Lessons learned.

What I learned on March 12:
1- The citric acid cycle in all it's detailed glory. Holy smokes it makes your brain hurt. .
2- My hair is unpredictable and unruly. Normally I like it. Not
today. Today was a day when I wishes I had straight hair.
3- I desperately need new contacts. Too bad my prescription ran out and I don't really have the time/money for an appointment right now.
4- Springtime is sometimes a facade that winter wears so it can trap you in your shorts, sandals an skirts unawares. Then will remind you that a winter in UT extends to
May sometimes.
5- I could never be a model: a) I don't like cameras and b) I don't like audiences, catcalls, or whistles


- Posted from iPhone

you make me happy.

So let me preface this post by saying I have an easy week this week - Come Tuesday night, I had only one homework assignment left for this entire week (stats). Not bad, right? (And of course, I'm not working on stats right now. Oh no, I'm here on my blog :D)

Can I just say that I LOVE the days when I discover new artists. I love randomly hearing a song in the background of a tv commercial or show and desperately racing to figure out what song it is before the magic of the moment is gone, before I no longer know what I'm looking for and have no way to find it again. Today was like that.

I discovered this girl's music. Her name is Lindsey Ray. I think her songs are pretty cute. Maybe kinda cheesy, but don't deny it, you like that stuff sometimes. :) You just have to be in the mood for it. I guess I was in the mood for it today because I kept listening to her songs and only found one that I wasn't happy with (granted I only found like 7 or 8 songs total).

Her style is a lot like Colbie Caillat. I tried to find some of her stuff on youtube. Some of it is there. If you are interested in listening (which you don't have to be, just because I like her doesn't mean you have to) THIS is the link to her site. My favorite song is 'you make me happy'. Not like the traditional stuff. But so good!!! I wish I could link it to play here.

I did make an extra $20 yesterday for just laying still for an hour with a needle in my arm and having an ultrasound done (on my arm. not belly. i'm most definitely not pregnant. but it was fun to see what that would be like) Easiest twenty I ever made - the hardest part was trying to stay awake! So maybe I will go buy this cd with it.

Oh, so you know the whole "first dance" thing?

Well, we have "our songs" but they come with a big problem. The cutesy ones - the ones we would actually consider dancing to - are in Chinese. (I understand them and can actually sing along with them - for the most part) But, we were thinking of maybe an English song for first dance.

So do you have any suggestions of songs? Or just any good music you think I would like? (and I really do like all types of music.)

blonde brownies?

So, I have a bunch of bridal magazines. And guess what.

Almost every model in them is blonde. I would say a good 99.9 % are blonde. And the brunettes in them just don't have good hairstyles.

I guess that means I can't really get married unless I dye my hair. Which sounds like a good idea in my head. But not on paper or in reality.

Want to see what I mean?? Here are the hair styles I like:

(as you will be able to tell, I am 75% leaning towards my hair up and 25% leaning towards it half up. I think the third one is my favorite.)

I am also stuck on whether or not to buy a "fashionable" headpiece or short veil (Kins- could I maybe borrow yours? If you don't want me to, that's totally fine. I completely understand. ) or use the semi-long veil I currently have. Any suggestions? My dress is already busy enough, so I'm just trying to find what I can that would complement it.

Any suggestions?

Or maybe I should just go blonde.

shout hooray!

I get one of these this weekend:

Not the cake/presents/balloons specifically. But I get the birthday that goes with them.

I'll be the big 22.

Sometimes I feel old. But not very often. Sometimes I feel young.

But mostly, I feel the right age.

I think I'm supposed to be 22 now.

21 was a big year for me.

I had a lot of things happen - bought a car, had two surgeries, went to lots of school, went on a girls trip to hawaii!, got my best friend to agree to be my boyfriend, got an iphone, took boyfriend home for christmas, got a ring, got a sister-in-law and a new nephew.

So it's hard to think that 22 could possible be better than 21.

But I've got the feeling it will be.

And it makes me curious, hopeful and very very excited.

Pictures!!!!!

I hope you all enjoy these pictures because they took forever to put up. But it was ALL worth it! The wedding was so fun. And so so exhausting. So many fun things! And the BEST part of all this is that it gets to happen again in 2 months for ours!!!!

