Days 16-21

• Sleepover with Katelynn
• Discussed whether or not I would like to live in Salt Lake City
• Finished Sarah's Key. So good! Read it!
• Began A Jane Austen Education. I love it.  I read it with a pencil and mark all the fabulous things that Jane Austen teaches us.  I love her even more now!
• Celebrated the 24th of July in Utah, it's kind of a big deal here.  Had a yummy BBQ
• Had lunch at Zupas. It's now my new favorite place! So delicious!
• Had dinner with Holly.  We had a great conversation and it was so good to catch up!
• Researching ideas and choices for the future.  It's so overwhelming!
• Talked with Marisa's dad about speech pathology
• OLYMPICS!!!
• Phone chats with my long distance friends! More life discussions!
• Went shopping with Holly, did our nails, and watched a movie
• More thinking about the future. Job. Career. Schooling. Place to live.
• Sonic Slushies and people watching/creeping at 11:30 PM
• Late night chats with the girls

Katelynn gave me this zebra to keep me company.  He is big and soft and great for cuddling.

Happy Pioneer Day!

Holly and I

Day 15 Yes there is More...

From the previous post you all know I spent the day with Katelynn.  Well, after our LONG and THERAPEUTIC walk,   Katelynn and I went to visit our great friend Jessie.  I hadn't seen Jessie in ages so it was so great to be with her and to talk about life.  She also has an adorable little baby now that I just couldn't get enough of.

Here is Jess and Liam (wearing his cute little sun hat that was adorably too big)

Jessie is an amazing woman!  She is a great mother and is another one of my heroes!  She is working to support her family and takes care of her baby.  Wow.  She is superwoman.  I love her so much!!  It is so nice to be reunited with the friends that I haven't seen in forever!!

Katelynn, Me, Jessie

We took the above picture and then remembered one of us taken at graduation.  We found it and then decided to re-do it now.

Graduation June 2007

Now- 2012

I LOVE US.

Day 15 KATELYNN

Since the day I arrived in Utah I have waited, and waited, and waited with growing excitement for this day.  The day that I would be reunited with Katelynn Stark!  Katelynn is greatest friend I could ever ask for.  I am so grateful for her friendship!  I can't even say where I would be without her.  She is always there for me; without fail I know that I can go to Katelynn for anything and she will be there!

I feel like I should describe our history.  Katelynn and I have known each other for a long time.  We were in the same ward for most of our lives but were never friends.  We hardly ever talked, actually.  She intimidated me.  I didn't think she would like me and honestly I wasn't sure I would like her.  For 3 years we would both arrive 10 or so minutes early to seminary, try not to make eye contact, and avoid each other.  Then one day that all changed.  I was hanging out with my friend Jessie the summer before senior year and we decided to go to the mall.  Jessie invited Katelynn to come along.  I wasn't exactly sure how I felt about that but I wanted to be with Jess so I agreed to it.  I will be forever grateful that Jess invited Katelynn because who knows if we would've talked to each other.  It was a magical day at the mall! Katelynn needed to find something to wear to her brother's wedding in Hawaii, she also only had $2.  Seems impossible right?  Well, it wasn't because it was a magical day and I'm awesome.  I found a way cute skirt at Old Navy (of course) that was very Islandy and flowy, blue and green.  It didn't have a price tag so we asked a clerk the price to scan it.  It was only 97 cents.  Yes, you read that right.  97 CENTS!  Perfect!  And Katelynn had a dollar to spare.  It was also free pretzel day at the mall.  Purely magical.  And the rest is history.  Katelynn and I have been great friends from that day on. 

 We were super close our Senior year and spent lots of time together since we were both in drama.  We had lots of down time during rehearsals and we would eat the delicious frosting her mom would make.  We would go to Muchas Gracias and my burrito would leak all over me.  We sang at the top of our lungs to the radio in my car.  We would make instant mashed potatoes and eat while sitting on her kitchen floor.

 We have done so much together, we've laughed and cried together.  But my favorite thing we do together is WALK.  The most therapeutic walks EVER.  I would go to Katelynn's and we would walk her hill and talk about EVERYTHING!  Boys, school, work, fears, plans, the future, the stuff we love and the stuff we hate, people we knew, LIFE.  We have talked about all those things and more on our walks.  Even when I left for college, whenever I came home I would go to Katelynn's and we would walk.  I love our walks.  I have been saving up so many things to say to her since I arrive in Utah.  And we walked for at least an hour and I spilled my guts.  I'd be so lost without Katelynn.  She is AMAZING.  She has taught me so much.  She is one of the most encouraging people I know.  And the fact that she believes in me and loves me gives me so much strength.  I just can't even describe or say how important she is to me and how much I love her.  She has come so far.  I am so proud of her and all the things that she has overcome and accomplished in her life.  She's my hero.  I am so grateful we became friends.

Thank you Katelynn.  Thank you for being AMAZING, AWESOME, and my BEST FRIEND.

I LOVE YOU.

