Well, He's Off!

There was so much that built up to this day, but it never really seems real until the moment it's actually happening.  This morning we dropped Parker off at the airport and hugged him for the last time for the next two years.

Parker is heading to the MTC in Preston, England so this drop off at the airport was a lot different than Jordan's was at the Provo MTC.  We had time to sit and wait before Parker had to go through security which was good, but prolonging the inevitable didn't help my turning stomach. Once Parker left us and walked through security, I lost it.  My name is Hailey and I am a cry baby.

The thing is that we have a small family.  There are only three of us and then my parents.  When one person is gone it leaves a huge hole. (I'm sure this is the same for a big family too) Not only that, but PK is the baby of the family.  He's the youngest, so thankfully that means this is the last time we have to do this, but it's still so sad knowing that it'll be another 2 years until I get to see him again.

I am going to miss Parker so much.  He's one of my best friends and we've really had a chance to get really close these past few years while Jordan was gone.  With all that aside, Parker is going to DOMINATE his mission! Parker is a great kid and I'm excited to hear how he changes and grows throughout his mission.

Good luck bro.  See you in two.

Random Musings

I was going through my old draft blog posts and feeling grateful I didn't press publish on a lot of them.  Mostly they were heat of the moment posts which in these instances, were better left unsaid.  I had a rant on my pet peeve of mean and nasty comments on the Internet (still a pet peeve), a post titled "Look who's legit!" with nothing written..... and a list of things I would never buy at a yard sale (including but not limited to: a hot tub, used socks, deodorant and hats).  Like I said, good thing they were left as drafts. :]

Since I rarely post anymore, I wanted to do a weekly domination update, so here it goes!

•  Karlie had her babies!!  Two adorable baby girls that have stolen my heart. I feel such an overwhelming love for them.  I feel like I'm their Auntie and I plan to brain wash them to believe that!  It is so strange but ultimately so awesome to watch the first one of the group have babies.  My little friend is all grown up!  I couldn't be more excited for their little family and I'm glad I can watch the twins grow up for a little while before Kar & Jake leave for med school. 

• I have..... an online shopping addiction.  Most people have their little guilty pleasures or addictions (Diet Coke, Hershey Kisses, real-life kisses, crafting, thrifting, sleeping, Parks & Recreation, etc) and mine just happens to be online shopping. I'm so lucky to have found my addiction so early on in life! ;) I LOVE Jane.com right now, I get so many awesome things on there for such good prices! 
• I got a record in bowling recently! A whopping 76.  You read that right, 76.  I know... believe me, I know what you're thinking.  I am ashamed.  To make myself feel better I played Wii bowling the next night and got a 171.

• I went out on a limb and got new glasses.

• We've been rock climbing like crazy which means I'm getting muscles in places I didn't expect and that I get to see this handsome man and his awesome parents every week! 

• We went to the chalk festival which blew my mind!  These people are sooo talented!  I think it would be awesome to enter one year just to do it, I LOVE chalk. 

• I have made it my mission to introduce everyone to Waffle Love.  Hands down the best waffles I've EVER eaten.  They hooked me in and now I'm a stalker of their traveling waffle truck. 

• I started sewing my quilt and it is coming along sooooo great! It's been a lot of work, but I love doing it.  I think quilts might be my "thing" because they are usually just sewing straight lines, fairly easy and so stinkin' cute!  Pictures to come.... can't ruin the surprise! 
• I found "my spot."  Okay there are actually two of them, but one is for sitting and taking in how beautiful this wonderful State is and the other is a tucked away trail I found close to my house. I've always wanted a "spot" and now I've found two!  The other one I didn't get pictures of, but I will eventually! 

• PK has his farewell on Sunday and then leaves for London a week and a half after that.  I don't want him to go...we just got Jordan back!  I'm really going to miss that guy, but I'm so excited for him because I know he's going to dominate. 
• We had family pictures last weekend and they turned out soooo good! Man I love family. 
• I ride the train to and from work as often as I can.  I LOVE it.  It is not financially feasible, nor does it take less time than driving (it's actually more of a pain to get places outside of the station), but I feel so relaxed and wonderful when I ride the train.  All these years driving quite a distance to work I've developed a small case of road rage and I end up at work feeling frazzled. When I ride the train I get to work refreshed, happy to be around people and ready to get the day started.  I HIGHLY recommend it. 

Well, that's all for now, see you in another 4 months when I blog again! ;) 

Life is good.

Speak Up Already!

I've come to the conclusion that people who do not make a noise or saying anything when a clothing store worker has knocked on their dressing room to see if it's free, causing the door to be opened on an embarrassing, half-dressed situation, are those who turn out to be flashers.

What other logical reason could there be?  They must enjoy getting caught with their pants down literally or something because when I'm changing in a fitting room and I hear the knock on the door and the "Is anybody in here?" I instantly panic and blurt out some noise to stop them from coming in.  On a few rare occasions I'm able to form them into words like "STOP" or "I'm in here!" but usually I'm just so worried about being walked in on that I figure any noise is better than nothing.  And, to this day I have yet to be walked in on at a public dressing room.