The gorgeous couple and their son. Fixing Drex's shirt.

So stinkin' cute!! They make a beautiful family. :D
This is their "You just kissed a boy - how do you feel?" face. haha
This is Jack. Jack is adorable and I CANNOT get enough of him. You will see more of him. :)
Jack and his daddy, Robbie, like to squish their faces together. SOOOOO cute.


Thomas was begging me for money.
Carol looked so cute. We tried to set her up with David's brother but they kind of just avoided each other today.
Love this pic.
Phillip claimed my sweater was shedding on him. And maybe it was.
Love this one too.
All the siblings. We just naturally segregate into boys and girls.
Goofy picture.
this one was a lot harder to do than it looked. we were all off balance.
The boys (minus Will).

Their GQ picture. And somehow Robbie ended up looking straight at me. haha
Christian and his new son! Drex is adorable.
And Drex adores Christian.

The girls.
Probably one of my most favorite pictures of the day!!!!
So so so happy for them!!

how can you not love this child?!

The reception was sooo long. It's a lot easier when you are not family. Because then you can leave when you want. Family has to stay to the end. So we took pictures, snuck cake, played some farkle and waited.
Oh, and Emma caught the bouquet. Go figure. I have never seen an eight-year-old DIVE for a bouquet before. But Emma always did like to pretend she was a big girl. She likes wearing my ring too.
And that's all because I got bored with taking pictures.
Such a fun day though. I am going to miss my family being here.
But they are coming back soon!!!

Please pardon my absence for the next few days. I will be away celebrating pure happiness. Wedding, birthdays, families - 3 of my favorite things.

I love you all.
I will take as many pictures a I can.
And then I will share them with you! :) :)
- Posted from iPhone

Dear Wedding Dress,

Please hurry up and get in my mailbox. I already have butterflies in my stomach - ever since the moment I knew that you, specifically, were a real possibility and not just a figment of my personal fairy tale. I found you and felt the excitement rush over my body. Then the butterflies came. They remind me they are still in my stomach whenever I think about you and the process of getting you worked out to the point where I can actually wear you in 9+ weeks. I have wanted you for so long, and to have you be snatched from my ever-so-close grasp is a painful, heart-breaking thought. Yeah, you are a little nerve-wracking. Time is slipping away. So can you please slip into my mailbox?

nervously,

Natalie

Help?

Does anyone know any graphic designers that want to create something for me? It won't be hard. I promise!!

It's for our wedding invites. I know what I want, I just can't do it by myself. Or if someone can let me know a way to do it by myself too, that would be great.

I'm realizing how non-creative I am. I just don't have the creative juices they do. Or the equipment. Or the knowledge.

Help please?

- Posted from iPhone

Haha

Dear girl sitting next to me in the polka dot sweater,

You are dozing in class. Your nodding off and head bobbing is greatly amusing to me. Your ever so slightly noticeable snoring/heavy breathing is tolerable. However, you crossed the line when you put your head on my shoulder. I don't really make a good pillow. And, I don't even know you! But no worries. Your embarrassment at what you had done more than makes up for the uncomfortable weight you placed on my shoulder.
Thank you for the laugh. And, maybe go to bed a little earlier?

Haha,
Natalie

p.s. I even considered taking a picture of you to post on here, but I decided that would be too mean. My apologies for thinking about it.

- Posted from iPhone

Today is a good day.

I am the LUCKIEST girl in the world. At least, I feel like it today.

For these reasons:

A) my family is coming out here in 2 days!!!

Sometimes it feels like I never get enough time with them.

(plus more people than can fit in that chair. Minus one, plus a couple new additions. :D )

B) I LOVE weddings!!! And Christian and Jamie are PERFECT for each other. Photo evidence, anyone? (sorry, I can't seem to make them bigger without making them really fuzzy)

Of course, 2 of the most good-looking people in the world HAVE to end up together. And Drex is ADORABLE. They look so happy together. I love it.

C) It is sunny today! Oh please oh please let spring hurry up. At least it is MARCH today!!

D) Lastly, but definitely not least, I get to spend all (as in 99.9%) of my time with him. Makes me so so so so so so happy!!!! (I don't know what happened to my eye in this picture. haha oh well.)

Oh, today is a happy day.