CA for 24 hours

3 words.

totally worth it

honestly. 

i will never forget this day. 

some may call my mother's actions extreme/outrageous/unnecessary/unrealistic

blah. blah. blah. 

yes, i may have had to wake up at 4:30 two days in a row.

and i may have died from exhaustion the next saturday from lack of sleep...

but the happy heart from this day could not have been replaced.

i can't believe how much can be accomplished in 24 hours.

i got to see my edible niece ellie and remind her of her favorite aunt Dani Bree.

AND give thumbelina a treat and let her suck on my 1/2 thumb.

spend precious time with the girls of my family.

we ate pizza from B.J.'s, laughed too loud, ate pazookie from B.J.s, and enjoyed 

a gorgeous day at the pier.

i was also reminded of how CA looks in the middle of October.

i am reminded yet again as i look at the transparent color of my face compared to

those of my sun soaking kin.

jealous...yes.

i carried ellie on my shoulders.

and i am pretty sure this contributed to my happy heart.

{okay okay. i know it did.}

then we rented this funny bike-canopy thing that i don't know the name of.

people were starring like we were from china. 

we looked like out of towners. 

it was a weird feeling. but i really liked it at the same time.

courtney had to leave to drive her 4 children to a million places.

that was the saddest part of the day. but who can get mad at a super mom.

i couldn't.

we watched people gawk at ellie.

all day. 

on the island, at the mall, eating, wherever we went.

is it weird that i felt so incredibly proud?

we rode around for hours looking at 

adorable houses.

por ejemplo:

adorable house #1

 adorable house #2:

{oh yeah, i can just sit on my idyllic roof while looking out at gorgeous scenery

nah. i'll pass}

adorable house #3:

{this one i want. for real}

and of course a pazookie wasn't enough.

we needed gelato

from gelato paradiso.

which just happens to be right next to 

sprinkles.

hello "dangerous heaven"?

we finished off with unsuccessful shopping, wahoos for dinner, playing with courtney's kids, {i pretended like i could help dawson with his 6th grade homework...WOWZAS! when did i forget 6th grade math?}, discussed the gospel-as always-and played games.

and now. the BEST part of my day.

are you ready for it??

i don't think you are.

can you see it!?

can you see ellie's spit up on my jeans!?

i didn't wash it off all day. it made me so happy.

it made me feel like a mom. 

and i just couldn't get enough of that feeling.

thank you mom.

for always making my wildest dreams possible.

family. heaven. happiness.

7:45 this morning. my plane landed at long beach airport. i have to say it's my favorite airport of all time. every thing is quick. and...every time i step off that plane my body soaks up the moisture like a sponge. i can feel my skin breathing again.


just before landing, i saw one of the most beautiful sights i have ever seen. i looked out my window and saw clouds. clouds stretching so far that i couldn't see the end of them. they looked like the comfiest soft pillows. if only i could have walked on them. then, there was a yellow glow from the sun above them. it was magical. honestly. and it turned out i wasn't the only person awe struck.


you could have heard a pin drop in that plane. it was dead silent. and when i looked around everyone was just staring out the windows. it was the first time i was ever jealous of a pilot. i could have sworn if we went any higher we were going to reach heaven.

then i reached yorba linda where i was greeted by my mom, courtney, and little berlynn. and i realized i had reached heaven. cause i was with my family. and it's official that heaven is where your family is. (of course it was only almost heaven since my hubby wasn't there.) but for real. i had such a happy heart being with the ones i love.

every year, the importance of marriage, family relationships, raising little ones, etc...is emphasized to me. we as human beings have children so that we can enjoy the blessings of family. those blessings are so rich, so wonderful. they bring the greatest possible amount of joy that can be felt. 

families are not perfect. and it takes a lot of hard work to make them happy and healthy. but they are worth it. for the small moments like this.

.happiness.

how grateful i am God created fall

On Sunday i fell asleep. for 4 hours. it put quite the damper on our plans to go drive the alpine loop and get a quick look at the leaves one more time before they fade away into the streets. even though it was almost sun down i made daron take me anyway.

there was one constant thing running through my head during our entire drive. this was: there is a God. this beauty could not have been created by "poof." no. it's just not possible. and i just don't believe it. intelligent design was behind this. oh yes it was.


my pictures don't do the scenery justice.
i guess we'll just have to go back one more time and get pictures
when there is actually some light.


if you aren't in utah right now, you should be.
it's just glorious.

he finally loved me back

 it was a little over 2 years ago that i started to have feelings for daron.

it was at that time, that i pretty  much fell flat on my face for him.

there was no goin' back.

the emotions of fear and excitement filled my body. on steroids.

daron on the other hand...i needed to whip him into shape.

i remember him asking me on different occasions

"how are you so sure??"

(that was him asking: how in the world are you already down for this

so fast.)

my response-

"i just know."

probably not the most helpful answer, but nonetheless, i couldn't really explain it. it was just different with him. a different that i wanted to keep.

eventually, {after a whole 2 months} daron caught me completely off guard

by dropping "the L bomb"

i thought the boy was still thoroughly confused.

and maybe he was. either way, he took a leap of faith and said it anyway.

i was so shocked i think stuttered something back like

"really?!?!"

that night i texted all of my friends and even my dad. i remember the text starting out saying, "guys...daron and i are in LOVE" haha wow. you don't get more corny. but hey i was just a little excited.

it's been over 2 years now since that day.

last night we finally decided to re-live the moment all over again

and go on a date to the place where he said it.

the moonlit chairlift ride

(and the scarves, hats, and blankets were out!

