the written word.

there is just something that text messages, emails, wall posts, blog entries, and @mentions will just never replace.

a thoughtful handwritten note.

1 - i came home to a package from my dad with a card and two loaves of my favorite bread that he knows i can't buy because i don't have a costco card. so sweet and thoughtful!

2 - my mom wrote this on the last page in one of my notebooks like two years ago and it's always a nice surprise [and reminder] when i see it again.

3 - my visiting teachers left me these smiley face cookes [chocolate chip are my faaavorite] and this cute note on my plate. i love my friends!

4/5 - gina sent me this letter/poem/ode written on a paper towel. this is why we are snisters.

future heart.

please do me a favor. 

and if you're a hopeless romantic like me. 

check out this blog.

dear future husband

she's pretty good at saying things i don't know how to say.

and she has brilliant ideas too.

so cute.

image via the city that never sleeps

drained.

yo. ahlin.
remember when you were slightly freaking out in the shower because the bathtub was filling up super fast and you didnt know why and you thought the water was going to spill over the top?
well, next time, let's figure out that the plug is in the drain at the beginning of the shower. not the end.
cool? cool.
peace.

p.s. let's add this to your 'i go to college' list.

i love this freaky poetic crap.

dear sarahmaines.
thank you for giving me rpat for my bday.

youda best.

wave your flag.

congrats espana. i knew you could do it.

and dear fernando.

i heart your face.

thank you for being my substitute lover since cristiano was out.

and thank you sarahmaines for sharing him with me for a bit.

image here  and  here and via sm

dear america.

i heart your face.

thanks for everything.

peace and blessings.

image via weheartit

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!

that's cool i guess.

dear embarrassing situations.
i would like to thank you for not gracing me with your presence 24/7. really, that is very thoughtful of you. but, i mean, to show your face three times in one day... that just catches me off guard, you know? i guess i still can't decide if i would like to have your visits spread out or get them over with all together.
let's just take a little looksy at yesterday's [mis]haps:

1. i rode my scooter to work. and since utah is having a hard time making weather decisions right now, the freezing wind made my eyes water and subsequently water to smear my mascara. but of course i proceeded to walk into the office, say hi to my boss (who asked how i was doing) and clock in before going into the bathroom and discovering the raccoon, i've-been-bawling-my-eyes-out-all-night look. that's cool.
2. i found a check in my planner (definitely a good thing) so i proceeded to deposit it in the wells fargo atm at the wilk. i then proceeded to walk away. without my debit card. but if that wasn't cool enough, when i went in to cancel it and order a new one, the bankerman recognized me from when he reordered me a debit card last summer when i left it in the wilk. very cool if you ask me.
3. went to buy my iron man ticket (with my credit card). i have been putting this off and all my friends have their's already. so i go to buy it and the kid gives me a look and says "just one?" in a moment of weakness i say "uh... no i need two..." no i don't. i don't need two tickets. eff.

so, embarrassing situations, you haven't tainted my awesome rep too badly and haven't shown up unexpectedly and horrifyingly. but let's just say yesterday's events were enough for me to look back on my day confused and in awe at it's randomness.

later, ahlin

p.s. do you think you could take it easy on my friend rachel? she seems to get the brunt of it all the time.

hindsight is 20/20.

dear self,
do you see these two bottles? they don't look that different right?

wrong.
notice that one has a red cap, self. what does red usually mean? i'll give you some examples:
danger.
stop.
wrong answer.
self, we should know by now that we should always read everything, not skim. from emails to test instructions, we have learned the hard way that skimming words just doesn't work.
at least, we should have learned.
if we had gotten it into our beautiful head, we would have noticed the bold print on the red-capped bottle says 
3% hydrogen peroxide 
and, being the smart person that we are, we would not have soaked our contact lenses in it all night and then proceeded to put one in our left eye which resulted in an instant burning sensation and a sudden scream of pain (rudely interrupting sarahmaines' story).
hey self. it's ok. i forgive you. we still did really well on the two finals we took that day. let's just get in the habit of reading labels and such things now, cool?
cool.
love, ahlin

dear readers,

i want to thank you for religiously reading my blog. i know you just can't wait to get online everyday, hoping that i have added yet another creative thought. so i try to satiate that hunger as best as i can.

now, i know that some of you feel like you are 'creeping' when you read my blog. but. let it be known. little does anything else bring more joy to my heart than to learn that someone reads (and likes) my blog. you should see me when someone else starts to officially follow it. i squeal like a little school girl. not very proud of that. (ahem... feel free to press the 'follow' button on the side...) and when people comment. comments = ahlin's happiness.

anyway, on to more important issues. i have decided to discontinue my movie blog (i know, tears will be shed across the world this day). but. i'm just going to do the same type of thing on this blog, since i already do anyway. never fear. also. i think i'm going to start labeling my posts. ees for fun. also. if you have any suggestions. lemme know.

once again, thank you for visiting my blog. it really does mean a lot. even though i know it's mostly my mother (which i don't mind either). love ya all!

love, ahlin

father. happy birthday.

you are now twenty four. congratulations. you've made it this far and you still have so far to go. buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy yet fun, exciting ride full of surprising turns.

i remember when i was twenty four. i thought i had my whole life figured out. it was going to be perfect. lots of money, beautiful husband, beautiful children, beautiful car (ie the infiniti fx45. yes). but you know what happened?
life. life happened.
at first i was like, hey, cool, no really, that's awesome, thank you for throwing me that curveball. but then i was like, you know what?

life is great. 

i have a wonderful family who loves me unconditionally. i'm smart. i'm not living out on the street. i've had great experiences. i've seen much of the world (not to mention about 99.99% of the united states). i have a macbook (which we all know is superior to the pc. i thank you eternally for giving me one). i can read. and i do it a lot. i'm not going to have any brain problems because i do sudoku all the time. i can still work out.
life is great.

so this is my oh so wise and learned counsel to you on your birthday:

be grateful.

remember you're loved.

have faith in heavenly father.

only you can make you happy.

i love you dad!

of course, this picture is needed. we all look great.