it's ok cristiano.

i still love you.

 

and that is all you need, right?

the great outdoors.

i was waiting to get some pics from leslie before posting about the weekend but i decided i could do without. i may or may not be a lazy person.
friday night a huge group from our ward went to the manti pagaent. it was pretty great, it pretty much made me want to go read my scriptures for an hour.
after that me, sarahmaines, leslie, adam ruri and a few other people went camping at a local park. instead of going to the trouble of setting up tent we decided to sleep under the stars. it was so beautiful and fun, even if it started to rain for a couple minutes haha. sarah and i talked and talked and ended up going to bed at 4 only to rise with the sun around 6:30. was there such thing as sleeping in back in the day?
we got up, ate some provided pancakes and eggs for a mere 4 dollars and then went a couple towns over to visit a friend of adam's and go on a hike. it was very eventful [dancing and singing and bones, oh my!]. after that we went to a local pool, swam, hung out and made it back home in time to witness the end of the usa's 2010 world cup career. sad face.
i then took a nap and visited my sister lauren where we bonded over scrapbook paper and our love/hate relationship with running. it was good to get a bit pumped up by her before i did a [i think my first] 4 mile run. woot woot. go me.
then sarahmaines and leslie and i proceeded to watch the notebook [maybe or maybe not in the deserted 203...]
that adds up to a great weekend in my book! if i'm not lazy and decide to get the pictures of our adventure from leslie, i'll post em. but for now, just go to her blog. word.

this i stole from her blog. because i heart it. and it be cool. i spy some awesome peeps in brad's stunnas.

story of my life

 image via i am the crime

we are afraid to care too much, for fear the other person does not care at all.

eleanor roosevelt

sing to my soul.

allred.
this man has gotten me through a lot of bad as well as good times. i discovered him about two years ago at the midnight release of breaking dawn [oh yes. i was there.] ever since i've been to about five of his shows and he still never ceases to amaze me.
i think his music is really good but his covers are always phenomenal. he's come out with three covers albums that you can find on itunes, some of my favorites are across the universe [the beatles], the district sleeps alone tonight [the postal service], hide and seek [imogen heap], starlight [muse], and, as introduced by sarahmaines, hallelujah [leonard cohen].
here's just a taste:
starlight cover with benton paul. i was at this show and i just fell in love with both of them all over again.

this is a medley he made using the same three chords or something. it's pretty great.

this is probably one of my favorite songs he wrote. so great.

seriously guys, check him out. have a great weekend!

deep thought of the week

as i was running the other day [btdubs i will probably talk about running a lot for the next couple months since it's pretty much my entire summer] and as i was listening to my work out playlist [maybe i'll post about my pump up tunes sometime] and contemplating life as i know it, i had a little bit of a deep thought.

i thought it was interesting how
running downhill is easier to do but harder on your body
and running uphill is harder but better for you. 

i kinda related it to life. 

the easy things may not be the best things for you and can even harm you
but
when you do what's tough, it strengthens you and
you become a better person and a better version of yourself
because of it.

yep. that's all.

image via weheartit

this modern love breaks me

don't get offended

if i seem absent-minded

baby you've got to be more discerning

i've never known what's good for me

baby you've got to be more demanding

i will be yours
this modern love by bloc party

image via i am the crime

when the going gets tough...

...the tough get awesome.

i heart my friends.

slash my macbook.

twentytwenty

so... i'm not gonna lie.
i love my birthday.
like, a lot.
i don't really understand when others don't care about their birthday.
so dear future husband.
always make a big deal about my birthday.
always.

anyway, for my birthday, we decided to make it a two day event. on saturday, leslie, sarahmaines, rob and will took me to j-dawgs [a really amazing hot dog joint by the byu]. we ate and sat outside and talked and laughed and took pictures. then we went to cold stone and got me some peanut butter perfection [my faaave].
then i went to best buy and dinner [thai evergreen! i heart thai food] with my dad. i got me some movies and new scriptures. thanks so much dad! after that i went back and hung out with the crew.

sunday i went to church [and my dad came with me to sacrament meeting. fun fun]. then i had to say good bye to my boys [very sad] and went to the rest of church [with an awesome lesson on the atonement]. after church my dad came over and i fixed us up some lunch before we went back to my sister's for a nap. i kind of chilled, cleaned my room, visited with some friends until around 4:30 when i went over to lauren's for dinner. she made yummy fajitas and a cake for my birthday! it was so nice to be with them on my birthday and to be with my dad on father's day. love you long time.
after that i went back to my apt in time for ward prayer where i was sung to and whatnot. adam ruri even made me a cake! i heart my friends.

lauren giving me my yummy yummy cake. twenty candles baby! count em.

i was really excited to blow out my candle's. for some reason i had totally forgotten about that part!

luci and cason with ben. they love their dad fo sho.

father slash grandpa with daughters slash grandkids.

happy father's day dad! i be twenty.

overall i'd say it was a great birthday! thanks everyone!

check out some of my birthday posts: gina, lauren, leslie. i'm telling you guys, i LOVE my birthday.

i only laugh to keep from weeping

these boys are back home for the summer.

and i'm missing them terribly.

sad face.

golden.

