that time my best friend got married... in pictures

my best friend got married last month. i already pretty much summarized the whole day over here, but i wanted to share with you a few of my favorite pictures from the day! 

basically, i love my best friend

and they lived happily ever after

(p.s. all photos courtesy of angela mccallister)

mawwaige is what bwings up togeva today

the day started early. i was up at 7 to do my makeup and pack up my suitcase and bags. i headed to amara day spa, as recommended by my friend chantelle, to get my hair done. this girl alex came in extra early (8:30) before the salon opened just for me! we talked weddings, hideous bridesmaids' dresses of her past, and of how many friends we had getting married.

at 9:15 i was off to the mount timpanogos temple to watch my best friend and her jason walk out as husband and wife. the morning was cold and windy. family and friends were huddled in the waiting area just inside the temple. at 10:00 the mother of the bride announced that amy and jason were about to walk out! i got chills as they pushed through the doors, smiles and loving glances across their faces. amy looked stunning. i had forgotten what her dress looked like until then. but it was utterly beautiful. she was the most beautiful bride i had ever seen. and jason looked so dapper in his suit. they looked incredible.

after hugs and kisses were exchanged between the bride and groom and their families, we were directed to positions for photographs. after 30 minutes of picture taking we were "dismissed" and i met up with my friend (and one of amy's previous roommates) megan and [their other roommate] chelsea. literally all the three of us talked about for the rest of the day was how much we loved amy and how gorgeous of a bride she was. 

we headed to a little victorian house in provo for a luncheon for the wedding party, family, and close friends. after a fantastic salad and yummy chicken with mashed potatoes and veggies, amy and jason's dads offered words of advice, encouragement, and keys to a successful and happy marriage. i may or may not have teared up. it was pretty special. 

after the luncheon, we made our way back up to lehi for the reception. the room was beautifully decorated in blue and yellow, with the center pieces, food table, and flower arrangements set perfectly in place. there was music, dancing, mini cheesecakes, pictures, receiving lines, and unexpected guests! apparently one of jason's uncles and his wife were my primary teachers 15 or so years ago! the lds community is such a small, small world. it was great seeing them. amy and i got a moment alone when i helped her change her clothes in the dressing room. it was the only time i'd really seen her all day and it was nice to be able to congratulate her on my own.

it was finally time to let mr. and mrs. demke go. the reception guests each took blue and gray balloons to release as amy and jason left. it was such a happy day. by the afternoon/evening the sun had come out, the air had warmed up, and the wind had died down. the balloons left our hands as quickly as the happy couple sped off. 

it was such a good day. i am so sooo excited for amy and jason. i've never seen her this genuinely happy in the three years i've known her. they are truly a perfect match and i wish them all the luck in the world as they embark on their marital adventures. i love them both and i'm thrilled i got to be there on their special day!

a mission call

i've been in utah all weekend for amy's wedding. on friday night i went to dinner at joe's crab shack with amy and jason, amy's parents, sisters, and grandparents. i got there a little earlier than everyone else so i was sitting in the car waiting for them to arrive when my mom called me.

"paige... guess what just came in the mail for you"

"MY CALL!?"

"YOUR CALL!"

i originally didn't want her to open it. i wanted to be the one to tear the seal, open the letter, and the read the words sent to me from president monson. but then i decided i didn't want it to sit at my house for two more days, teasing me because i didn't know what it said. so i told her to open it.

"mom, don't read ahead!!!"

"okay i won't, i'm covering the paragraph!"

"go, mom, read it!"

"dear sister munden, you are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. you are assigned to labor... FDJKLSJA OMG PAIGE JFLKDJFKLA OMG!"

"mom, where!?"

"YOU'RE GOING TO DJAKLFJDKLA!"

"omg mom, tell me!"

