update

i spent the first few days of july at home. and of course by home, i mean kansas. it was the first time i'd been back in almost a year! my grandma flew into kc the night we drove in so we picked her up from the airport and she stayed with us. she made fun of me because almost every time we turned down a familiar street i kept saying "how weeeeiiiird!" it was to be back. it really was though. so much has changed in the last year. i never thought 2012 would have turned out the way it has. we were only home for three days, but we did a lot in those three days...

we bought cider doughnuts/lost trail root beer/peaches from the louisburg cider mill, attended church at our old ward, visited our old house, had lunch at chipotle (there isn't one near us where we live now and it's killlllllling me), took family pictures with jen fields. and visited family and friends. the most important thing we did during our time back home, and the main reason for our return, was attend the kansas city temple. i was endowed on july 3rd and it was such an awesome experience. i had invited some people from church to my session and i was so pleased that almost all of them were able to come! after our session we had a celebratory lunch at the texas roadhouse near the temple. when i walked in, the managers had written a message of good luck to me on the floor by the entrance. i felt pretty special that day.

most of all, it was wonderful being home. i lived in kansas for most of my life, so having been gone for almost a year, it felt right to come back. i don't think i'll ever feel more at home than i did there.

final four please

nothing stresses me out like a close kansas basketball game. yesterday was not an exception. the jayhawks and tarheels played a good game, but in the end the jayhawks came out on top! and now we're headed to our 14th final four appearance. 

and to think this was a rebuilding year for us. we've made it farther than most people thought. rock chalk forever. 

can't wait to see what happens in new orleans!

if hell was a 17 hour roadtrip

the day i have been waiting for for five months has finally come and gone. but let's maybe back up a second and talk about my last couple days in kansas... thursday was the day that chris came! brent and i had lunch with miss maggie (my trainer) at chipotle. then we stopped at the mall so brent could spend $103 on one pair of pants and one pair of shoes. absurd right?

then on the way home from the airport we stopped and looked at the progress they're making on the kansas city temple. it's looking so pretty!

friday morning i packed and said goodbye to brent. waaaaah i don't wanna talk about it. but friday night chris and i went to the royal's game! they played the boston red sox and lost badly, but it was still fun. 

yesterday morning i woke up at 5, finished packing the rest of my things, and we met up with jessie at her house. we were on the road by 6:45. chris and i decided that a roadtrip of that magnitude must be what hell is like. seriously... my back hurt, my bum hurt, and even the billions of songs on my ipod couldn't keep me entertained. but towards the end, driving across wyoming, i fell in love. now, i'm not as cool as chelsie. i mean, i did drive over 1000 miles through 5 states. but my journey wasn't as marvelous as the trek chelsie made. guys, america is beauuuuutiful. i'm especially a fan of the midwest sky. 

those are two different rainbows, btdubs. and that last one was a double! how preeeeeetty. but i'm finally here. and it's a marvelous feeling. i've been reunited with aims, and my heart is happy. now it's time for a nap.

a last day

so i'm sitting here, all cuddled up in blankets on brent's bed, realizing that this summer (and my life in kansas) is finally coming to an end. today is my last day of work, for the next month at least, and i'm kind of sad about it. i've really gotten into a routine and enjoyed the way things have been going for the last few weeks. as excited as i am about finally getting a break after a long 5 months of nothing but work, seeing my best friends and my grandma, and heading back to school, part of me isn't ready to leave.

i've always been one to welcome change and a new adventure, but sometimes the unfamiliarity of new experiences frightens me. and with this change is coming goodbyes. this week i have to (and have already had to) say goodbye to the people i've gone to church with for the last 5 years, the precious 7 yearolds i've taught this summer, the three great families i've babysat for and come to know and love, all of my kansas friends, and brent and his family. i hate goodbyes. hate hate hate hate them. 

however, i'm going to try to remember what i'm excited about. today is my last day with kate and sam. these two are not justin bieber fans. quite the opposite, actually. a couple times i've tried to sneak in a "that should be me" or "one less lonely girl" while we're driving in the car, and they proceed to cover their ears and yell at me to turn it off. so when i suggested we watch "never say never" together, they turned their noses up at that idea. but, it being my last day and all, they promised me we could watch it today! kate, out of the kindness of her heart. sam, with my promise to bring him cider doughnuts from the louisburg cider mill. but hooray! i have finally won. paige - 1. kate and sam - 0. hallelujah.