20 on the 20th.

happy birthday to me.

when are you golden?

pic from 4th of july last year. notice how lonnng my hair was.

fathers.

i'd like to thank the men in my life that have been so influential - bishops, leaders, teachers, friends. you all deserve one day dedicated to all the lives you've changed, including mine.

i am also so grateful and humbled that i am lucky enough to have both a dad and stepdad who love and care for and look out for me.

dad. william. daddy. papi. mr g.

it was so fun to have you with me today on both of our special days! love you!

richard! dave. rodriguez.

thank you so much for taking care of us crazy kids and loving us so much!

here's to my grandpa griffith too, because he is just so darn cute.

love you grandpa!

life's too short for me to stop

oh, baby, your time is running out

i won't let you turn around

and tell me now i'm much too proud

all you do is fill me up with doubt

bulletproof by la roux

image via limousines and attitudes

cool guy tips

any advice on how to spend my last days as a teenager?

image via i am the crime

shake it like a polaroid picture.

busy bee lauren is possibly one of my fave bloggers ever.
she's hilarious, has a great sense of style, and her & her husband are freaking adorable.
anyway, she sent out a challenge to find a favorite old photograph, post it, and share it's meaning.
challenge accepted, bbl.
[these are all within the last two years cause they're the only ones on my comp. i still heart them though.]

when: july 2008, the day before my brother's wedding

where: my dad's house in carlsbad [socal]

who: gina, me, david

why: this is our reunion after my first month at college. it was so good to see them. i'd never gone that long being away from them before. plus this picture shows that i was taller than david before i came to byu. that is no longer the case.

when: the next day 

where: my brother's reception

who: me and gina

why: you can can't totally tell in this picture but we are wearing the exact same outfit. little black dress with red shoes and accessories. this was not planned. we decided to wear the same thing for the same event even after i had moved out of the house. we are truly snisters. plus i love us both laughing here.

when: august 2009

where: timpanogas temple

who: me, krystle, jen, leah

why: we had just been walking around the temple before going to visit sarahmaines and we decided to take some roomie pics of course. krystle was whipping us around and we were all dying laughing.

when: november 2009

where: park place 4

who: me and sarahmaines

why: we had just bought our awesome knee high boots and we were both really excited about them so we put them on with our pajamas and then proceeded to watch elizabethtown. with the boots still on. this picture is us trying to be gangster slash miley cyrus. word.

when: january 2010

where: park place 4

who: me, katie, sarahmaines, jen, leah

why: we were on our way to sarah's birthday dinner at olive garden and we thought it would be fun to dress up in our lbd's for it, especially since we were going to her surprise party right after. we heart taking silly roomie pics.

when: february 2010

where: spyglas 203

who: adam, me, rob, sarahmaines, matt

why: we had just straightened rob's super curly hair- which he had never done before- and it was so fun. this was our first bonding experience with 203. we took this pic and rob thought it would be hilarious to jump from behind us. silly rob. i heart your face.

when: may 2010

where: gina's graduation

who: me and gina

why: i was gina's personal photographer  and took a ton of pics of her and the fam and some friends. she was about to leave for disneyland and take her camera with all the pictures on it, including the ones of us, and i yelled out 'wait! i need one for the blog!' so we hurried and took this gem with my camera, which was definitely better than the one's on hers. and it has become one of my favorite pictures of us.

sometimes it's ok not to knock first.

i came upon this sight for sore eyes...

...after hearing my name being called through their window and walking in.

i heart these boys.

i think josh groban just saved my soul.

late nights are usually up to no good.

it's almost one. i should be asleep. i want to get up and study and run and clean. before i go to work. at one.

so i should go to sleep.

oh well.

i just had a few things crash down on my brain in the past few hours.

one. i've had four of some of my closest friends get engaged in the past three weeks. that's a lot. to me at least. i'm losing friends by the hand full. and i'm happy for them. i really am. no sarcasm here. i promise. you girls are beautiful and i approve [not that you need it] of your choices. i saw them all through remember?

two. was i wrong to delete facebook? that decision has been stabbing me in the back as of late.

three. my ipod [which isn't actually mine, it's my mom's that she let me borrow to take to college since my mini {yes. mini. not nano} wouldn't play without being plugged in] died today. as in it will not turn on. at all. i've tried every trick i know of. nothing. sad.

four. the song in my head right now is my love by sia. it's on the new eclipse soundtrack [which is good btdub, kinda like the new moon soundtrack but not quite as depressing]. except this song makes me sad for some reason. i don't know why. but it's on repeat. on my computer. since my ipod isn't working. how am i supposed to fall asleep to it?

