and.... we're back.

the first week of school is kind of like trying to jog backwards.  for a moment, you think you've got it all under control and then, just like that, you are flat on your back and the rest of the thirty-thousand students on campus are trampling all over you. not that you mind, really, because it's better than sitting in a classroom and reading syllabi and having no clue what is ahead of you this semester.  and you in no way want to stand back up, because then you have to navigate through the throngs of people darting to their next class.  i do get claustrophobic in crowds, after all.  

but then there's the friends: you greet them with suffocating hugs.  and procedures: the fun nursing procedures like IV and cath insertion.  and the purpose: because if there's one thing i've learned over the summer, it's that we all need a purpose in life. something to do and enjoy, to learn and to grow.  

dear school,
maybe i'll decide to like you after all.

somehow, he is patient with me.

yesterday was a long day for that wonderful husband of mine.  he drove his bro-toss to the airport, went to a bajillion meetings, and sat through three. hours. of. church. {not to mention the four-and-a-half hour long test he took on saturday, or the months of sleep deprivation he endured while studying for it....}  he was one tired guy.  so it wasn't surprising when during sacrament meeting he started snoring next to me.  i mean really, can you blame him?

and then, as i was sitting there watching that incredibly handsome ginger be carried off into sleep-deprivation-church-sleeping bliss, i thought, this man has all the patience in the world.  

he is patient with his job, his frustrating boring lonely number-crunching desk-sitting job.  he is patient while studying for his time-consuming fun-sucking energy-stealing practically inconceivable tests.  he is patient with his days, never expecting too much of the day but always willing to make the most of it when an opportunity comes his way.  he is patient with family, friends, and even strangers. {as i stomp down the aisles in costco in a red-faced rampage of frustration with customers and sample eaters alike, he is smiling and happy and pleasant as can be!}  he is patient with life.  and most of all, he is patient with me.  his neuroticly-driven over-bearing-obsessive-passionate perfectionista of a wife.  who rants about trivial things such as the state of the house, or about the outcome of her latest tater-tot casserole.  

and when i'm acting like a total diva, {as is quite often the case} he just looks at me with a sympathetic, all-knowing smile and i can read behind his eyes a kind of devotion, love, and care that makes me think, what did i ever do to deserve this?  what did i ever do to deserve him?  this amazingly compassionate man who is shy among crowds but hilarious beyond belief.  who loves star wars and lord of the rings, but is always willing to watch a chick-flick if i ask.  who keeps me in check when i'm a diva, but who still tells me i'm the best thing that has ever happened to him.  this man who, even after a long stressful day, will ask me with colossal patience, what can i do for you?  

and as we say goodnight, he muses,  you're my favorite.  

oh, how i love you.

blue plate.

we went here for dinner last night, and i watched monk whilst john studied like a madman.  we would appreciate your thoughts/prayers over the next day or so - the massively horrible no good very bad test is to be tackled tomorrow.  wish john luck!

there's just something about oreo shakes that makes everything better.

a wonderful evening.

john's brother george plays in a band.  they play folk/bluegrass/hymn revival/etc. and they are absolutely wonderful.  they were playing at a fireside last night, and john and i couldn't resist crashing the party to hear their great music. afterwards, we got better batter ice cream: mine with twix, heath, and waffle-cone, john's with cookie-dough, fudge, and oreo.  is your mouth watering yet?  

here is part of my favorite song from the evening.  it was written by louisa stead, who was one day at the beach with her husband and daughter and they saw a man drowning.  her husband went to save the man - who dragged him under with him - and he also drowned, louisa and her daughter on the beach, helpless to do anything but watch their beloved husband and father die in the water.  she wrote this song shortly after.  her words of courage and faith in Christ are absolutely beautiful.  

tis so sweet to trust in jesus // from Paige Brunt on Vimeo.

a new obsession.

i did it.  i did the most lifechanging, extraordinary, magnificent thing so far in my adult life.  {okay, that may be an exaggeration.}  i joined pinterest.  and oh, the wonderful things i am doing, and exploring, and finding, and learning!  oh, i love it i do!  i'm obsessed i am.  it feels like all the opportunities and possibilities in the world are mine.  my potential is endless.  i can bake, cook, craft, design, and explore forever and ever. and ever. and ever. ever. and ever.  i think dr. seuss said it best:

"you have brains in your head.  you have feet in your shoes.  you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.  you're on your own.  and you know what you know.  and you are the one who'll decide where to go."

go here to see all the fun, and here to join in it.

an ebelskiver and shabu shabu saturday.

our saturday was filled with the normal cleaning and studying that it always is.  we made a delicious breakfast of dutch pancakes, {as usual.} but, since we are getting new carpet in the next few weeks, we got to rip out the old carpet to the basement. and what a wonderfully messy job it was!  after john finished studying and a mediocre movie, we sought nourishment at shabu shabu.  let me tell you, it was a very fun and delicious meal.

friday night date.

the best pizza in the world, 

the best frozen yogurt in the world, 

the coolest panda in the world.

ultimately, we had a lot of laughs and a great time.  

under the weather.

we are living in a house of infectious disease, folks.  the past few days have been complete with infected eyes, lost voices, aching throats, coughing up a lung, nuchal rigidity, and runny noses.  gosh, we have a lot of runny noses around here. 

my formula for making your sickness woes go away:

diet coke + romantic novel + a fun sewing project + lots of ibuprophen = a less sore throat and plenty of distraction and solitary rest.  

the nice thing about a sore throat:  the perfect excuse to get your husband to take you out for ice cream.

happy thursday!

summstress.

on friday night, i had a little meltdown.

