladay and read intense Dan Brown novels 

Our home teachers came over on Sunday and picked up this book and said “Will! How are you liking this book?” He replied “Oh.. that’s actually Olivia’s.” 
I also may or may not have written a note to Dan Brown last year telling him how much I appreciated his novels… so there’s that.
8. I NEVER listen to top-radio. 
I listen to self-help books on my commute to/from work
 
Right now I’m listening to 10% Happier by Dan Harris and I love it!
Maybe I have a thing for Dan’s???
IDK
9. When I am outside & running one eye is ALWAYS closed
 
Literally don’t know why but my right eye won’t open HAHA. So sensitive.
10.  I AM DEATHLY AFRAID OF AIR HOCKEY TABLES
 
Sooo let’s just not talk about them. Long story short, we had one when I was a little girl and somehow I’ve been scarred for life ever since.
IS THAT NOT THE ODDEST THING YOU’VE EVER HEARD

So yeah basically this list could go on for days but overall I just thought it would be fun to point out how my life isn’t as cool as people might think it is.
In one of the posts on this Instagram account it says,
 
“Don’t worry about being cool… love yourself and others will love you just the way you are.”
Couldn’t agree more.
Brace yourself. Love what you have. And STOP comparing yourself to others.
What makes you “uncool”? We could have some fun with this one!ALSO! Happy Earth Day everyone!!
Oh how I love this earth we live on. 

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adventure

HOLA!

Hola from Costa Rica!
We are having so much fun on our family trip. Honestly, there is nothing better than being together as family and relaxing, laughing, eating, and spending quality time together.
I promise family trips are good for your health. They help keep me sane!

 

Here are a couple pictures of our trip thus far!

 

A couple days ago we went to the National Park of Manuel Antonio. We saw monkeys, bats, frogs, raccoons, sloths, and a lot of other neat wildlife!
When we came here 3 years ago we went to Manuel Antonio but the 2nd time around was even neater.

 

 

I also have this obsession here with the walls. I love finding bright walls back at home so here I am like a kid in a candy shop. Everyone paints their shops/homes the brightest hues and I’m probably going to have 29348 pictures at the end of this trip of all of the walls I love!

 

 

This is a Kortni Jeane Suit and I love it.
She is from Provo, UT and started making her own suits in High School which has turned into a business for her! I am so proud of her and other people like that who follow their dreams. So inspiring to me!

 

Lu girl is here. Sweaty as ever lol.

 

 

 

Once again, those walls (!!!)

 

 

If you know me, you know I am a SUCKER for cheese.
I will eat it at anytime, in anything, on anything..
So when we were at a restaurant a couple nights ago Will said “Welp. I know what Olivia is getting…. Cheese Lovers Fajitas”
 
Well… I did indeed order them and they changed my life.

 

 

 

 

Love this travel partner of mine!
More pics to come.
Just wanted to share a couple so far!
Swimsuit coverup: Anthropologie (it’s my moms and she grabbed it for $7 at the store because someone returned it!!)
Romper: Old Navy
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flowers

SPRINGIN ALONG

Hello hello!
I am in serious denial we are halfway through April. Anyone else?
I went on a run in a tank top Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning I looked out my window at 6 a.m. to see there was 6 inches of fresh snow on the ground!! And now today is Friday and the weather is sometimes windy cold and sometimes warm. I’m just very confused.
 My wardrobe is currently a huge debate everyday. I keep on putting my winter clothes away just to pull them back out the next day haha!

 

 

In March my job announced some exciting news that we are coming to Salt Lake City proper! For those that don’t know what Google Fiber is see here.
Long story short, it is gigabit internet & TV from fiber optic lines placed through out the city. It’s amazing! If you are in Austin, Provo, Nashville, Durham, SLC, Raleigh, Charlotte, Atlanta, or Kansas City consider yourself lucky.

 

Since I’ve been able to work in SLC a day or two a week now it has become apparent how bad my issue is with Banbury Cross donuts haha.. I can’t drive past that place without pulling in.
There’s something about that blueberry donut that makes my heart siiiing!

 

 

Will’s been on his INTENSE study grind so one night when I was bored (may or may not have been a Friday night..) I started craftin it up by myself! I made this doormat from a Pinterest tutorial.
A little too summer-ish for right now but hey.. I eat watermelon year round so it’s justifiable right??

 

 

Lu is getting way too big way too fast and it’s makin me mad.

 

We are also loving this book! Have you ever taken the color test?
Take it! I’m red. Will’s blue. What are you?

 

My entire life I have thought that this temple is the absolute prettiest thing in downtown SLC and that thought is confirmed every single time I see it.

