to be perfectly brunt: thanksgiving edition

thanksgiving with the brunts went far beyond exceeding my expectations!

leslie, ashley, and erin totally outdid themselves.  the company was wonderful, the food delicious.  

luke and weston practically mowed me over when we got to the henrie's house.  

they were actually excited to see their new aunt!  it warmed my heart.

thanksgiving day we played soccer, ate DELICIOUS food {of course!}

and spent some quality time napping.

on black friday we saw tangled, which i highly recommend, 

unless you're a ball-baby like me, 

in which case you should bring a box of kleenexes and mascara to re-apply after the show.

but seriously, it was darling.

we also went shopping,

and i have now learned that janessa has a weakness for H&M.

and leslie has a weakness for nordstrom rack.

but don't we all?

we played BANG today,

a game that i still believe is way over my head.

but extremely entertaining nonetheless.

{good thing i had a husband to back me up for the last two games}

ah i just love my in-laws.  i couldn't have asked for a better family to marry into.

they are so accommodating and will just do things for each other.  

no self-serving motives necessary.

i'd like to be more like that.  

sitting in the shower letting the rain pour over my face.

this morning, i sat in the shower for about an hour.  i literally sat down on the cold tile floor and let the water fall on me.  believe it or not, it feels really good.  especially when things aren't 100% great and you need to chill out.  sometimes, nothing can make you feel better, but a hot shower and butterscotch cookies can certainly help.  finally, the water heater's stores were spent, and i was forced to get out on account of freezing.

i watched little women, pride and prejudice, and also watched my brothers make a snow cave. {which, sam and his friends seem to want to sleep in tonight. crazy boys.}  i cleaned my parent's kitchen, played incessantly with andy jack, and ate nothing but chex mix.  i also tried to mimic a whippycake flower, unsuccessfully.

then my mom drove me, john, and jesse {john and ryan's good friend} to the airport.  with much trepidation i approached the new t.s.a. body scan.  what luck!  i didn't have to go through it.  we went to the airport thinking that it would take an hour to get through security, when really it only took like ten minutes.  almost a new record for me!  then john and i got pizza for dinner {disappointment}, and then watched prison break, {an old series that we have become re-addicted to}, whilst waiting for our flight.  in the end, we landed in the airport safely.  i think i'm a little tired though, because i keep forgetting that i am typing and just start staring off into space.  {a couple of times, people have actually caught me blankly staring at them - how embarrassing!}.

george treated us to in-and-out, which is growing on me, [despite the {seemingly} exaggerated hype about it from anyone who has ever lived west of slc.]  okay, who am i kidding..... in-and-out is delicious, and i am now fully prepared to put my tail between my legs and admit it.

i would just like to let everyone know what a wonderful husband i have.  i am quite certain that he is the kindest person in the world {certainly more kind to me than i am to him}.  and although i have endless weaknesses, he still manages to see something in me.  i love him with all my heart.  i also love his family.  and i am so ecstatic that we get to spend this weekend with them.  thanks to ashley and seth for having us in their home this thanksgiving.  i am certain we will have a great time together.

10 things that make me {inexplicably} happy.

1.  making paper snowflakes.
2.  when class gets canceled.
3.  listening to my husband play the guitar.
4.  fresh fruit.
5.  stealing a kiss.
6.  reading other people's blogs.
7.  stretching out on the floor.
8.  saying 'thank you'.
9.  my camera - photo ops - editing.
10.  discovering something else that i love.

it's the freakin weekend baby!

friday night:
john and i went to HP.
it was awesome.
unfortunately, john also had to study for the GMAT,
since he was taking it the next day.
every time I glanced at him, this is what I saw...

and then forced him to interact with me....

isn't he so handsome???
but seriously, HP and the Deathly Hallows is a must-see.
it was absolutely fabulous!
also, something that is noteworthy:
my patronus is a wolf.
a quiz on facebook said so.

john still studying:

saturday:
also included studying.
we went running to blow off some steam.
then poor john had to take the 4 hour test,
and miss the BYU v. New Mexico game.
which was a blast.
that's what he gets for being responsible!


sunday:
what else is there to do on sunday than go to church...
eat food....
take naps....
???
cause that's what we did.


also,
here are some pictures from the BYU basketball game last tuesday.

mady, kristen, and maddy are seriously my favorite girls ever!
they are so fun and cute.
even though 90% of my free-time is spent with my hubby,
they are always willing to play with me when we can actually get together!
i love them.

and i love this handsome guy too! {naturally}

the big picture.