over the past few weeks, little things have been setting me into crying fits of hysteria.

first, my parent's dog chewed up my flip flops.

secondly, my mom tried to replace said flip flops with her own.

thirdly, i saw the best rendition of wuthering heights - ever, done by masterpiece series. {actually, i think i'm allowed to cry over this one.  it was fantastic.}

fourthly, making it late to sunday dinner and having the food be cold.  {i am not proud of this.}

then on friday, {after the delectables pictured above} john and i had a disagreement on whether or not to get mango sticky rice.

it was the last straw.  

as usually happens when i am hormonal and sensitive and downright ridiculous,

it was all john's fault.

like the grand husband that he is, he sat quietly, held my hand, and apologized profusely for nothing in particular.

we then went to planet of the apes, me complete with puffy eyes.

as the evening drew to a close i thought, 

"the tiniest things have been setting me off as of late, why is that?"

i sat there and contemplated the intricacies of the universe,

the cosmos of emotion and what they all mean - and finally came to a conclusion.

i need to be back in school.

it is true.  i am ready, folks.

currently, my mind is harried up with trivial things that don't matter at all,

and i get stressed out about what cereal i should eat in the morning {as if it is a life and death decision.}

i'm pretty sure it all boils down to:

i need some real purpose in life.  

no more crafts, no more monk, no more online shopping, and no more making treats to occupy the 16 waking hours of my day.

just cold hard facts and nose-to-the-grindstone studying and also lots of patient contact.  in other words, bring it on, nursing school!

john will be relieved {i am sure},

and so will i.

because as soon as i am stressed out with school once more,

my chewed-up flip flops won't matter so much.

bring it on school. bring. it. on.

i dream.

houg

i dream of becoming a nurse.

i dream of being a musician.

i dream of seeing the world.

i dream of decorating a house to call my own.

i dream of being fluent in mandarin chinese. 

i dream of being a photographer.

i dream of trying everything.

i dream of living in lake powell.

i dream of increasing my faith.

i dream of becoming a mother.

i dream of being a writer.

i dream of becoming a better friend.  

i dream of ice cream.

i dream of making the world a better place.

i dream of reading every good book out there.

i dream of crafting.

i dream of going to taiwan with john.

i dream of becoming a fabulous cook.

i dream of dancing in the rain.  

bright eyes.

i've always considered myself an optimist.  really!

so let's just focus on the positives of last night, shall we?  

{i won't mention the terrible state some american teenagers and young adults are in - the booze, weed, immorality, and poor lifestyle in which many choose to indulge - some call it freedom of expression, i call it ruining your life.  and i definitely won't mention being pushed and shoved by people who needed to get to the front so that they could take off their bras and give them to mr. bright eyes.... and don't ask me to mention the girl that passed out right next to me during the concert.  oh, i pity them.  i really do!}

we had a wonderful time at the concert last night!  we had delicious cheesesteaks at our favorite place, and listened to some good music, and got diet coke on the way home.  and, despite the injuries of the evening, i got to cuddle with a big tall redhead throughout the concert.  and that, my friends, makes it all worth it.

saturday, you are so good to me.

oh, saturday.
we slept in far too late,
made a good breakfast,
and decided to take the car to get the brakes fixed-
{since they were making strange noises.}
i dropped john off at work,
and started driving home.
{i had the windows down while driving on the freeway of course}
i drove almost all the way home, noticed five missing calls from john, and called back,
only to find out he was locked out of work.
it was hot, and john's keys were with the car.  which was in the shop.  getting fixed.
so he couldn't work, right?
i promptly picked him up- and we went to the farmer's market.
horchata and steak tacos, if you please.

the rest of the day was spent studying for some strange foreign test called the GMAT,
and also watching the adjustment bureau from redbox.
after much ado, our car is fixed, saturday was sweet, and john didn't have to work, after all.

a little note.

dearest john,

thanks for taking me to go see that new movie last night.

somewhere between dinner and dessert i fell in love with you all over again.

love, paige

p.s. i think cake batter is my new favorite

long time, no see.

every weekend it is the same.

"where do you want to go eat?"

"i don't care, what do you feel like?"

"i feel like food.  what do you feel like?"

"we could get chinese, american, mexican, italian...."

{etc. etc. etc.}

well, last friday we settled on greek food.... and boy, did it hit the spot.  

my mom pointed us towards a really great greek place about a year ago.... and now, when we walk in, the owner says, "hey!  long time no see!"  as if we haven't been there every two weeks for the past year. the food completely "hit the spot" and made me wonder why i haven't consumed greek food every day of my life.  i mean seriously, it is that good.

 {john's gyro with lemon rice}

{just look at that falafel!  delicious.}

also, we ate raspberry cobbler last night with fresh raspberries from muti's garden.  

and it was yummy.

have a wonderful weekend!

lake powell!

right now, we are in lake powell heaven.

{source}

ever since i was born, i have spent a little time each summer in this beautiful place with family.  i have memories of learning to water ski, cliff-jumping, tubing, going on day trips in the speedboat, exploring, and swimming in the beautiful lake.  once when i was little, a storm rapidly came on, and i remember riding in the speedboat on treacherous waves, curled up underneath a towel while my aunt held me, as we raced back to the marina for safety.  for some reason, even the most precarious situations in lake powell become some of my fondest memories.  it's a magical place, i tell you. and i'm so excited that i got to share it {as it seriously is a part of me} with john last summer- and that, despite the teasing from my uncles- he stuck with me, and we will get to share it again this week.  we are excited to see what craziness will ensue over the next few days! {there are 35 of us, after all}, and i'm sure- if given the choice, i would choose to live in lake powell.