I've walked in on plenty of people though, and it's uncomfortable, and would have never happen if people would just answer the warnings.

Side note: 

I almost googled videos for dressing room pranks

but luckily my brain kicked in before I did. 

That could have been bad....

AGREED.

You need these videos in your life.  Yes, they are over dramatic, but you cannot deny that they are hilarious and interlaced with truth.

I for one, could not stop laughing.  Happy Monday!!

Want more? Oh, there is plenty more where that came from....  

Adventure Is Out There

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings

ye are only in the service of your God."

Mosiah 2:17

Work has been crazy busy as one co-worker is out on maternity leave and will continue to be busy throughout the rest of the year with what our cases have in store for us and with another leaving on maternity leave. there is something in the water up here... ;)  Yesterday I decided I would plan a vacation for sometime in the Spring or Summer next year after all of this craziness settles down. This vacation would be something to look forward to, keep me motivated, plus it will be to celebrate my 5 year mark of working here!  So, I starting thinking about Greece.... Italy.... Spain.... London..... Hawaii... and quickly realized my limitations as I would be traveling by myself.  I could try to come up with people to come with me, but the only person I could count on to make this trip happen was myself.  Then I realized that I have a great opportunity to still see the world, but for a different purpose; to go on a service/humanitarian trip.  

I have always wanted to go on one of these to give back, to embrace and learn about a new culture, to better understand life outside of this Utah bubble and ultimately to serve where I am needed.  I am in an interesting spot in my life, but one that is ideal for a trip like this one.  I don't want to pass up this opportunity just because I'm scared out of my mind to do it alone.  This is bigger than me.  I can get over myself and dedicate some time to someone or a group of people who need the help I am able to give.  It would be a lot easier if I were a nurse or had something I could offer, but oh well, my time is still something right??      

The next question is: Now what? 

I've found websites that match people up with organizations and basically provide the link to exactly what I'm looking for.  Some of these websites are VolunteerForever, VolunteerMatch, and then you can find Humanitarian trips for LDS singles... nice. hahaha  One thing I know for sure is that I want to go with a big company/organization that has "been there done that" many times so to reduce the risk of getting into a bad situation or being scammed.  

So..... if anyone knows of any good opportunities coming up for the early part of next year, or any reputable organizations you've had experiences with then let me know!  Also, if anyone wants to join me, please do!  Once I figure out where I want to go it'll be easier to try and recruit friends, but for now I will be spending all my time researching the world and all it has to offer.   :]

"Service to others is an important characteristic of a disciple of Jesus Christ. A disciple is willing to bear other people’s burdens and to comfort those who need comfort. Often Heavenly Father will meet the needs of others through you."

Pinterest, you get me.

Pinterest, you've done it again. 

EXACTLY!!!!!!!

Oh man this happens far more than I'd like to admit.... haha so funny

Can't Get Enough

I am OBSESSED with these songs.  Seriously, this first one is on repeat all day long.  I'm pretty sure I'm single-handedly giving her a million views on YouTube.  Check them out, you won't regret it.


And this lovely video makes me so happy. I love Sara Bareilles!

Liebster Award

Karlito nominated me to answer some sweet questions and pass on the awesomeness of the Liebster Award to other nominees.  Karlie is one of my very best friends.  We've been friends for at least 13 years (holy cow Kar that's awesome!), she's currently prego with twin baby girls, she's such a sweet, caring, smart and beautiful wonder woman.  Check out her blog!

"Liebster" means dearest in German, and it's awarded, blogger to blogger, to up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers.  The rules for accepting and giving the award are pretty simple.  Once you accept the award, you just have to do the following in a blog entry:

Answer the 11 questions posted by the nominator on her blog

Give 11 facts about yourself

Nominate 5-11 other new, up-and-coming blogs with less than 200 followers

Make up 11 more questions to pass on to the bloggers you choose to nominate

Thank your nominator by linking back to her blog

Upon your post going live, contact your nominees about your nomination for them

Kar's Questions:

1. How do you deal with nerves/anxiety? 
Unfortunately it takes me a little bit longer than I'd like to realize that I'm "freaking out" from anxiety or nerves but once I'm able to realize it I feel like I am able to deal with it better if I talk to friends/family about what is stressing me out.  The longer I keep it in the worse I feel.  Usually while voicing what is bothering me I can see how I'm being ridiculous and I can usually calm myself down and then my friends help validate my anxieties.
2. When something totally awesome happens, who are the top 5 people you want to tell? 

My Mom, Dad, Karlie, Anisa and Kaylyn
3. When you are having a rough day, what is the one thing you can always do that will cheer you up?
Listen to the song Red Red Wine by UB40.  For some reason that song ALWAYS makes me feel good.  Perfect vacation on the beach song.  If only I drank red wine.