 

Could you not eat her?!

 

We were on a healthy kick for a bit with our Blendtec but now we are on that milkshake kick. Whooops. In this we had Girl Scout Samoa cookies, coffee ice cream, milk & hershey’s syrup. Mmmm.
I have fructose malabsorption (fructose makes my stomach bloat out huge.. so if you think I’m pregnant I’m not I promise haha!) so the high fruit smoothies actually make my stomach hurt a bit. But I’m not mad about more milkshakes LOL.

 

 

And lastly last weekend I headed down to Vegas for two of my friends Bachelorette parties.
What do ten Mormon girls (half of them married) do while in Vegas you ask?
Uhhh eat of course. Aaaand stay in a cheap Airbnb twenty minutes away from the strip hahaha.
I made it a big ordeal that we HAD to go to Shake Shack. I’ve been DYING to try it and I swear it was the best burger I’ve ever had. As in I was licking my finger’s afterwards… I’m so embarrassing.
 I just got the classic Shack Burger and loved it!

 

Karl gets married in June and Michaela gets married in a couple weeks!
Saturday night we all dressed up, went to a delicious Mexican restaurant, and then realized how awful Vegas is when you don’t drink or gamble. HAHA jk. Vegas is fun because it has PinkBerry. Which is where we were at 1 a.m….

 

 

 

 

And besides that we have basically been doing the same old things.
Eating ice cream cones, studying, baking, working, and chillin.
New lip gloss brought to you by Dairy Queen.

 

 

 

Just realizing right now this post truly had no point whatsoever lol. I’ve just been uploading some pictures from the last little while!
My biggest fear is all of my pictures being deleted one day so at least I know I will have them on here!!
Hope everyone’s Spring has been great so far! Anyone have a good book recommendation for meee?
Outfit details: 
Yellow top: Madewell (old)
Tevas: Urban Outfitters
Clogs: Swedish Hasbeens (from Urban)
Yellow floral top: Anthro (old)
Floral skirt: Soel Boutique
Black Floral Dress: ASOS (on sale!)
Karli’s Black dress: Madewell
Gray & White Striped Top: Old Navy
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beach

CRYSTAL COVE (+ my favorite newport eats!)

The last couple days of Newport were filled with beach days, lots of good food and spending quality time with the fam.
When we go to Newport we actually don’t stay on the beach. So we have to drive to the beach and Crystal Cove is always my beach of choice.
I have always loved Crystal Cove! If you ever find yourself in Southern California you have to go visit it. My running picture in my last Newport post is at a great lookout point on the beach.
(oh and this turquoise wall was obviously screaming my name so I had to take a picture)
Will thought the beach looked like it came out of a movie or something.
It really does! So quaint and cartoon-like.

 

 

This has a funny story…
While we were on the beach my little brother Jensen looked over and thought Will and I were kissing. To try to make fun of us, he grabbed my camera and tried to take pictures of us to make us feel stupid (oh 14 years olds… love him) However, when he ran to the front of us he saw that Will was actually casually trying to get food out of my teeth HAHAHA.
Literal story of our lives.
I ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON.
These shorts were the best beach shorts too!
From Soel boutique in Provo. .
Also! Here are my favorite Newport Beach eats for those that asked.
  (from L to R, T to B)
1. EL RANCHITO
This Mexican restaurant is right in the heart of Newport and it is so good! I ordered the tortilla soup and loved it and Will had the smothered enchilada. YUM.
2. PAUL MARTIN’S
This restaurant is located in Irvine Spectrum and if you’re looking for a little bit of a nicer restaurant this is the place for you! My sister Isabelle literally came on this family trip specifically to go to this restaurant because she loves it SO MUCH. I ordered the steak salad + sweet potato fries and Will loved their crispy shrimp!
3. HIPPO COOKIES
I have always heard about these but never tried them. They were so tasty! And cute. Found on Balboa Island.
4. DAD’S CHOCOLATE DIPPED BANANAS
These are also a famous specialty on Balboa Island. I had mine dipped in a cinnamon crumble and it was seriously so dang good. Being on Balboa itself is magical but these just topped it off.
5. ROSE BAKERY
Hands down my favorite restaurant in Southern California. If you are a breakfast person you MUST go here. I get their Lucio breakfast burrito with the fruit breakfast parfait. Their chocolate croissants are also amazing!
6. GREAT MAPLE
Located inside the Fashion Island mall. We all loved every meal we ordered. Loved the pesto flatbread, quinoa salad, and french dip!
7. SIDECAR DONUTS
A friend of mine from college commented on my picture of the Hippo Cookie and told me while I was in Southern California I had to go try Sidecar donuts in Costa Mesa. There were honestly some of the best donuts I’ve ever had. Will LOVED the Maple + Bacon one (I can’t love those quite yet haha) and I loved the vanilla bean one.
8. SEASIDE DONUTS
I have been going to Seaside while I was down in Newport as long as I can remember. .10 cent donut holes? Yes please. My mom even remembers going to this place when she was my age!
9. CRAB COOKER
Easily my Dad & Grandpas favorite restaurant down there. If you are a fish person this place is for you!
10. BEACHCOMBER
Last but not least we totally need to include the Beachcomber on Crystal Cove beach. If you saw my Instagram you know that Will and I were there and accidentally went on camera during a Food Network episode featuring this restaurant!
Everything here is good. Just make sure you make a reservation!
Hope you enjoy!
Missing this place already.
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disneyland