"you are assigned to labor in the SPAIN MADRID MISSION"

this episode of screaming and excitement was followed by lots of crying and hyperventilating and more screaming. people, i am elated. i feel like i've been waiting foreeeeever for this. i honestly did not care where the lord sent me. i figured if he wanted me in some podunk town in montana or something, i would be willing and ready! but let's be real for a second. i can't wait to go to spain. i am so excited. i can't wait to get home and see the letter with my own two eyeballs and to research everything i can about madrid. i feel so blessed with this opportunity and sincerely appreciate all the congratulations i've already gotten via call, text, facebook and twitter. 

basically, i'm going to madrid, spain and i report september 12th. and i am thrilled about it.

thai thursday, tumblr thursday, thirsty thursday

i woke up and really liked today. first, because i immediately looked at my phone and realized it was 11:30. i really enjoy sleeping late. second, because i woke up to a text message from chelsie that said, "i am so excited for thai food today" and then i realized that today was thai thursday... imagine my sheer joy. if you haven't experienced the magic that happens at original thai on main street in rexburg idaho, repent and then go! only $7.25 for any lunch dish plus a crab rangoon. i should be paying them. seriously. please feast your eyes upon the deliciousness that entered my belly today.

i hope only positive words entered your brain. because trust me, it tasted as mind-blowingly phenomenal as it looks. today is also the day that i decided to finally order my new hard drive for my poor computer that died about a month ago (moment of silence please...okay, moment's over). 

and, drumroll please... tumblr thursday. sometimes i contemplate the discontinuation of tumblr thursday on this blog, but then chelsie confessed today that she loves it, so i'll keep it. for her, and the rest of you that enjoy it.

(this little cutie was the guy from "up" for halloween, presh)

idk why i threw thirsty thursday in there... it just felt right. maybe because i'm going to be drinking plenty of vitamin C today in an effort to get feeling better. sickness once a semester should be enough! i thought i was done with this. woe is me. t-minus 1.5 hours til i leave for work. in that time i plan on cleaning my room and unloading the dishwasher, and maybe watching desperate housewives. here i go...

one night in orem

well. i'm in utah. it just kind of...happened. i drove down yesterday and i'm leaving in about an hour. shortest weekend of my life? yesssssssss. but i'm staying with my cassie and i just love her. when i got here she fed me crackers and a granola bar because i was starved. then we sat and talked and laughed and were just our silly stupid selves. after canceling some other plans i had last night we brought cafe rio home and ate while we watched desperate housewives, i didn't know i was pregnant and the bad girls club. quality evening. she is my heart.

the perfect indian summer

for those of you who don't know, rexburg is unseasonably cold for most of the year. not all of idaho. no, just rexburg. my very first semester here, it started snowing on october 5th and we didn't have our last snow until june 6th. i don't know about you, but i think 8 months of snow is like five too many. 

well this semester has been different. it's chilly in the morning, warm and sunny all day, and then cool again when the sun goes down. i'm not complaining at all. it's perfect. today i felt like going for a drive. i just had an urge. there's something about driving around with the sun roof open, not having a destination, and music blaring that's just so... magical. it's when i'm the absolute happiest.

chelsie joined me today for a drive followed by an adventure at the haunted swings. i loved every second of it. please forgive me for not wearing pants, and for having retarded faces in every single one of these pictures. i was just caught up in the fantasticness of it all.

she's a cutie

i like her

and the weather

and rexburg

and my life

except for the fact that i'm sick... that kinda sucks

first week blues

i started school monday. monday, as in, three days ago. and already i'm stressed. here's why:

1. my spanish class terrifies me. it's a 300 level class, which means all these impressive spanish speaking rm's are in there who understand everything that's going on and know just what to say. i'm one of 4 girls in the class, 2 of whom served missions, and therefore know what's up as well. the class is about phonetics. i feel like this would be hard enough for me in english, but i have to study it in spanish. cool.

2. my room isn't all the way set up. i've lived here for a week now, and i just got unpacked yesterday. but i still have things all over my floor and desk and dresser and nothing on my walls, and it's making me anxious.

3. i have $88.11 in my checking account, to last me until i get a job. which will hopefully be sometime soon because i have 8 job applications sitting in my backpack that i need to finish filling out and take back to the restaurants from which i got them.

4. not understanding my online class. i don't understand it, not because of the material, but because i've never taken an online class before. waaaaah help me. plus it's science, and that's icky.

