SOTW

last night, linds and i went to see Savior of the World, a production put on by the church. i saw it last year with my dear friend katie playing Mary. saw it this year with my dear friend katie playing Mary. she does a fantastic job, and i could listen to her sing all day long and never get sick of it. (props to her for just making the mormon tabernacle choir, too. i'm a proud mother, and have to brag about her...)
i found out the night before that these lovelies (pictured above) were going to be there too. christmas miracle. do you know how many times we have tried to plan lunches and the like, only to have the cancelled last minute because they are all to beautiful and too busy to have lunch with the likes of me? we couldn't have planned going to see the show on the same night if we wanted to!! it was great to see jenny...hadn't seen her since her wedding. great to see marissa, aka "newly engaged" and hear all about her love life and see her ring (sweet mercy!!). always great to spend time with cousin lindsey.

sidenote: don't worry about how i am holding my arm in this picture. yes, me and jenny are holding wrists. i wouldn't change it for the world. we like eachother so much, that we like to hold wrists as much as possible. okay, i'm just trying to make it sound like we were doing that on purpose instead of having it just look awkward with no explanation.

and that picture gives you a better glimpse of my not-so-stray-dog highlights. they're growing on me (when i have the right product in my hair)

namaste. (speaking of, LOST starts again in January...and my life will be complete.)

i declare today: "CASUAL FRIDAY"

the only problem is, it's wednesday.

let's be serious. the office is dead. not a soul to be found. (okay, that's a lie. there are a few of us here. even those will clear out by noon) the day before a holiday.

why am i at work? good question.

i'm leaving for las vegas today. tomorrow will be the normal thanksgiving festivities. food. crafting. guilt free christmas music. decorations. and family.

then, it's the weekend. no plans. no obligations. i will sleep when i want. read when i want. eat when i want. watch tv when i want. (get the picture????)

i do have plans to go to the temple with cindy. long awaited. i haven't been to the las vegas temple since i was doing baptisms in high school, so it will be nice to go back.
i'm sure i will be crafting my little brains out this weekend (because that's what i do)
i'm sure we will sleep out on the trampoline at least once. it might be a little cold for las vegas, but there won't be any snow. and sleeping on a trampoline is cool.

i'm excited. ready for a relaxing weekend at home.

ps. my cousin preton (preston) got his mission call!!!! Nicaragua. do i know more details? no. it was an early phone call, and even though i may have asked the right questions, i don't recall the answers. i'm excited to meet up with him next week and talk MISSION!! so proud of my cousins that are entering this phase of life. love them!! so excited for you prest!!

did someone say memphis??

this week is thanksgiving. i get to go home and play with my family. i know it's cliche, but i'm going to make a list of things i'm grateful for....seeing how, as of late, i have quite a list. don't worry, you'll hear all about my trip to memphis if you're patient.

• i am grateful for dear friends. friends that give me cake for breakfast. friends that listen. friends that make my bed every day. friends that tell me to take a personal day from work. friends that are siblings. friends that are honest. friends that ugly sing with me. friends that live far away, but with a simple phone call can make it feel like they are here. friends that tickle my arm. friends that make me laugh. friends that sing celine dion with me. friends that know i don't like milk. friends that give me birthday presents months after my birthday. friends that watch "while you were sleeping" with me several times the month of december. you all know who you are.
• i am grateful for my family. when the going gets tough, i'm always reminded they have my back no matter what. they are a wonderful support system. as i get older i realize how lucky i am to have siblings that have become friends, and parents that continue to encourage me as i figure out life.
• i am grateful for beautiful and calming sunsets. just what i needed.
• i am grateful for alone time (i.e. drives to las vegas) sometimes it's great to get lost in my own thoughts. sing at the top of my lungs.
  
• i am grateful for a job that allows me to leave for a weekend to be able to go to a friends wedding. i realize not everyone has that flexible of a schedule, and i'm grateful that i'm able to still have a life (until tax season starts. then i will be a slave to my job...but then i will be grateful for overtime!!)
• i am grateful that my brother gets home in less than a month from his mission. heaven sakes, he is happy and healthy. he's worked hard. i'm beyond excited that he will be home in time for christmas and that my family will be able to all be together
• i'm grateful for cousins. enough said.
• i'm grateful for the temple. it was great to be able to be in the temple this weekend for megan's wedding. it is a place that i can't help but have a feeling of peace. i need to take advantage of temples close to me, and i'm excited to be able to go with cindy over the thanksgiving break.
• i am grateful for perspective. and a good attitude. they are a killer combination. i wish i could say i always have this happy duo, but that's not the case. right now, i'm extremely grateful they are both around.

ok. sorry to bore you with that, but i felt like i had to get that off my chest. when i sit back and look at my life, i realize that i really am a lucky girl with plenty to be grateful for.

on to memphis. are you ready???
#1. i pick up on accents way to quickly. i now say "mama", "ya'll", "you know what i mean" and talk with a little twang. it's not on purpose. it just happens (ask cindy). i flew in and met megan and the girls at the melting pot for the most expensive and looooonnngest meal of my life.

so fun to be with this girl again.

and to meet these ladies. do we look good or what??

friday we woke up to run errands. we went to get our nails did, and then headed over to pick up her wedding dress. yes, when you get engaged and plan a wedding in FIVE weeks, you pick up your dress the day before the wedding. the dress fit perfectly, even after eating a full feast at the melting pot the night before.
the rest of the day was spent decorating for the reception :)

temple time. megan is a little excited if you can't tell....

married. woman.