^^^this really isn't that great^^^

^^^until you see the big picture.^^^

{in the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it}

*Robert Heinlein*

while i've been complaining about school incessantly for the past couple of weeks, i haven't sat back to think about the big picture.  i decided that it's about time that i realize that each day i am one day closer to being a real nurse.  each day i am becoming more comfortable with the care i will be giving.  each day i grow in appreciation for the Savior, Jesus Christ.

and that is the big picture.

summer memories

{lake powell}

thanks to uncle gary, who took most of these photos!

sam, who can be a total stinker sometimes, 

has a way of making our family feel so happy.

i couldn't resist.

ah!  so much fun.  i could live there.

{island park}

my first trip to island park! with john, lizzy, pordie, ryan, and janessa.

one of the many floats down the snake river.

i now love island park {almost} just as much as john does.

{and my girls}

janessa's eye peeking through:  priceless.

trek was fun, but i ate peanut butter.  THAT won't ever happen again.  

this summer was fun because john and i got to share our favorite places in the whole world with each-other.

mine: lake powell.

his:  island park.

thinking back on it, i don't think i have ever had a more fun and exciting summer.  

we spent 6 days in lake powell,

we spent at least 5 weekends in island park.

we got engaged.

i went to havasupai and on pioneer trek {john wasn't happy to have me gone}

all in all, i am currently in the happiest time imaginable - hands down.  

don't you just love life?

is it just me, or is our teacher speaking french?

i feel like asking this question almost every day in pathophysiology {aka PDbio 365}

because my teacher is a genius.

and that class is way over my head.

plus, each day i come to class determined to listen intently and take good notes....

and five minutes later i'm thinking about the last glee episode or the hunger pang in my stomach.

must i always have this brain that refuses to focus on the subject at hand?

must i always be praying at the end of the semester that my grades can be salvaged?

must every single semester contain that one class that gives me anxiety with no end?

probably.  

and now a thought.... meant to be comforting in this time of stress 

over the upcoming tests looming over my aching head.

{i have never let my schooling interfere with my education}

*mark twain*

wonderful things

a lot of wonderful things have happened recently.  

#1. my mom got this 150cc Buddy Scooter.

{i'm really excited for her, okay?}

#2.  i realized that in 7 days i'll be gorging myself

#3.  i got one of these for my happy aquarium tank on facebook

#4.  i have had ZERO tests the past two weeks.

#5.  and i just had an epiphany for the perfect birthday-gift idea for john.

i find enjoyment in the littlest of things.

today, i am grateful for...

i am grateful for a loving husband

i am grateful for my health

i am grateful for wonderful friends and family

i am grateful that i can go to school and learn {even though i sometimes hate it}

i am grateful for a beautiful world

i am grateful for super-nice in-laws

i am grateful for blogging as a way to clear my head and record all the "exciting" {or maybe not so exciting} things i do with my life

i am grateful for parents who check up on me

i am grateful for delicious food

i am grateful for pretty things

i am grateful to be alive at such a wonderful, happy time

relocating leaves.

today, john and i decided that it was time to relocate the leaves in our backyard,

since you could no longer see the grass.

so we raked.  

and raked.

and raked.

and raked some more.

then i jumped into the pile.

and got covered in leaves.

{oh. my. gosh. isn't my man just smokin hot?}

other saturday adventures included:

getting john's tire patched since a screw went into it.

eating at california pizza kitchen.

buying avocados at sunflower market {3 for a buck!}

buying call of duty - black ops for john, since he couldn't wait until christmas.

watching john play call of duty - black ops for over an hour. 

doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms, 

etc. etc. etc.

i'm gonna need to talk john into ice cream later.  

geezer pleazer

my ultimate goal in clinical was to please the old people.  

they were {for the most part} cute, sweet, and altogether helpless.

it's been lifechanging to work with them.

they know so much more than me,

and even though i didn't know what i was doing....

and i was sometimes afraid,

they were kind and patient.

each thursday, i was challenged as i had to walk into a patients room,

wake them up,

check their blood glucose,

get them dressed,

take them to the toilet,

give them a bath,

check their vitals,

give them a shot,

do a physical assessment,

etc. etc. etc.

even though it was difficult, 

i learned so much from the patients i helped.

their strength and positive attitude in an almost hopeless situation.

their poise.

their willingness to let me {a student who doesn't know very much yet}

help them as best as i could.