5. my three options for food are; cereal, quesadillas, and, drum-roll please... turkey sandwiches. i wish i had more food in my house. and not just more food, but real food. but that would require me to have money. which i have very little of (see #3). i'm at least doing better than betsy, who only has the choice of frosted flakes or cinnamon toast crunch. actually, she just finished her frosted flakes yesterday, so it sucks to be her.

6. i'm going to china this winter, you know? i've been planning on going through ILP (international language programs). but this week i've encountered so many people who have gone through China Horizons, which i've heard is significantly cheaper for essentially the same experience. and i don't know what to do. it seems like an easy choice, but i'm having a hard time making it.

7. i seemed to have lost my ipod and sunglasses. two necessities of life. i will offer a reward to any finder of these things. nothing monetary, don't be ridiculous. we're talking high fives and hugs.

in the midst of all this stress and frustration, i'm still finding things to be thankful for:

1. my friends. chelsie, madi, t'jae, and tanner in particular have been so great. lunch dates, movie dates, hugs, and heart to hearts on the way to idaho falls have made this stressful week so much better. i'm happy and grateful to be back in rexburg with my idaho people. i love them.

2. my roommates. every semester that i've been here, something significant has happened with at least one of my roommates to make me hate my life. that's what you get when you live with girls i guess. but i have a feeling this semester will be different. i already love them all so much and i'm hoping and praying for a drama free semester.

3. my mom. in child development yesterday we talked about things that our parents did growing up to help us develop biosocially, cognitivally, and psychosocially. i shared an experience i remembered from when i was younger and my professor said "make sure you thank your mom every day, that's incredible." i seriously love that woman.

4. my new ward. little freshmen dorm boys are in my fhe group this semester which i'm not thrilled about, but on the very very positive side of things... our bishop and his wife are taking all the girls in our ward to their cabin up in island park this weekend for food, games, food, movies, and lots more food. 

5. the nice weather. the thing i hate most about idaho is that it's freezing for most of the year. but right now it's september which means it's cool in the morning and warm by the afternoon. i like that. it's also going to be nice for when betsy, kelsey, katie and i go to betsy's diabetic walk this saturday.

6. i don't have class on tuesday's and thursday's, hence why it's 12:36 and i'm blogging in bed, having not gotten ready for the day yet.

7. i'm alive. whenever i'm feeling like life hates me i have to take a step back and make a list of all the things that are going right. it's helpful... i'm alive. i have a family who loves me. i have friends who are there for me. i have the opportunity to get an education where my beliefs and lifestyle as a mormon are accepted, encouraged, and supported. i have opportunities and plans. and again, i'm alive.

i apologize for the novel. it was more for my benefit than for anyone else's. haha oops. have a happy thursday! p.s. tumblr thursday will be up today for once, and not tomorrow (thank you #6).

i'm happy

the last three weeks have been full of; driving across the country, playing with best friends, meeting new people, random exciting dates, concerts, the beach, disneyland, long car rides, good food, good conversation, finally winning a game of pool, moving in to my new apartment, getting hardly any sleep, losing three pounds, hair cuts, shopping on the strip, cafe rio, ferris wheels and petting zoos, hot tubs, reunions with missionaries from my mission, sunrises, sunsets, and enjoying my last weekend before school starts.

it's been the epitome of perfection and i'm not ready for it to end. but i'm really excited about ending my 9 month hiatus from school. it's time to get back to the real world (unfortunately), and i'm ready for change. 

oh, and p.s. 

i got accepted to china!

i still feel like i need to pray about it and make sure it's gonna be the right thing for me to do this winter. but i'm excited nonetheless. four months from now i'll be in asia with chelsie teaching english to little chinese kids. i think that sounds pretty good to me. winter 2011 was spent in ecuador, winter 2012... hi china :)

(top 4) on friday

tonight is  emily's wedding reception! she got married last week in omaha, but she's having her utah reception tonight. once upon a time we hung out a lot. like here and here. i miss her. and i cannot wait to see her and her man. all my friends are getting married and having babies. it's super weird.

aaaaanyways. i haven't done a top 5 post in a while. so here's to my...