...and look who i found. old bff and now old-married-man-grown-up. we had a great time chatting and catching up.
megan looked beautiful. she was beyond happy...which means i was beyond happy. thank you thank you to the ennis family for picking me up from the airport, welcoming me into your home, feeding me, toting me around to run errands with you, and sharing megan with me.
thank you tinker family for a night out on the town (we went to see "blindside"after the reception. see. that. movie. it is so so so so good) thank you lauren for driving me to the airport at the crack of dawn.

the south treated me well.
bbq.
walmart.
cheese biscuits.
good friends.
accents galore.

congrats meg. thanks for letting me be a part of your special day. i'm beyond thrilled for you and joseph. you deserve the best, and you've got it! love you girl.

just because i can...

I'm blogging from the airplane. True story: I ran into a dear friend in the LA airport. What are the chances?? Tender mercy. "please turn off all electronic devices". Over and out.

my achin' bones

Yesterday when I got home from work, I did it. Finally, I raked (again) and bagged leaves in our front yard. I didn’t get them all bagged, because it got dark. But it was cold. The leaves were wet. Feel sorry for me yet?
I’m feelin’ it today. My back feels like it’s 80 years old. Bad day to wear heels, but too late now. And the best part? I get to do the other half when I get home tonight…because I know it won’t get done otherwise. Plus, it’s supposed to snow while I’m gone.
What?? Gone you say?? Yes. I’m leaving Wednesday night on a little adventure of a weekend. My dear friend Megan Ennis is getting married this weekend in Memphis, and I’m going. A weekend with Megan and Lauren and Memphis bbq?? Sold.
Don’t worry. I’ll be back on Sunday with a camera full of pictures and a belly full of bbq.

bravissimo.

We went to the Symphony. Not just any Symphony performance though…Bravo Broadway. I’m afraid the secret’s out, and after advertising on the radio….there was a full house. I can’t complain…I’m thrilled that people are taking interest – but I missed my balcony seats.
We loved it. It was the perfect way for me to spend my Saturday night (and brush up on my conducting skills) We missed Keith (lockhart) but enjoyed Jerry, the new conductor. Did you know that I have a secret dream of being a High School Orchestra Instructor? Well, not so secret anymore.
Going to the Symphony makes me miss playing. Did you know I play the violin? True story. And truth be told, I’m not half bad. I’ve been playing more lately, and I like it. Who knows where that will lead (meaning, I don’t have plans to audition for a community orchestra any time soon…) but I’ve decided I can’t let my violin get dusty.
I love traditions. I love this tradition of going to see Bravo Broadway with my cousins. Can’t wait for Broadway Rocks next summer. Yee haw.

the accident.

*Note: I will be silently weeping whilst I type this post.*
Let me give you a little bit of background:
We live in an old house.
We go without a lot of things that other people ask “how do you do that?!?!”. We don’t have cable. We don’t have internet. No dishwasher. Frankly, when you don’t have those things, you do other things with your time, and you get over hand washing dishes because that is your life.

I ran downstairs on Saturday late afternoon to throw something in the dryer for a minute. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except I left wet footprints on the dry floor of the laundry room. Long story short, it had flooded. Wet carpet is no good, so I ran upstairs and grabbed a few towels. While I was standing there soaking up water, I saw a pile of electronics on the floor of the laundry room…mostly chords, but there was a brand new router and some other stuff that I was praying didn’t get wet. Luckily, they had been sitting on top of some cardboard boxes that had soaked up the water. I went to pick them up and set them elsewhere….and that’s when I saw it. My laptop, under a pile of chords.
What was my laptop doing there? That’s a good question. Without the internet in my house, I haven’t been using my computer. I had set it safely in a chair that we had stored away over a month ago. I’m loving that it was taken from that soft chair and placed on a hard concrete floor of a room that had previously flooded.
So without thinking, I took it upstairs and unscrewed the back panel and took out the battery. Soaked. Water everywhere.
Last time I had a problem with water and electronics mixing (i.e. the time I dropped my phone in the toilet) I was told to put it in the freezer. Surprise, surprise….it fixed my phone.
Since I was getting ready to leave for the night, and since there was really nothing else for me to do, I put that laptop in the freezer for the night.
Sunday morning I pulled that bad boy out. (right now if you’re thinking I’m going to tell you it turned on and worked like a dream, sorry to burst your bubble, but not all stories have happy endings) I let it sit for 30 minutes. I plugged it in, and pushed the power button. I started to smell something….like burning plastic, and then smoke started to come out of the bottom of my computer.
Great. Now I’ve fried it. Is there any chance to save the computer? I think I’ve given up hope. What I’m concerned about now is getting files off of that baby. Who knows if there’s even a chance.
The saddest part : I was going to give my laptop to my brother for Christmas. Yes, he gets home from his mission in a month, and was going to need a computer for school. Since I wasn’t using mine, I was very excited to be able to give it to him. And now, because of something stupid and careless, I can’t.
I’m beyond frustrated. I’m beyond sad. It’s worse than bummed.