DISNEYLAND!

Last week while we were in California we were able to go to DISNEYLAND!
Will’s mom, Jeni, was down in Newport as a chaperone for Will’s little sis & her friends on their Senior Trip and asked if we wanted to join her at Disneyland on her birthday.
If there’s anyone that does Disney right it’s JENI.
We waited in zero lines.
We were going, going, going all day long and couldn’t have had a better time.
We happened to be there during the 60 year Diamond Celebration which was exciting! I love going to Disneyland when there is a fun theme going on. Going when Halloween decorations are up might be my absolute favorite though!  I am a sucker for Halloween time.
Jensen and Will having a little dance battle before we entered the park hahaha.
Always.

 

Jensen, my sis Iz and her husband Alex also joined us which made it all the better.
(it also makes it all the better when more people come so i can take more bites of the treats they all order 😉

 

We can’t resist a churro out of the Willie’s Churro stand!
Obviously this was our first stop. And then the Toy Story ride right after! Will finally beat me at it.. I will redeem myself next time!

 

Probably my favorite section of the ENTIRE park is Cars Land/Radiator Springs.
We’ve been babysitting these cute little babies a lot lately and Cars is the ONLY show they will watch. So since we have watched Cars approximately 20 times in the past 2 months it was so amazing to see how spot on everything is.

 

I mean LOOK at Flo’s Cafe!
Just the cutest.
You would never expect this, but the Chili in Cars Land is SO good!
Will’s mom bought one for us all to share and it took everything in me not to go just buy one for myself.

 

Hahaha no comment. Literally have zero idea.

 

My dad gave Jensen a certain amount of money for the park to last him all day so I loved watching him counting his coins and bills all day to always make sure he had enough to last.
One thing (if you can’t tell yet) that I LOVE about Disney is their SIGNAGE!
All the signs throughout both parks are adorable.

I mean how amazing is that Ice Cream sign?!
For lunch we ate at a cafe (can’t remember the name) over by Splash Mountain and I LOVED IT! Obviously I base how much I love restaurants around how good their sweet potato fries are so yes.. this place is good.

 

I found a post from Picky Palate about her favorite Disneyland eats so while we were over by Splash Mountain I HAD to stop by Pooh’s Corner and try this peanut butter dessert she said she loved.
IT WAS SO GOOD! But you definitely have to be a peanut butter lover to enjoy it.
(thank you Jensen for buying this for me with your dollars and coins haha true sibling love)

 

Somehow I hopped off of Splash Mountain completely dry and I turn around and this is Will lol. Just absolutely DRENCHED. How does that even happen?!
They made some updates on Matterhorn so I was excited to try it.
Still hate it…
hahahah.

 

These boys keep me laughing.
Will’s face… so frightening.

 

Boudin’s bread bowls… YUM YUM YUM.

 

If you saw my Instagram you saw I jokingly did this so I didn’t have to buy any Mickey ears.
It’s hard to go to Disneyland on a budget because even a water bottle is $3-4!!
Bring in your own water bottle because they have tons of drinking fountains! I had no idea…. and share all of your food! Or bring it in too. I had my backpack full of snacks to munch on in line.

 

My splurge of the day was this dang corn dog. For some reason I JUST LOVE THESE CORNDOGS! Hand dipped and full of goodness.

 

 

I forgot how adorable Storybook Land was! It is now one of my absolute favorite rides. They even added Arendelle from Frozen which I’m sure all the little kids die over… or maybe I did.. either one.
 Mark my words Frozen will have an entire section of the amusement park in a matter of years.