while i was in clinical, i wished for it to be over.

now that it's over,

i wish i could do it all over again.

i had so much fun.

but next semester is medical-surgical,

and with it a whole new array of patients to help, meds to pass, things to learn, fun to have.

i am grateful to be in the nursing program, 

and work with these wonderful people:

and these two girls, who kept me sane through it all.....

last night:

john:  you know you snore, right?
paige:  what?
john:  you snore.  it's how i can tell you're asleep.
paige:  (giggles)  {okay.... more like uncontrollable, blasting laugh}
john:  not a loud, old-man snore, but like a cute snore.  like you can't breathe with your retainer in.
paige:  and you never thought to tell me this?
john:  uhhhh..... no.
paige:  how long have you known this?
john:  since our honeymoon.
{awesome.}
paige:  too bad you're stuck with me.
john:  yeah, such a burden.

want to know a secret?

as a beloved blog follower (aka the few people that actually enjoy reading this), you are privileged to know all my deep-dark secrets.

for example, 

yesterday, john and i ate leftovers. {shhhhhhh!}

but i made bread sticks, which should redeem me.

also, i got my hair cut.

i have 20/200 vision in my right eye,

but now i feel even more blind.

since my bangs won't stay out of it.

additionally, i cannot wait for thanksgiving.

my nursing classes are killing me.

literally.

i think i have mono.

and this week john will be home by maybe eight every night.  if we are lucky.

and, the dishes are piling up in the sink!

BUT, we put cute wedding pictures up in our house.

and the carpet has been cleaned.

my last day of clinical is tomorrow,

and i just had a bowl of cinnamon life. 

now that you know all my secrets, 

you can see that life -

is really, really good. 

november eighth, two-thousand and ten.

today, i was having kind of a "meh" day.

then i started walking home, and was overcome by the beauty of the world outside me.  

it had been raining, fog was surrounding the mountains - it was breathtaking.

then i had a coke.  

 then john came home.

and suddenly, life was a whole lot better.

rise all loyal cougars

today, john and i went to the byu football game.  it was fun.... for the first half.  then we were killing the other team and i fell asleep.  which was even more fun.

the rest of the day involved homework, laundry, cookie-making, and we went out to dinner with george, ryan, and janessa.  the icing on the cake?  watching lord of the rings {the extended version} into the wee hours of the night.  

i love my life.

things i simply love about the holidays.

1.  drinking hot chocolate until it makes you sick.  proper hot chocolate is 15% water and 85% chocolate.
2.  spending every second of every day with the people you love.
3.  shopping for someone you love - and thinking hard about something that they are dying to get.
4.  nativity sets.  my mom has about twenty and they're all super-cute.
5.  eating turkey and pumpkin pie until you puke.
6.  snowflakes on your eyelashes.
7.  making a fool of yourself on an ice rink.
8.  having your love to keep you warm.
9.  christmas music! particularly the classics:  sinatra, billie holiday, bing crosby, barbra streisand.
10.  picking out the tree/decorating the tree.
11.  treats. treats. treats.
12.  wearing scarves.
13.  having a break from school.
14.  the fact that everyone you see is joyous because it's the most wonderful time of the year.
15.  watching the rugrats open gifts and get super excited about each one.
16.  mistletoe - need i say more?
17.  getting excited about the little things.
18.  snow activities: skiing, sledding, ice-skating.
19.  christmas sweaters that jingle when you walk.
20.  thinking about the Savior.  his humble birth and the eternal sacrifice he made for each one of us.

we are super excited to go to arizona for thanksgiving!  thanks to ashley and seth for having everyone over.  christmas is at my parent's this year, and it will be fun to watch the little goons open presents.  i love the looks on their faces when they get some exciting gift.  that can be #21: the look on monkey's face when he opens up a new DSI game.  this is absolutely, positively the most wonderful time of the year.

halloween

john went to work as buddy holly.  i went to school as a student.

i'm creative, i know.

we were asian for the ward party.  i think it may or may not have worked better

had it not been for our skin-tone.  

and although halloween is fun, i think thanksgiving and christmas are better.

now it's time for yule tide and mistletoe and candy canes and christmas trees and peace on earth.

and since this is our first christmas together, 

i am confident that it will be the best christmas yet.

one month down, eternity to go.

cheesy, but true.

if every month ends up being as magnificent as this one,

 i am well on my way to being 

the happiest woman

who has ever walked 

this earth.