box of love

my sister sent me this picture the other day:

it is a christmas present i gave her years and years ago (we are talking ~15). 

and i had completely forgotten about it (until she sent the picture, obviously!)

i was little and wanted to get everyone a christmas present. 

well, when you are little, you really don't have money to get big, elaborate gifts.

so, i got creative. 

i gave a Box of Love.

basically, it is a box. 

and it's filled with love!

and a little love note that was good for 20 hugs and expired in 2020.

guess i should have kept track of that better. whoops

anyways..

wasn't i awesome??

well...i'm still want to get everyone a present, 

but don't have the money for big, elaborate gifts.

so, guess what you are all getting for christmas this year?

you lucky ducks!

three

guess what?

exactly three (yes, 3) months ago today, 

i arrived here in dc. 

three months ago i discovered:

my new home.

my new neighborhood.

my new grocery store.

my new world.

and guess what else?

i still like it here. 

i thought this was funny. . .

if only it were that easy....

haha

some thoughts.

so, this past weekend was exciting/exhausting/fabulous.

mom flew into town and we drove up to nyc to watch Karen & Jordan run the NYC Marathon. 

it was a whirlwind couple of days, but inbetween all of the fun, i had some thoughts.

1. i live in a beautiful, amazing city and need to take more advantage of my surroundings. so, i'm going to make a list of my "want to see in DC" and "want to see on East Coast". Maybe i'll make tabs on here and then cross them out as i do them, then you can follow along and wish you were as cool as me (or just follow along, we all know i'm not that cool!).

2. i completely understand how people can come and drive along the east coast in the fall to look at the changing leaves. it. is. GORGEOUS. mom might have been tired of hearing me say "look at that tree! OOOOOOOO look at THAT tree!" the entire drive from DC to NYC.

3. i might want to maybe run a marathon one day. or maybe a half-marathon? it really is an amazing atmosphere to be apart of.

4. speaking of marathons: Karen and Jordan are AMAZING and they completed their SECOND marathon! I am so happy I could go and be apart of their incredible experience. i even ate salmon with them for their "pre race" meal...that is how much i love them :)

 5. i miss the stars. seriously. i miss them. remember how mom sent me utah's fall? yep, i want someone (yes, i am talking to you), to send me stars. or just a plane ticket so i can come visit and see them myself? yes? yes, that sounds like a good plan.

6. i need to write a book about some of my and my family's crazy experiences. mom got bit by a dog last week during her and my dad's trip to belize. WHO IN THE WORLD DOES THAT HAPPEN TO? seriously. i'll fill you in later. or just wait for the book. goodness. 

7. i am tired. yep, t-i-r-e-d. that was a loooooong weekend and it was lovely. but i am in some serious want/need of some sleep.

8. now i don't have anymore thoughts but of how i want to sleep, so i'll try to remember what my other thoughts were :) maybe you will even get some pictures. now, wouldn't that be exciting!

boo.

happy halloween, my friends!

i dressed up for work today.

i borrowed my roommate's headband,

and hot glued a red pipe cleaner to two black pompoms. 

oh and cut up some black posterboard.

and being as ridiculously clever as i am...this is what i came up with:

 yep. i took a picture in the bathroom at my work....

classy, i know. 

i was trying to be discreet about how much i LOVED my costume. 

It was perfect. 

the best was when about five people asked me what was up with the dots on my dress. 

seriously?

eh, i'll come up with something even more clever for next year. 

oh, and i came home from work, and literally sat on my couch waiting with the giant bowl of candy for the doorbell to ring. and it didn't....for almost 30 minutes! Did all those kids out there not know that i was just itching to give them candy?????? well, i must have wished too much because from then on out, there was a constant stream of little trick or treaters (and some older ones too, but i'm not going to say no...i mean, they put the effort in!). And at 7:30 we had to turn off our light because all of the candy was gone :( 

so. much. fun!

i hope you all had a fantastic holiday!

ps: if you didn't send me pictures of your kids all dressed up 

(yes, you becca),

i want to see them!!

falling slowly

it's fall here.

and it's beautiful.

but i still miss my utah mountains 

(seriously, i never, i repeat: NEVER know what direction I am facing here. it's a bit ridiculous)

i miss my utah fall. 

so, guess what momma did?

she sent me my utah fall and a love note.

i love my utah fall.

i love my momma.

and i love getting love notes from loved ones

(and even from those of you that i just "kinda like")

preferably in an 

old-school-handwritten-envelope-and-stamp 

kinda way. 

but texts, phone calls, and emails are all welcome.

oh, and in case i haven't said this enough already:

i love fall.

and

i love dc

well, technically its Virginia,

but you get the idea.

day 22: el mismo (round 2)

remember that one time i lived in spain for a month?

well, it's been almost a month since i arrived in dc,

and it feels good.

i'm starting to:

feel at home.

not get lost after turning the corner from my street.

meet new people and make friends.

and, last saturday, 

i really felt like i was home.

i went to the general relief society meeting.

and, it felt the same.

surrounded by my dc sisters

el mismo.

just like that time in spain.

i love it.

i love the church.

i love the Spirit.

i love.