and i really liked it. i have missed that wonderful red button nose my face gets

with the freezing air)

we babbled about where we see ourselves in 10 years. daron says since he'll be 34 and i'll be 32...he sees me "mommin' it up" with our 5 or so children and him "managing our assets." whatever that means. we'll have come so far yet feel as though there is so much ahead of us and it is just the beginning. we laughed about how the last time we were on the chairlift he joked about taking me to alaska to have us live there.

i remember thinking "oh man, that sounds really exciting. what would be wrong with that?" and basically experiencing total slap happy love where you are practically cross eyed. we'll just say i am little more vocal now about issues like that and my head is a litte clearer.

our dinner was our typical "newlywed dinner"

in-n-out. not good for the insides but filling and cheap.

and. we have decided dates are worth it. worth every penny. you just feel so bonded after them. it's easy to want to just lay around and veg- when you both are so tired. but going out is just so much more fun.

and hey, money comes and goes. but memories last forever.

one fine day

or more correctly stated. one fine 48 hours. it all started with church yesterday morning. i got the giggles...it was bad. you know how that is. something is funny and so you start laughing. then you can't stop laughing because you are laughing at the most inappropriate time and place possible. it's terrible. but so great at the same time.

later daron and i watched the movie "one fine day". 

finally. i have been wanting to for weeks now. and it's official. that movie is one of my favorites. i have really been appreciating the 90's lately. however, i am known to be the worst movie critic. my friends don't trust anything i say. (i sort of can't blame them when my "favorites list" consists of: "the mummy"...yes i love brandon fraiser. "she's the man" and "jurassic park." no i don't like to think during my movies. needless to say daron and i have opposite movie taste) anyway. this movie did it in for me. "it" being the holidays. it put me into the holiday spirit. i could feel my body beaming as i saw christmas decorations in the stores, as they drank hot chocolate and cozied up in their homes due to cold weather. 

and. now i'm gonna say it. i want snow. oh yes. it's true. i don't just want it. i am craving it. the summer tan is gone. sayonara to that 3 weeks ago. and unfortunately my beach bod went with it. my winter coat is on. i am ready for winter snow flakes. i am ready for boots, hats, scarves, and tights. i am ready for our winter wonderland. for fires and soups. for chili and christmas lights.  for coats and long sleeves. i am as shocked as you are that i am writing this.

and i really like my husband in his "alaskan" outfit. i think it is really hott when he dresses like this. he looks manly and like he could protect me from anything. and he doesn't dress like this unless there is snow.

last night daron and i took a scooter ride and went exploring around lehi. yes, lehi is possible to be explored. the mountains were magnificent. it was the strangest feeling. it was almost as if i had never noticed them before. i was seeing them in a different light. they made me feel so small yet so invigorated. they made me feel as though i could conquer the world. just one mountain peak at a time. 

our fine sunday even trickeled onto monday. i woke up this morning and read out of the book "Daughters in my Kingdom: The Hisotry and Work of Relief Society" about how we, as women, need to be filling our precious time with those things that are of eternal importance. just after i read that, daron stopped getting ready and we took a time out. where we just cuddled together in the early morning talking about nothing and squeezing each other as tight as we could. i thought about how i couldn't think of a better use of my time. oh how i wanted time to stop. just stand still. i thought about the day when there is no time. maybe something like...eternity?? yeah. i am excited for that.

then came work. oh work. if the truth be told the past month i come home almost everyday feeling defeated. some days it would take everything in me to push on. but today. finally. i walked away feeling accomplished. i sold my first item today. a hearts on fire enjoyment right hand ring to the most adorable elderly couple i have ever seen. the man was buying his wife of 50 years a new wedding ring after her not having one for 40 years. she lost hers after 10 years of marriage and actually can't remember how. haha. don't you love that? and my boss actually told me "good job." oh boy. halleluia people. honestly. halleluia. it hasn't all been in vain!

it's a beauty. i promise. or come see for yourself :) 

the YOUNG residence

what's up- lately.
together: (daron and i)
-have been enjoying big and luscious allred apples linnea got for us
-and our adorable new fall wreath (also from...linnea)
-looking forward to a drive of the fall leaves. i'd say fall is here wouldn't you?
-watching a new show called "terra nova"- i can't decide if i like it honestly. it's entertaining but it has dinosaurs and gives me nightmares. please, somebody, tell me a good show there is to watch!?
-soaking up every moment we have together, considering they are fewer. laughing a lot and being seriously goofy. i have been told that daron has become much goofier since we got married. i think it is safe to say i am the culprit :) and you know what? i am pretty proud of that title.

ME: 
-have been thinking about this post and just how wonderful it is. and how it makes me so happy.
-have days like yesterday...where i didn't have a MORSEL of food until 6:45 P.M. not a bit. not even a crumb people. that whole "adjusting" to work thing is still occurring. i am pretty sure i have never done that before and i am pretty sure i never want to do that again.
-falling asleep with my make up on. yuck.
-enjoying a lovely chat with grandma carlson. 
-drooling over jewelry inside the store (ex: blue topaz ring with diamond halo- below) Goldsmith Co. "wish list" coming soon. pray for me that i exercise discipline and restraint and daron and i don't go broke :)

DARON: 
-talks to cool people at work about the market and gets really excited
-has also been dressin' pretty fine lately for work
-fixes himself dinner :( i need to get the hang of this whole crock pot thing. asap.
-is a good sport about his wife coming home an hour and a half after him. having no one to cook dinner. and helping her keep the house not in shambles. (unfortunately for him, she still manages to)

last night it rained all night. i couldn't believe how warm and fuzzy inside it made me feel. i felt so safe. so secure. all snug in our fluffy bed. i wished so badly daron was awake as i layed next to him so we could cuddle and enjoy the sweet pitter patter. i couldn't help but think about all the reasons why life is a blur right now. and all the reasons why we are so so lucky.