(top 4) best dates

in no particular order

1. breakfast & the world cup & the drive-in

last summer i was up in rexburg at school. last summer was also the world cup, if you don't recall. my friend justin had been crushin' a little bit on amy. so he called me one saturday morning and asked if amy and i wanted to come over and he and riley would make us breakfast. so, we did. the four of us just hung out in our sweats and ate eggs, bacon, pancakes, and french toast. the boys cleaned up the mess in the kitchen and then we watched the united states play england. i'm pretty sure there was also a pretty awesome backrub train going on too. after the game was over we went our separate ways to get some homework and chores done. but later that night justin asked us to go to the drive-in with him and another friend. we saw...marmaduke? it was completely retarded. but it was the drive-in. and we were on a couch in the back of a truck. so it was fantastic. it was suuuuch a good day. amen.

2. glow in the dark at the caves

it was the first weekend of school last fall semester and emily and i were bored out of our miiiiiinds. my friend dusty called me and said a bunch of them we're gonna go play glow in the dark hide and seek at the caves and asked if emily and i wanted to join their group. uhhh, yes please? we may have gotten a little bit lost getting there. but once we were, it was a blast. we broke open glow in the dark sticks and splattered them all over the dark caves and ourselves. and then we played hide and seek. i think some of went back and swam at the boys' pool. i did not. i sat in dusty's apartment and talked to his roommate sam. and learned how to count from 1 to 10 in japanese. it was fun.


3. pizookie and the beach


last weekend when i was in california i went on a double date with jason (who served in my ward about 4 years ago), his girlfriend, and jason's friend. they took us to bj's in huntington beach for chocolate chip/oreo pizookie. so delish. new favorite dessert. after an intense conversation about music and the greatest bands of all time, we left bj's and headed for part two of the adventure. we stopped at a gas station and the boy's picked up some firewood. then we went to a private beach, laid out on blankets on the sand, watched the fire, and listened to jason and jacob play the guitar until 1:30 in the morning. it was pretty magical.


4. the fair last night


this wasn't really a date. but there were two boys. and two girls. so that's what i'm calling it. we drove 45 minutes listening to modest mouse, brand new, bright eyes, death cab and mumford & sons only to wind up at the eastern idaho state fair. we parked for free and got in for free, which was neat. but our dinner of chicken fingers for me and mark, a hamburger for madi and a chicken sandwich for george, was ridiculously expensive. but we didn't care because we were at a fair. the evening was full of ferris wheels, petting zoo's, mind boggler games, walking on water, pictures, hypnotists, walking with linked arms, and typical fair festivities. and followed by a drive home listening to the backstreet boys, taylor thrash, rihanna, and awolnation. i was in love with every second of last night.

this just turned into top 4. mostly because i'm running late and need to get on the road back to utah. but notice how all of these are while i'm away at school? well, except the california one. that's because boys in kansas don't know how to date. shout out to all the young men's and women's lessons on dating that make college fun.

answered prayers

my family moved last week. i called my mom at about noon on thursday to find out how their drive was. she told me that everything was going smoothly. except for the fact that the horse trailer that my stepdad was pulling in his truck had gotten a flat tire and had hit my sister who was driving behind him. my mom and brother were driving behind my sister and had seen this all happen. my brother offered a quick prayer that they would be able to fix the trailer and get back on the road. not five minutes later, a man on a tractor came out of nowhere and just happened to have a forklift on the front of his tractor.  he and my stepdad were able to lift the trailer and fix the tire. my mom said it only set them back about 15 minutes.

answered prayer.

when i got home from ecuador and started work, i printed off a calendar of every month i'd be home. i stapled them together, wrote in the little square for each day where i needed to be and when, and used it as my schedule. as you can imagine, my success and responsibility this summer depends on these pieces of paper. my schedule is my life. with all the craziness of moving, i lost my schedule. devastating, right? i looked everywhere i could think that it would logically be and after many failed attempts at finding it, i finally prayed that i would remember where i put it last. this past weekend i finished unpacking all of my things and, in my red purse that i almost left at my parents house, i found my folded schedule.

answered prayer.