five. i think i need to be more like this list.

six. "ahlin, just go pray until you feel better." sound advice from stuart dong [the gray haired asian].

seven. seriously. go find and watch this movie. right now. i promise you'll love it. i think i'll watch it tomorrow [today].

eight. i'm turning twenty on sunday. my golden birthday. which is also father's day. and a sunday. and all my friends are leaving for home. cool.

nine. i like this picture.

thanks for my thinking slash pity party.

we like to party.

this weekend brought birthday celebrations, marathons and a deadly trip to st george.

it was matt's birthday on friday so a bunch of us went to pizza pie cafe and then saw The A Team [which was sooo good, btdub]. mmmm... i love me some all you can eat pizza, salad and pasta. for just 7 bucks.

the whole group. we're so popular.

the next morning i got up at 6:30 to go with jeffery justin cody johnson junior to support his sister and brother-in-law run the provo canyon marathon.

utah is really so beautiful. and this weekend it was pretty rainy and cloudy but in the canyon it looked so amazing with all the lush green trees and bushes.

jeff and i ran along with his sister for the last few miles. i stopped about a mile before the end but jeff finished with her.

this may be a good time to announce that i will be running a half marathon in august. i started training and eating super healthy a couple weeks ago. i'm so excited to do it and it will give me something good to work towards until school starts again. and hopefully help me make a keep up the good habit of working out regularly!

anyway, after running with them, i went back to my apartment, attempted to take a nap, showered and left for st george at about 1:30. that wasn't a scary drive or anything. i love having it pour half the time and having semi trucks pass me, spraying water all up in my grill and on my windshield, blinding me for five very long seconds. love it. let's just say there was a lot of praying involved... but i made it! and then passed out on the couch. later, my mom and my sister and i went to letters to juliet. i thought it was slightly painful to sit through, the best part of that movie was vanessa redgrave [because i want to be her when i'm old, she's so classy], and gina and i were dying laughing at the end. my mom loved it though...

today i went to church with my family, ate some homemade cafe rio, exchanged stories, and now i am debating driving back to p town tonight or waking up in the morning to leave by 9:30 so i can make it to work by one.

too much information? so sorry.

hope your weekend was fantastic and funfilled too!

europa day 16 and 17

day sixteen (6.12) : we spent the day in athens on our second to last day in europa. we took a bus tour in the morning, shopped in the afternoon and had the most movie-like dinner i've ever had, on top of a roof with singers and dancers, watching the sun set over athens. seriously the perfect ending to a perfect trip.

standing in front of the modern olympic stadium, built for the first olympics in the 1800's

in front of the parthenon

on top of the acropolis, looking over athens. swimsuit line anyone?

another view of the parthenon. they've been trying to restore it for a while...

day seventeen (6.13) : our last day. we pretty much packed, ate, went to the airport and waited for a couple hours. we took off around 1:00 pm athens time and landed at around 11:30 vegas time. quite literally the longest day of my life. we got back home around 1:30 where i was pleased to find everything in my room on my bed because the carpets had been cleaned a few days prior. cool. not only that but i had to get up at 6 the next morning to go on our stake's pioneer trek for three days. very cool. and when that was over we went straight up to orem to go to my nephew's baby blessing. keep in mind that i hadn't seen or talked to my mother in three weeks because she was stuck in provo with mono. so pretty much i didn't relax until about 5 days after i got back to the states. i rock.

mine is the little red duffel bag. compare that to the bags next to it, which is pretty much what everyone else brought. let's just say i had an easier time walking up the stairs with that. i am a master packer.

i am so grateful for the opportunity to visit all those amazing places! i hope you all have the chance to travel to your heart's desire some day. if you believe you can, you will. trust me.

and thanks for letting me share this trip with you and not getting too fed up :)

viva la fifa

i've always been a fan of soccer.

going to high school games to support my bestie, playing on the hot summer days at byu, supporting the intramural teams, do i even have to mention david beckham...

but i will admit. i've never watched the world cup.

not out of dislike. just out of... lack of awareness.

i don't know how since apparently it's bigger than the olympics (which i definitely watch).

do not fret though. i am now surrounded by friends who live and breathe and die for soccer. so i was very aware when the world cup started since they wanted me to wake up at 7 am to watch the opening game (yeah. that didn't happen).

little did they know that all they had to do was say two little words to get me completely hooked:

christiano ronaldo

oh hey.

what up.

do i even need to say anything about his hair? (love)

ok fine. enough.

the point is, i will definitely be watching the world cup games. no sweat.

some movies to watch to get pumped up:

she's the man

bend it like beckham

goal!

switching goals (haha)

gracie

also, definitely check out this nike commercial if you want to get pumped up for the world cup. it's pretty tight.

viva la fifa!