 

Thanks for the memories Disneyland!
Crossing my fingers I get to see this happy place again soon.
And those dang corndogs.
(details)
My white dress is from ASOS (about two years ago. Similar version here)
My nikes are the Flyknit Roshe Runs
My black sweatshirt is $7 right now at GAP(!!)
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babysitting

MARCH

The phrase March Madness adequately describes this month so far for sure. Sometimes I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants. Running from meeting to meeting, seeing friends from time to time aaand seeing Will for a total of 1 hour during the week (I wish that was a joke haha). But hey! The busier I am the happier I am.  That’s just my personality.
However, I wish time didn’t go by so dang fast!(p.s. we are obsessed with our Thread Wallets. we never carry a wallet anymore!) 

 

This month Karli and I did a closet sale! I liked doing it with Karli because she had all the cute clothes and no one knew which ones were mine because most of my clothes are hand-me-downs from my sisters or borrowed from my Mom (perks of her working at Anthropologie haha!) but it was fun to work together and do something we’ve always wanted to do!
Those closet sales are A LOT of work but definitely worth it. Thank you for all of those who supported us! We are planning on putting our proceeds towards something super neat so stay tuned for that.

 

Sunset walks with friends.

 

Can’t get enough of Ivie Juice bar in Provo. I love the Beach Babe. If you are ever around there, go!

 

And probably the craziest part of this month was babysitting these 2 cute babes again! They are 10 months apart and definitely a HANDFUL. But they are also extremely cute. We babysat them for 8 days while the rest of their family went to on vacation.

 

 

Last Friday I met up at RYE downtown SLC one morning with a friend I’d never met from Instagram haha! That breakfast was HANDS down one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. I couldn’t stop talking about it haha.
My siblings and my mom’s entire side of the family has this trait where we LOVE talking about good food. It’s a sickness really. I feel guilty if I don’t share where the good stuff is… hence Utah Grubs.

 

Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving is a must-see!!
So many neat activities for kids of all ages.
Or even me and Will haha. It took everything in us not to race through those rope courses….

 

A couple months ago, Liv and Hope reached out to me and let me know about their story and how they are trying to better afford adoption for their family. After babysitting these babies so much their story really hit home for me. I mean, who knows! Maybe Will and I will adopt one day. I love the entire idea of it.
If any of you feel like supporting her and her family you can purchase shirts on their website. All proceeds go towards adoption fees. I have the LIVE WITH LOVE shirt and love it. Always nice to know you are helping a family achieve their dreams for their family.
 I know I have posted that above quote before but it seriously is the BEST reminder to me always. The internet is a frightening place. Horrific. Saddening. But it also a place where I can feel uplifted and where I can connect with people I couldn’t elsewhere. So I hope that we can all remember to just be a little kinder. I struggle with it sometimes too. But every time I see this quote I immediately remember that we are all trying to figure out this life thing together.
–Liv
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i love will

WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

The other day I was in my parents basement going through my old boxes of things and came across a green and white football with “MAKE” written on it in big Sharpie.. I sat there and seriously forgot why in the world I had this football saved.I was about to throw it out and then it hit me…

THIS IS HOW WILL ASKED ME TO PROM!

Because I feel bad about how I almost completely forgot how he asked me, I thought I’d write it down.

Nobody in the world probably cares but hey.. at least it’s written down somewhere!

The asking process (yes, this was a long process) began on a Monday night when the doorbell rang and there was this piece of paper that said “YOU” on it taped to a big pizza box.
I was so confused but went to bed hoping there would be something the next night to explain why this was all there was.

 

The next night after the doorbell rang there was a football on my porch with the word MAKE on it.
Will and I loved watching football & eating pizza together so I knew it had to be him (even though he would lie to me claiming it wasn’t!) but I was still left perplexed.

 

Wednesday night the piece of paper said ME on it with ______ yeah sooooo to be dead honest I can’t remember for the life of me what he had with ME. And neither does Will LOL. But it said ME okay??

 

But of course I remember the sugar cookie night lol.
  Thursday night there were 5 Blimpie Sugar Cookies with the letters S-U-P-E-R next to them. Blimpie cookies were mine and Will’s FAVORITE. We seriously went there every day for lunch if we left campus.

 

And on Friday there was a paper with  “HAPPY” on it and a newspaper tied up with a big red bow next to it.

 

After unraveling the newspaper I found the above note.

I still remember how LONG it took for me to find the message in the newspaper!

 

Phewf it wasn’t the ad above it!!!! HAHAHAHAHA. I just barely noticed that and I’m dying.
Anyyyways.. about 10 minutes later I received a text from my friend Kate saying,
“I’m picking you up at 3:45. Don’t ask questions.” 
So I waited for Kate to pull up to my house, jumped in her car, and she took me to the first place where Will & I first held hands at This is The Place Heritage Park.
After I arrived, a train was there waiting for me with a darling little grandpa train conductor.
I hopped on and he drove me around the park and then pulled up to the Brigham Young House.
I walked inside and there was Will smiling all big holding a sign he made by himself…

 

And there it was!
Will’s week long event of asking me to Senior Prom haha.
After I said YES! (honestly this was a big engagement type situation LOL) we hopped back on the train and the conductor took us around the park in the rain.