i'm also getting my car back today, thanks to steve at olathe toyota. i have antibiotics for my eye infection, so that's making me feel better. last night i did the paperwork to get my passport renewed. tomorrow, brent and i are meeting maggie (my pilates trainer) for lunch, going to pick chris up at the airport, and then spending the afternoon on the plaza with our friend sophie from high school. friday night is the royal's game and saturday morning at 6am we're heading west with jessie. this has been the most ridiculous week.

yes i'm sad about leaving. yes i'm nervous about what's going to happen to my relationships with some people. yes i feel like there might be one or two tears. but yes i can't wait for this next month. yes i'm thrilled to be reunited with my best friend after eight long months. yes i'm excited to stick my toes in the pacific ocean. and yes i'm eager to get back to school after taking a semester off. here's to change. and here's to summer 2011.

the little things

there is a cute older couple that lives a couple blocks away from my house. i drive by them every night on my way home from work. rain or shine, they are sitting outside, waving to the several passersby. and when i say “rain or shine,” i mean rain. or. shine. last week during a light summer rainstorm they were sitting on their porch, with an umbrella in hand, enjoying each other’s company. today, in the excessive heat and humidity, where were they? nowhere other than sitting in a couple lawn chairs under the shadow of the huge oak tree that shades their front yard. sometimes i get excited to turn the corner down their street, eagerly waiting their friendly waves and smiles. it’s something i’m going to miss about this place.

over time i’ve come to love a lot of things about this little community. the kindness of the people, the feel of a small town and finally being somewhere where i belong. the overwhelming sense of tradition and pride that has made the burg what it is. i consider this the place where i really grew up. where i started to figure out who i am and where i want to go in life. it was also where i experienced a lot of firsts; my first job, my first kiss (and my first boyfriend), my first car (and my first ticket), my first school musical, my first experiences in the real world as i got older and grew up a little bit.

i love louisburg. and tonight, as i sit in an empty room, i realize this is the last night i’m going to spend here. in this bed, in this room, in this house. for the first time since i found out we’re moving, i’m actually sad about leaving.

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.

it's a great day at the K

this is definitely one of the cutest things on the planet

and it happened in kansas city!

p.s. i heard on the radio this morning that they got married today!

hooray for love, and proposals, and weddings, and stuff

[suh-mer] tyme

i've lived in kansas since i was 3 years old. now i am 20. so i mean, that's quite some time. i was born in california, but kansas is definitely my home. and it's kind of funny, because when i tell people i'm from kansas, i either get a look that basically says "uhhh, people actually live in kansas...?" or a wizard of oz joke. for some reason, everybody is under the impression that kansas is dull and ugly, boring and flat. but me, i love kansas.

i love the rolling hills and the fields of endless yellow sunflowers. i love the blue blue skies and the way the city lights downtown illuminate the night. i love that we have four very distinct and separate seasons. i love midwest storms. i'm absolutely convinced that we have the best thunderstorms. i love kansas basketball and the pride that comes from being a part of a team. but my absolute favorite part about kansas? kansas summers.

i haven't been home for a summer since i graduated high school. which was two years ago. and i'm so happy i get to be here this summer. i love that it stays late until 9 o'clock. i love laying outside in my backyard on a clear night and looking at a blanket of stars spread across the sky. i love going to our farm for 4th of july parties. i love living in shorts and flip flops. i love driving with the top down singing to my favorite songs. i love baseball games and worlds of fun and county fairs.

i love everything about kansas summers,

and i'm lucky i live here.

'ohana means family

i am rarely home anymore

i dont even enjoy being in kansas

theres nothing left for me there, besides...

my family

i love and appreciate them more now than i ever have i think

even though my family is messed up, these four people are the absolute best

i dont talk to conner much, and we dont have a whole lot in common, but i really love him, and i hope he knows that. i feel like the three of us were a lot closer when we were younger, and he annoyed me more than anything on God's green earth for about three years, but now i can tolerate him, and thats big progress. he's one of the funniest kids i know. and isnt he cute? he got cute while i was at college, and tall!

my sister is my best friend in the whole entire world. im so jealous of her. number one, shes hot. and she just happens to be the funniest person i know. and she's always been good about being nice to my mom. i used to wish i had the kind of relationship they do. i love my sister forever.

im absolutely crazy about my mom. i gave her complete hell through highschool and i feel like i missed out on a good relationship we couldve had. but now i love her more than anything. shes my hero and i hope i can be half of what she is someday.

ps these were taken by jen fields. she's absolutely fantastic. she took my senior pictures also. and me and hadley have both worked for her. shes incredibly talented and really has a gift. checkkk ittt.