4. What is your favorite memory from Elementary School years? 

Honestly, one of my favorite memories from elementary school is when we would play SLAM during lunch.  Eventually we got to be good enough to play against a teacher and that was a huge victory in and of itself.
5. If you could get paid to do absolutely anything, what would you want to get paid for doing? 

I would love to get paid to do crafts or creative projects all day.  I love making things, sewing, cooking, creating, etc.  Or I'd love to have a business with my mom where we fix up houses and sell them. HGTV here we come!
6. What is one item that is always found in your purse that you always need?  

My wallet. :) Other than that, I'm always searching for a hair elastic or bobby pin.  I always seem to lose them and I can only last so long with my hair down in my face.
7. What do you do when you have absolutely nothing to do and are bored out of your mind?
Watch Netflix.  I never thought I'd be such a Netflix junkie but I'm obsessed.  I love watching random documentaries and trying out new TV shows.
8. What is your favorite month of the year?
July is tied with December.  July is full of summer, corn on the cob, BBQ, family and fireworks which I can never get enough of.  December is full of snow, scarves, sweaters, charity, selflessness, family and hot chocolate - a month full of warm fuzzies.
9. What are 3 words that describe you perfectly and why?
I'll describe myself physically because that's self explanatory and less awkward: blonde, white and mediumlyaverage (totally one word)
10. If you had to decorate one room and live in it for the rest of your life, what colors and theme would you give the room?
I would choose my bedroom which is connected to my bathroom.... does that count? haha and I would decorate it with a Beachy feel.  Blues, lots of white, tan, flowy, light, relaxing and awesome.
11. If  you were to go on a road trip where would you go and what would you do?
It is on my bucket list to visit each state in the United States.  I don't want to just drive through each state and stop at their gas station, I want to visit something special and unique to that state. Amusement park, national park, crazy diners, historical landmark, infamous gems and movie scenes.

Facts About Me: 

• I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to changing my hair color/cut.  I have a slight panic attack after a bad hair cut and feel as if the world is over. I'm not sure why, but it is what it is. 
• I have a hard time finishing projects. 
• I love coupons and getting a killer deal. 
• I like to be the center of attention if I am putting myself there, otherwise I hate it. 
• My favorite flowers are Sunflowers and Daisies.
• I really like going shopping by myself.
• I'm terrible at gardening and don't care much for it. 
• I don't like taking medication. I like to believe that my body can usually take care of itself. 
• I have the potential to be a hoarder.  Luckily I received my mom's joy of organizing so it doesn't get out of hand. 
• I laugh at my own jokes.  (because they are funny... duh)
• I don't like dealing with car issues, which I happen to have a lot of. I should probably date a mechanic.

So now I get to pass the Liebster Award torch to some new people and I choose..... 

Amy Allen, Jessie & Sean and Erin Fleming. (Yeah I know it's only 3 people, but that's all I've got!)  

Alright, here are your questions to answer:

1. What's your favorite flavor of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream? (Or just favorite in general)

2. What has been your favorite vacation so far? 

3. What would be your dream vacation? 

4. What is your favorite perfume and favorite cologne?

5. How many kids do you hope to have? (If any) 

6. I've always wanted to have my own secret spot that few people know about that I visit to be alone to think, but haven't found the perfect one yet. (The last one had too many bugs....) Do you have a "special spot" you like to escape to? 

7. Name a band/singer that you have always loved that most people may not know.

8. What is your favorite workout class you've been to? 

9. Do you have any dating advise for me??  

10. Share/describe a moment in your life when you have truly been HAPPY, something other than a grand occassion.

11. In what way(s) have you turned out just like your parents?

Alright, go for it guys!!

London, England

Parker just got his mission call a week ago and..... he's going to be serving in London, England for the next two years!!!!! He reports to the MTC (in England) on Halloween!  Looks like PK won't be going trick-or-treating with us this year....

Don't mind the crazy screaming person recording this video.... #mybad

I am SO excited for Parker and SO proud of him for making the decision to accept his calling to serve for two years as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I hate the thought of Parker leaving us when we just got Jordan back, but I know that he'll be such a great missionary and will be blessed for his huge sacrifice!

Upgrade

This week I went from sleeping on this....

tooooooo.......... this!

queen domination.

Shout out to #mattressfirm for letting me take a nap on each of your beds, giving me a great deal, delivering this massive thing and for leaving free thank you mints!

If you're looking for a mattress, go to the Mattress Firm! They were really helpful and they even donate to make a wish foundation!  They are a few hundred dollars off of sponsoring their own kid!

Next up I need to take pictures of the completed bed set up.  I've just gotta find one more pillow and I'm done!!  This whole decorating part is way more fun than the unpacking and moving part!

P.S. I can't even say that sleeping on that air mattress was terrible, because boy have air mattresses come a long way! This air mattress was 400 million times better than the actual bed I was sleeping in at my last apartment.  Plus it has a built in pump! Air Mattress Domination.

P.P.S.

Via