 

 

Then we danced the night away a couple weeks later at the Masquerade themed prom.

 

 

Will looks at these pics and says “Nobody told me about my outfit…” LOL.
Love that silver vest babe!
Anyways, such a random post but loved this memory with Will. And this blog is for memories.
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career

COLLEGE + WORK

This post may not be applicable to a lot of you, but I have received quite a few e-mails asking about how I graduated from College in 3 years, what I majored in, and other various questions about my career.

So here’s to you guys!

Sorry to everyone else who could care less lol. I will make it up to you with an amazing dessert recipe or something we can all fist pump to!

For starters, growing up, I always knew that once I was married I would not receive any compensation from my parents anymore. My dad and mom were extremely generous to pay for my college education but once Will and I were married both of our parents made it clear that we were completely on our own from that day forward!

Phone, insurance, flights for family trips, rent, clothes, etc. All on us!

I knew once I was married I would be 100% responsible to make my own living.

I also knew that Will would have 10+ years of school left after we were married so I felt a lot of pressure to work super hard and earn a good job!

Here’s a random picture of me, Will & Duke for those of you that just scroll and look at pics lol #respect

I started taking Concurrent Enrollment classes at my High School and it was one of the best decisions. If your HS offers them, TAKE them. I didn’t take ONE AP class. Only CE’s. Because no matter what they counted towards college credits! I ended up taking Humanities, Psychology, & English 1010 and they got me out of half of a semester of college!! HALF!
(aka a spring/summer semester at BYU)

My second piece of advice.

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO EARLY ON.

This may sound surprising, but my entire life I wanted to be a nurse. However,  the second I arrived to BYU that dream dwindled away real quick. I was still extremely interested in health etc. so I went straight to the Career Center at BYU (literally on my first day of school), asked to speak with a counselor, and talked to him about my options.
I told him what I was/wasn’t interested in and after a couple hours we nailed down exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to major in Health Promotion because I was able to combine health and marketing. My two biggest interests.

I loved my major because A.) it was what I was actually interested in and B.) I knew that everything I learned I would be able to use the rest of my life! Learning about infectious diseases, social media marketing, epidemiology (<– fave class at byu. serious), cancers, nutrition etc. was all SO fascinating to me. I knew I was going to be able to use all this knowledge as a mom too which was a big bonus.

Since I declared my major the first day of school (literally) I didn’t waste one class slot each semester. I mapped it out OVER AND OVER again. I mean this took HOURS of mapping it out! I would go home after practice, take out a piece of paper, and map out the following semester. I figured out which class I needed to get into the next semester, saw when it was available, made sure it didn’t overlap with other classes I needed etc.

And then when the semester came if I didn’t get into it since they were upper level and I didn’t have enough credits to get in before it was full, I would go beg the teachers to give me a code to add the class. (am I psycho? Shiz this sounds like I’m nuts)

ANNNYYYYWAYS. Some semesters I was in 18-21 credit hours with 3 hours of practice each day and working at a restaurant.. but I am here to tell you it is totally doable!!! Put your mind to it, work hard and go for it!!  I was able to graduate college a couple months before we were married and truly cherished every memory I had at BYU.
(except for that dang testing center screen that shows your test score immediately after you take a test.. talk about a heart attack)

I also think being BUSIER actually helps. The busier you are, the more you prioritize and keep checking that you have everything aligned. For some reasons on the nights I didn’t have Cougarette practice from 3-6 are the nights I would forget to do an assignment etc. Being busy is key to being successful in my mind!

For my internship before I graduated I worked at a start-up company in Sandy called Orca Health. They developed health education apps for hospitals and it transitioned into a great first “real” job for me. I was able to combine both my “health” and “marketing” interests!

However, after a year I heard Google Fiber was hiring and decided it could be a good switch for me. And that’s how I am where I am today! I am doing marketing, field events and sales for them and love the entire atmosphere of where I am right now. I am pushed to work hard each day and if I have disappeared from the blogging world for a little bit it is because Will just quit his job so he could study for the MCAT more 🙂 Which means I am focusing more on my career to help better provide for us. I am making sure I am working hard every day to ensure more opportunities in the future!

BIIIIG SIGH

So there’s that.

Any more questions I didn’t cover just e-mail me!

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