Days 12 & 13

Friday we headed to the Provo Mall for some browsing/shopping.  And miracle of miracles I found a swim suit.  I was quite shocked myself.  Now I shouldn't have to go swim suit shopping for a while.  It is seriously such a downer.  I am so not a fan of swim suit shopping, but then again what woman is?  I'm sure that even the most gorgeous and skinny girls see flaws when they look at themselves in a mirror.  But that is a conversation for another day.  I found a swim suit. YAY! (I will NOT be posting pictures, fyi...)

Then to Sonic for Happy Hour!!  1/2 off drinks and slushes.  I love their slushes!

Look! We're matchy matchy!  Not even planned. We're just THAT cool.

That night we introduced Emilee to Little Women.  She had NEVER seen it!?  Now that's just criminal!  Little Women is one of the best laughing, have a good cry, feel good movies.  Oh I love it so much!  And it is a movie that you can watch at any time in life.  No matter what is happening to you it applies.  I had some new insights to life that I will save for a later post.  Of course Emilee loved the movie.  How can you not?  It's even got Christian Bale.  Win Win.

Today was another relaxing day.  Mar went to visit her cousins so I had most of the afternoon to myself.  I spent it playing the piano, reading, thinking, exercising (I am getting fat from all the yummy food we eat!), painted my nails, and watched an episode of Sherlock.  

Tonight we went to Emilee's for dinner.  Her mom made a pancake kind of thing that I can't remember the name for the life of me.  It's a foreign name.  Eeplsneevers or something like that.  Most like spelled different.  They were like balls of dough cooked on the stove in a special pan.  Well, whatever they're called they were delicious! 

I am almost finished with Sarah's Key.  If you haven't read it then read it.  It is so good. Maybe I'll do a later post about it.

And Goodnight to my readers.  Whomever you are.

Day 11

We had planned to go to Park City but there was a change of plans and instead we took a drive through The Canyon.  We stopped at a park to do some reading.  Marisa made these fabulous roll out blankets, actually made of towels, with pillows that we take to parks for napping and reading on.

Here is a photo of it when it's rolled out.  It rolls up to look like a duffel bag and has handles.  

It is pretty much amazing.  Marisa is a crafty sewing genius.

This was my view from my blanket as I read.  It was really beautiful.

So we read for a while and then walked a little ways to the Bridal Veil Falls.

Don't you love my hair...awful...

There were lots of kids playing in the water, even though it wasn't a very warm day today.  Mar and I put our feet in the water but it was CHILLY!

On the way back home we stopped at a little shopping village with fun and expensive stores!

I just had to share this one.  "Called to Surf".  Get it?  Called to Surf?  Like "Called to Serve".  Just a little crazy Mormon humor...I thought it was a bit ridiculous.  Had some cute and REALLY expensive swim suits.

Last stop: Barnes and Noble because I have a $50 gift card burning a hole in my pocket!!!

Someday I will be rich and I will buy every book in the store.  Well, not every book but pretty much.  Today I settled on two books.  Both of them having to do with, yep you guessed it, JANE AUSTEN.  My obsession.  I already own her six major novels  but I always want to buy them again!  But today I didn't.

A Jane Austen Education (How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things that Really Matter) by William Deresiewicz.  How can this not be awesome?  I wish I could write something like this.

Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sandition by Jane Austen.  A short novel and two unfinished novels written by Jane Austen.  I haven't read these and they aren't always easy to find so I am super excited!

YAY for Jane Austen!  I really am a nerd.

Day 10

Started a new book; Sarah's Key

Had lunch at JCWs - yummy delicious Hawaiin Burger with pineapple and Canadian bacon. Plus a Reese's Shake.

Colored some more while watching Pushing Daisies

Marisa made a pillow.  Super Cute!

Curled my hair and it stayed in place the whole day!  Miracle!

Hung out with Marisa and new friend Emilee:

Went and saw What to Expect When You're Expecting.  We laughed so hard!

Sat on Emilee's porch and talked.

Emilee, Mar, and I

Days 8 & 9

Monday and Tuesday were relaxing, do whatever days.  They consisted of coloring flashcards for Marisa's preschool class, browsing used book stores, reading in the park, FHE, root beer floats from Arctic Circle, shopping for a swim swuit (which was unsuccessful because of my bodacious curves, don't even get me started!), a walk around the block, and watching some movies.

Mar and I went to see Mirror Mirror at the Dollar Theater.  We loved it!  It is super cute and funny.  Julia Roberts cracks me up!  And instead of the Prince waking up the Princess from a spell, she had to wake him up.  I liked that.  Actually she saved him twice!  Power to the women!

Have you ever heard of Pushing Daisies?  Me neither.  It was a TV show that only ran for 2 seasons but Mar loves it so we watched the first two episodes.  It is quirky.  It's about a pie maker, Ned, who can bring people back to life with one touch.  But if he ever touches them again they die again.  He works alongside a Private Detective solving murders by bringing the victim back to life long enough for them to tell who killed them.  And of course he brings back to life the girl he loves but they can never touch.  It makes for an interesting and cute love story.

I have enjoyed just relaxing with my bestie Marisa.  We've got a trip to Park City planned for tomorrow!  I'm excited!!