monday was my only day off this week. my plan was to wake up early and be at the taxpayer assistance center the moment they opened their doors at 8:30am, and get the paperwork i needed to take care of my tax issue. my plan got messed up the moment i started my car and found three lights on that, after i looked in my car's owner manual, meant that i needed to take my car in to the dealership. after i got on the highway i also learned that my cruise control wasn't working either. awesome. i called my mom to see if she thought i could make it the tax place, or if i needed to take it in to get fixed. i prayed that i would be able to get my car functioning properly, and maybe even quickly so i could make it to my other appointments that day. i called the toyota dealership and they told me their maintenance schedule was completely full, but they could at least get me in to tell me if it was safe to be driving or not. very long story short, it turned out to be something they could easily fix and i was on my merry way in just an hour.

answered prayer. 

ever since i got my notice from the dreaded IRS a couple weeks ago, i've been including in my daily prayers that i'd be able to get the issue resolved without a lot of trouble and money. last friday when i sat and waited at the taxpayer assistance center for two and a half hours without getting any help before the one worker went on her lunch break, i came prepared on monday with books, magazines, and plenty of things to keep me occupied forever, if that's how long it took. i only waited one hour! the time flew right by.

answered prayer.

leaving the tax place, i called h&r block to let them know that i'd bringing the papers by for rick, the man helping me, to look at before our meeting wednesday (knowing he wouldn't be there because he had the day off). when i came in, the receptionist said "a little birdie told me rick is in the back, lets go get him." he told me he felt like coming in for a bit today and that he even had time to meet with me! hooray! in half an hour everything was taken care of. he didn't charge me for his services, saying i could consider it a late birthday present. my birthday was in march. i love rick.

answered prayer.

i am grateful for the power of prayer and the little miracles that have happened in my life the last week.

mondays usually suck, but not today!

i'm a firm believer that monday's are absolutely the most awful day of the week. but today was near perfect! here's what i liked about today:

1. i was productive. i woke up at 7:30, showered and got ready, and was out of the house by 9.

2. i had a good appointment with my therapist. and i left feeling better.

3. i closed my people's bank account and opened a new one with wells fargo.

4. i watched harry potter and the half blood prince with katiebug.

5. i got paid. 

6. i got free dinner (thank you nick from taco bell).

7. i had a great workout at pilates with miss maggie.

8. i chatted with aims baims about cookies, blogging, boys, and crafts.

9. i'm going to bed before midnight.

10. and for the first time in awhile i feel completely okay with who i am, and where i'm going.

here's to not having a case of the monday's for once!

disneyland, kc style

sometimes in kansas we have to get creative with things to do during the summertime. so a month or so ago, kate and sam helped me put together a list of "fieldtrips" we could go on this summer to have fun while they're out of school. high on the list was world's of fun... for those of you not familiar with kansas city, it's the only decent amusement park within i don't know how many miles of us. i'm pretty sure it's one of the lowest rated theme parks in the country (i feel like i saw that on the travel channel or something). but i happen to love world's of fun. it's got to be one of the happiest places on earth. 

so yesterday the three of us went. and i brought my brother along so sam would have some moral support and not have to be the only boy for the whole day. we had the absolute best time. the kids were well behaved, the weather was perfect, the lines were short, and it was a perfect day to scream our heads off on terrifying roller coasters.

816 hussies for life

so betsy is home for a week

and that pleaseth me

we played today

and that pleaseth me too

(notice i'm wearing my ecuadorian soccer jersey, hooray!)

so we went up to peachwave to visit my friend brock

and had a blessed time

i got raspberry, strawberry, and coconut

with oreos and strawberries

while betsy got raspberry, strawberry, and coconut

with kiwi and granola

then we made our way back home

while listening to my beautiful mix cd that reminds me of ecuador

with the windows rolled down,

and the wind whipping through our hair

i liked it a lot

aaaand then we got attacked by a wasp

kcoolbye

barefooted child

let's talk about my tuesday. i woke up at 9 and cleaned my room whilst listening to the most fantastic playlist i have ever created which contains songs that remind me of ecuador. then at 1 i left for work. it was ridiculously nice outside so kate and i sat on her back patio for a good half hour. 

kate's really cute. and i really like her. also it's her birthday tomorrow and she'll be 12 whole years old!

sorry that it's hard to look attractive while staring directly into the sun

i ran around without shoes on today, and i really enjoyed it.

