i'm kind of boring.

Today, Zac and I didn't see each other for a whole nine and a half hours. We drove separately today so Zac could stop by BYU on his way home to buy tickets for a dance performance that he's required to go to for one of his classes. We've got the next two Friday date nights set, I'll tell you what.

When I got home from work, Zac had already started on his piles and piles of homework. I sat with him at the kitchen table, and we listened to a narrated play script while drinking peppermint tea together. Since the play is two whole hours long, I got a little bored and went off by myself, and ended up here, writing to you.

It's been hit and miss with writing recently. As of late, it seems like my life is on repeat: get up early in the morning, get ready for the day, go to work for eight hours, come home, hang out with or without Zac while he does homework, make and eat dinner, get ready for bed, go to sleep. I feel like my life is boring, and this needs to change. Wouldn't you say? I want to lead an exciting life, full of small, exciting things, and big things, too. I want to get out of this routine I've set for myself (yet another reason I'm excited to be a mom). I want to get out and do things: take pictures, laugh, be crazy, make memories. I guess, too, that it might help when summer comes out from its hiding place.

Oh, and I want a bike. Real bad.

What are some things you people have tried to break from the norm, and make your life more full, interesting, and enjoyable? Any tips are greatly appreciated, as I'm kind of stuck right now. I used to be fun...

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sammy's name of fame.

Have you ever heard of Sammy's Cafe? If you haven't, you should probably go to one of their three locations right this instant and try one of their famous pie shakes.

Currently, they have a game for all their customers to play. It's called Name of Fame. Everyday, Sammy himself chooses a name. People with that name get to come into the cafe and get a FREE 9 oz. shake. Can you say fantastic?!

A couple of days ago, they posted my name. It was my moment! After work, Zac and I headed over to Sammy's in Provo and got a free Mint Oreo pie shake, with an order of battered fries for $2.50. It was a steal, and a fun date night.

As we were leaving, we noticed a hipster outside walking around and playing his guitar. When he started singing, we laughed, because his voice was high-pitched. Oh Provo... you and your hipsters.

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breakfast and the san bernardino valley.

This morning, at a quarter to noon, I sat at the table and ate a breakfast of coconut oil spread onto toasted honey white bread, a sliced apple, and a glass of Simply Orange orange juice while Zac was sick in bed. Today, we are skipping church because he has an icky sore throat, and it's my job to take care of him.

When he woke up, I made him a breakfast of fried eggs and toast. Then, we looked at homes for sale in the San Bernardino valley in Southern California, because we both really want to live there. Why? Let me name the reasons.

1. The houses there are just about as cheap as the houses in Utah. A four-bedroom house runs for about $275,000 (give or take).
2. The valley of San Bernardino is surrounded by mountains to hike! And in those mountains are about three of four lakes. Glorious!
3. The San Bernardino Valley is only an hour away from the beach; and not just any beach--Newport beach, where we went on our honeymoon.
4. It's warm there, with no snow. As much as I love the look of snow, I hate the cold and ice it brings with it. The weather in San Bernardino ranges from about 40 degrees in the winter to about 95 degrees in the summer. This place was made for me.
5. The houses there are gorgeous. I'm not sure where Utah was when they talked about the aesthetics of houses' architecture, but Utah is highly lacking. California? Not so much.
6. My sister, Emily, lives only two hours away from San Bernardino. Family!
7. The Redlands, California temple is nearby. What a beauty!

So you see? Zac and I need to move there. I think it's become my new dream. Just look how appealing it is...

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the family room + the kitchen.

I moved into our current apartment at the end of April last year. Zac moved in with me after we got married at the end of May. That means that we've been renting this apartment for about 9 1/2 months, and I have yet to take any real pictures of it. Until now! The kitchen was looking a little dirty this evening, so I set off to clean it. Afterwards, it looked so lovely (well, as lovely as it'll get) that I took some pictures. So for those of you who don't know what our apartment looks like, here you go! I am [for the most part] quite fond of it.

The family room...

And the kitchen...

And we can't forget about the lovely Audrey Hepburn poster hanging in the hallway, can we?

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to clean the bedroom tonight, so that will have to wait. Stay tuned!

PS... I got my new glasses yesterday, and I must say they are quite fantastic. Pictures soon!

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ten reasons why i love being married...

...in no particular order...

1. You always have a buddy--at the movies, on roller coasters, even when you're bored and just need someone to bug.
2. You get to snuggle with someone at night (and all the other times you're together).
3. Inside jokes, signals and signs.
4. Helping each other out: he zips up my dresses and tells me if he likes my outfit, and I make him lunch and massage his back.
5. Having things in common, and sharing those things (like collecting vinyl records and listening to them while we make dinner).
6. Talking about the future together--kids, houses, locations, jobs--and having that person be just as excited for it as I am.
7. Being able to entertain each other for hours, and not getting tired of it.
8. Unconsciously turning each other into ourselves. Zac dresses in more of what I like, and he's gotten me into listening to his music. We're even starting to act like each other more, and it's just funny.
9. Sharing a 500-square-foot apartment, and learning to live with each other and each other's habits.
10. Still missing the other one, and getting excited to see them after work, even after 8 1/2 months of marriage.

Me and Zac when we were in the early stages of dating, Oct. 2010.

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we saw brian reagan one night.

A couple of weeks ago, I got off work early, picked Zac up from school, and the two of us drove up to Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City to see Brian Reagan.

Upon arriving in Salt Lake City, we met my family at The Lion House Pantry (we had our wedding luncheon at the actual restaurant, just upstairs from the Pantry) for some soup bowls, pork sandwiches, salads, and chicken fingers. When we were finished, we walked the few blocks underneath the city lights to Abravanel Hall, and even saw our temple on the way!

Our seats were on the very back row, but luckily they had a camera on Brian with a big screen behind him so we could see all of his facial expressions (because, if you've seen Brian Reagan live, you know that his facial expressions make up half of his act).

Afterwards, my huge family went out for ice cream at our favorite ice cream place (tied with Cold Stone--at least for me), Leatherby's. The ice cream they serve there is brought out in HUGE portions, and you're more than likely to not finish what you order. And for some reason, my family loves that.

I got Emily's Raspberry Chocolate Rhapsody, and ate a few spoonfuls before I remembered to take a picture of that heavenly goodness. Ahhhhh...

P.S. Remember when Zac and I drank Coca-Cola from glass bottles when we were trimming our Christmas tree? Well, tonight, I am really craving one of those glass bottles of coke.

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