Washington D.C. memory with Mimi

Ok I'm in the process of organizing my photos that are all jumbled in my Google drive. I've got some hilarious 2011 sepia toned treasures on there that maybe I'll share someday...... Anyway so I found all these photos from a super quick D.C. trip and I wanted to put words to this memory before I forget. 

So way back in August 2014 I visited my family and we took a trip up to D.C. to visit our Temple. It was super quick like we were there for 48 hours I think-but so memorable. I had just met Mike like a month before and was still in a twitterpated state of mind. That's why I'm so smiley in all these pics. Lol actually maybe it's because I was so tan.

 ANYWAYS so we stayed at our cousin's and I can't remember why JJ and my parents were busy but anyway there was an afternoon where I grabbed Mimi and we explored the city together, just us girls!

 D.C. has always felt really familiar because of all of our trips up here growing up. But we have never actually been to any other museum/place of interest besides the National Gallery & Smithsonian because we're all ART FREAKS. So my lil' sis and I parallel parked like a boss so we could go to the Zoo! 

It was way fun walking around in the jungle with Mimi. We had our brother's nice camera so we snapped a ton of photos while we strolled by the tigers. 

My sweet parents posing for yet another Temple shot. We probably have like 35480283742983 of these same shots. It would be fun to find them all and collage dem pics. *writing to do list item now*

 

These next shots were taken the same day as our Temple visit, but for some reason AGAIN Mimi and I were alone and took off together to see the Washington Monument & Lincoln Memorial. We ran around all hyper because we were alone again, just us girls! Mimi was practicing her photography and so being the entertainer and complete HAM that I am, I gladly was her model. 

I had so much fun with Mimi on both days when it was just us. We bonded and got to know each other on a whole new level because like she's all grown up now and going through things I went through right at her age. And we're also cognitively aware enough to ask for advice and share things. Ugh, that weekend was just so perfect! I can't wait to see her again and have more girl time memories!

HAHAHAHA I'm so annoying it's not even hilarious.

discussing romantic feelings for past lovers

I was chatting with a friend yesterday about feelings we have for old boyfriends and it got me thinking about what complex things our hearts are. I don't have any romantic feelings for my old boyfriends because all my feelings are being poured into loving Mike. But before I loved Mike I went through a major turning point concerning old feelings for past lovers.

Mike and I met on June 20th, 2014. We spent five consecutive every day together after that. On the sixth day I was asked by an old boyfriend to meet up and talk about how things ended between us. I agreed and all of my past feelings for him rushed back into my heart and head, making me very confused and wary. I knew this past relationship was good(not great) and we could maybe get things back to where they were(comfort zone). This past relationship had been a big one and there were lots of real feelings involved. I had no idea if things would progress with Mike because I had just met him, he was leaving to live in California and I was staying in Utah. It seemed like the logical choice to get back together and try to work things out.

But.....

Long story short I knew that I was emotionally done with the past relationship before we even met up. I felt bad the entire time because I could've been hanging out with Mike the whole time. That was a huge indicator of who I wanted to spend my time with. Because of how torn I felt being away from Mike, I knew that he was more than a crush or summer fling. It was good to have closure with this past boyfriend but I just couldn't open my heart up to him again because it was already hooked on Mike.

In the end, I closed the door on that past relationship for good and was able to excitedly open the new door that led me to falling in love with Mike. The key thing was I had no regrets. I knew what I wanted and that was Mike, whether or not we fell in love or even dated or even kissed (yeah we hadn't even kissed yet...we really just knew the moment we saw each other) He was the one I wanted to be with and I'm so glad we actually did get to kiss, date and fall in love.

TGIF

Thank goodness it's February

--oh wait--

Exactly ten February's ago my family decided to take on the challenge of "No Electronics" for an entire month. So we gave up our television, turned off our Gameboys (remember those?) and resorted to candle light evenings while we churned butter and quilted.

(gotcha didn't I)

Ok so we don't shut off our electricity for an entire month, but we DO refrain from television, movies, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and any social media really..

We are allowed to use our computers to draw, create books, and blog. but that's it.


This month is always an interesting month. We read and play outside more than other months, and we also go through with drawls on Friday nights when instead of watching a movie together we gather for a riveting game of chess...

My lovely Mother wrote a post about this month HERE if you would like to read it.

So here's to our Tenth Anniversary of our crazy family keeping this awesome/awful tradition alive.

so TGIF

Hawaiian Luau

What do you do when there's snow outside and you're freezing to death?
Throw a Luau, that's what!

Last Saturday I threw a Luau party!! It was the BEST PARTY EVER!

As people arrived in their floral shirts and khaki shorts, Haley gave them a Lei and googled their Hawaiian name and gave them their new nametag. I had made about 50 fruit skewers of pinapples, grapes and strawberries and everyone ate them so fast! Thanks Mom and Grandma for all these amazing party ideas! I love you guys J

I made grass skirts for everyone and we all looked so hawaiian, it was awesome!!

We played Twister, Limbo, Psychiatrist, Slaps, and Pin the Coconut on the Palm Tree!

Then during the Talent show part of the party, Omar, Haley and I were the opening act and sang “Flightless Bird”. Haha we sounded pretty good…haha Then Jared and Carter performed an Island song they had written, it was so beautiful!!