then i watched sam play soccer in the backyard before he went to practice. and then i went to target and bought kate her birthday present which i'm confident she'll enjoy. aaand saw a girl i knew in middle school.

and then i came home and saw this face. i happen to really like amy. just look at her.

and that, people, was my tuesday. it was a pretty fantastic tuesday actually. lame, but fantastic.

one day without shoes

"shoes are a status symbol in ethiopia.

children dream of having their first pair."

dr. larry thomas

it's just one day

and it's a great day

do it

want the rundown?

our banquet is tomorrow night

i can't believe it

where did this three months go?

since you don't get to be there,

i'll share with you what i'm going to say

and the song we're going to sing

enjoy 

i lied, the videos not working

i'll try again later

Thinking about what to say tonight was surprisingly hard for me. I feel like times are rare that I don’t have the words to express what I’m thinking or feeling. But this is definitely one of those times. My heart is full, my emotions are mixed, and my mind is crowded with my jumbled thoughts. So what comes out will probably be a combination of raw feeling and an attempt at everything trapped inside my head.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the situations of the kids we work with every day. And what I’ve struggled with the most I think is why. Why them? Why do they get abandoned, and left without parents? How come I have an earthly family who loves and wants me, and they don’t? But then I was talking to Angela a few weeks ago, about when she bore her testimony in Sacrament meeting. And she said that though our babies don’t have earthly parents who are in their lives, they do have Heavenly parents who love them tremendously. And I’m grateful that I’ve been able to assist in showing them that they are truly loved. When I’m with them I can feel the love their Heavenly Father has for them. I can feel their innocence and their potential. They are precious spirits. And I’ve decided that Heavenly Father sent them to the orphanages because they are the strongest ones. They can survive without earthly parents and an earthly family. They are in the situations they are in for a purpose. And part of that purpose I think, is to teach me.

It sounds really cliché, but I am changed. I came to Ecuador thinking I was doing a great thing. I was going to improve my Spanish, complete my internship for my Psychology major, and spend 50 hours a week serving the little orphaned children of Quito. I think that part of me was going into this experience a little bit selfishly. But one Sunday at church I was reading Helaman 5 and part of verse 8 stuck out to me… “that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in Heaven, yea which is eternal, and which fadeth not away.” And now I think I’m leaving a better person; a different person. I now have 14 new sisters and some of the greatest friends I’ve had, another family, and a place I can call my home. I feel like I’ve done my best to teach these precious kids all I can. But I’m confident that they’ve taught me so much more.

I’ve learned that what I want most from life is to be a mom and to raise my children in a happy home. I've learned that God loves all of His children equally. And I’ve learned that when you lose yourself in service you find yourself. But the most important lesson I’ve learned from my time in Ecuador is to love unconditionally. The kids I have spent my last 12 weeks with are free of judgment, quick to love, and always happy. I want to be more like them.

As I think about it now, I’m kind of excited to go home. But I know that once I am home, I’ll miss Ecuador more than I enjoy being back in the States. I’ll miss my home. I’ll miss the atmosphere in the house. I’ll miss staying up way too late playing cards and watching movies, just to wake up way too early for shift the next morning. I’ll miss Betty’s mouthwatering meals and Angelita’s sweet smile. I’ll miss general meetings on Tuesday’s and dinner all together on Sunday’s. I’ll miss drives to and from shift with Pablo, even though I fear for my life every time I get in the van. I’ll miss telling taxi drivers that I live in the red house on the corner. I’ll miss all my babies. I’ll miss bathing and dressing them. I’ll miss doing their hair, brushing their teeth, and comforting them when they cry. I’ll miss morning walks, and pattycake on the patio. I’ll even miss wiping their noses, changing their diapers, and putting their socks and shoes on for the 99th time. I’ll miss the workers. I'll miss helping Sor Alba with her English homework and Patty trying to hook me up with her brother-in-law. I'll miss Favi making fun of my ugly shoes and Neomi telling me, "I want to see you naked chica de OSSO." I’ll even miss 13 hour night shifts and Sandra's obnoxious songs that I swear even the children hate. And I’ll miss all of you. But I think what I'll miss more than anything about life in Ecuador is the feeling I got, the strength of my testimony, and the little miracles I saw every day for three months as I served the Lord and his children. My heart will forever be with the children and people of Quito, Ecuador.