When all is said and done, I know it’s just a “thing”. It’s only money, right? But for me, it was a lot of money. And not just a thing, but it was going to be a gift for someone else.

Dang. Dang. Dang.

best birthday cake ever....and stray dog pictures

okay. maybe stray dog was a little harsh. i don't think this picture does complete justice. the cut is growing on me. people are nice and make me like it more.

today i made the best birthday cake ever.  the birthday boy requested indoor smores instead of a cake. but heaven sakes, i wanted to use my cute cake platter....therefore, this masterpiece was created.

birthday boy loves it. 

victory.

first glance.

ok. the normal hair girl had her appendix burst yesterday...and they "didn't have my number to call me and reschedule" so another girl took over. she was cute. nice. fun. i figured we were good to go.

i'm still trying to decide, but i'm pretty sure i think my hair looks like a shaggy dog. there is blonde in my hair....aka, caramel.
when i see caramel, like dip my apples in caramel, the last thing i think is blonde. (and in case your wondering, today i'm pronouncing it *care-a-mell*)

right now, i hate it. it might grow on me. but right now, i look in the mirror and think my head of hair looks like a spotty,shaggy dog.

barf.

yes, please.

this past weekend we got together to *finally* have a baby shower for our lovely laura. we had one planned originally, but baby came early. i'm not complaining, because that means baby got to come to the shower. and when i say baby, i mean full head of hair.megan was kind enough to host us, greg slaved in the kitchen making gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and seasoning the best homemade tomato basil soup i've ever had in my life. in case you're wondering, i will never make a grilled cheese sandwich again without pickles on it. true story.

love these girls.

laughed my face off.

can't wait to have an excuse to get together again.
ps. i have a hair appointment tonight. i'm hoping it goes well. i'm slightly nervous. i know what you're saying. "there's nothing they could do to your hair to make it look worse than it does right now." or how 'bout,"you already look like a boy, bethany. why are you getting a haircut?!?" i know, i know. i 've thought it too, and just like you have a hard time actually saying out loud. but guess what. i'm secretly excited, because it better look d good when all is said and done. and if it doesn't? then we'll all have to pretend, now won't we.

pps. i've started thinking about christmas. what do i want for christmas. dear santa, the whole nine yards. the things i want this year aren't things i can write on a list. yeah, there's things i want....but heaven knows i don't need them. i feel a dear santa post coming your way....

ppps.

these next two months are crazy. a weekend in memphis is on the horizon. thanksgiving. brother coming home from the mission. christmas. tax season. new roommates.

new things on the horizon. i feel change coming. change is good. adventure is good. trying new things is/are good. following your heart instead or your head.

have i left you wondering? peaked your interest? made you wonder?

me too.

listen up.

this is my alarm clock.

i jammed to this on my way to work this morning.

i am dying to hear this.

nothing beats singing this with scott on the pignose.

you never want this to be your ringtone on my phone. it=bad.

sometimes i need to take this advice.

when i'm in a bad mood, i listen to this.

i will always love this. no matter what.

this is my childhood.

i love to dance to this. i'm learning to dance to this.

i love to ugly sing this and this and this and this and this. and this.

i sang this to my brother the night before he got married.(the chorus, anyway.)

i miss this. (i try not to, but i can't help it.)

my brother is cool.

my brother started up a club at byu.

yeah, he's that cool.

check it out, and if you fly fish (or have an interest) ...

you should join.

http://byuflyfishing.blogspot.com/

i've said it once, and i'll say it again.

i only love little kid halloween. adult halloween is gross and weird.

now i'm back at work, and looking back on the weekend, i'm glad it's over. it was a weird weekend. it wasn't bad, but i don't know that i would use the word good either.

the next few weeks are going to be "special". i've got alot on my mind.

thank goodness for hot chocolate, megan and greg, sunday nights, and the food network.

"would you rather scratch a dog's belly for 1 full minute or rub your bones together for one whole minute?"

"would you rather dress up in a gorilla costume or do a dance solo??"

"would you rather eat a snickers or drink a glass of milk?"

ha ha.