goodbye teenagedom, hello adulthood

my day started off with breakfast in bed made by ariel, at about 8. i'm gonna be completely honest, i've never had such divine eggs and toast and a homemade orange juice smoothie thing. get in mah belly. then, i got ready for girls house with angela and tanner. since cassie left, the girls have really missed her. so angela brought them all pictures of her and let them decorate away. it was fantastic. look...

and then when i told them it was my last day they started making me bracelets and necklaces, and painted my nails. i really like them. like a lot. i told them to come home with me so we can visit cassie. they liked that.

i even got this little... creature, thing

i love my gh girls and im gonna miss them a ridiculous amount. however, i pinky promised my two favorites that i'd see them again. so mom, lets plan a trip to ecuador.

then we went to sl for our fiesta/picture day since three of us are leaving this week. we made birds and nests out of oreos and creem cheese, and marshmallows.

right after he asked me to be his girlfriend

(i said yes)

so that was my day of work. which was more like play. i'm not complaining. then we came home and i had popcorn for dinner. angela and emily and i practiced our song for the banquet. it's gonna be fantastic. and then i got surprised with some pazookie deliciousness. too bad i don't know how to spell that.

then we played the skittles game, angela washed my hair (i can't because of my hand), and i went to bed. i had the absolute best birthday. and i'm happy i got to spend it with my new family. only 5 more days of this :(

happy birthday eve to me

im gonna summarize for you the last 36 hours

here we go...

last night emily and i had night shift

one of our babies is getting adopted monday!

and last night her parents came to see her

it was the happiest thing i've ever seen

her mom was crying

and her dad was hugging her

it'll make saying goodbye to her easier

because i know she's going to a family that loves her

then, after the change it was raining

so we asked if we could go play in it

and favi and deicy told us we could play in it

soooo we did

and deicy took pictures of us

then in the morning when i went in to brush teeth,

my precious baby rosa said my name!

for the first time ever

it made me the happiest ever

on friday mornings,
since we have the day off,
we get picked up from night shift at 6:15
instead of 7
so we went down the stairs at 6:15 to wait for angel

while we waited,
one of the casa boys walter came and kissed us
on the cheek
also willy, who works in the kitchen,
and who is extremely good looking,
said hi
also william, the gate boy came and talked to us
and shook our hands, twice

it was 6:52 and no angel
so we decided to catch a taxi
which took like 10 minutes
basically we got home at 7:25
when we were leaving for papallacta at 7:30
so that was neat

howeeeeverrrrrr, when we finally did get there
omg, so beautiful
i'm going there for my honeymoon

so we're having a blast loving life
and then this happened...

WARNING: if you're not a fan of blood, scroll quickly

you see, i'm really clumsy
and i tripped and fell over barbed wire
i cut up my hand,
sprained my wrist,
gashed both of my knees
and have cuts from the barbed wire on my arm
its fantastic

i don't think i've ever cried so much in my life
luckily there was a doctor guy
and he took care of me,
told me my wrist wasn't broken,
and cleaned out all of my cuts

he wanted to give me a shot for the pain
but since i have tiny veins in my arms
he wanted to give it to me in my butt
i was wearing my swimsuit,
and not about to strip in some strange office
so i just took 800mg ibuprofen

caitlin is an angel and held my (left) hand the whole time
she even offered to buy me a massage at the spa!
i couldn't get in the pools cause i was bleeding so much
but it was still beauuuuuutiful
we fell asleep in the van on the way home
and it was excellent

aw look at caitlin and tan man

we came home and i skyped weston
also i shared some chococake with maibe
it was kind of cute

then tanner needed a haircut so ang and i went with him
and he got the most unattractive haircut ever
i truly wish we had taken our camera
it was ridiculously entertaining

then, tanner bought us ice cream
mmmm coco bars

we watched some "what happens in vegas"
and everybody went to bed
except tanner and angela
because they know much i love my birthday
and wanted to stay up with me til midnight

i had the best birthday eve
and here comes the best birthday ever