Lady Antebellum said it best...

"It was a perfect day"

DISCLAIMER: Engagement story and serious cheese ahead. 

Don't say I didn't warn you.

Christmas break 2011 was looking pretty normal when I got home last Wednesday night. 

Little did I know how NOT true that was. 

Thursday we prepped for Christmas. And my poor family had to deal with grouchypants Brooke because I am a baby and I missed my boyfriend. 

What are you gonna do?

Friday the 23rd started out like any normal day at home. I hauled myself out of bed a little earlier than usual in order to make it to a morning hair appointment, thus resulting in an even 

grouchier-than-the-day-before-Brooke. 

Sadly yes, it's possible.
Like I said, I'm just the baby of the century and couldn't get over missing my significant other.
And yes I wear pull-ups, thanks for asking.

After returning home and mulling over the rest of the afternoon, grandma suggested we go on a little "nature walk" of sorts.

Fine by me, I love the desert. 

Little did I know.....

So we made our way out to the beautiful Usery Park near my house and begin our trek around the baby mountain. Apparently my family was getting super anxious (WONDER WHY) and I in the meantime, had no idea what was going on. As made apparent by my blank stare. Note the dramatic faces because they knew what was going to happen literally 2 minutes later.

Just around the corner, the biggest and BEST shock of my life was waiting for me... as I was greeted by this absolutely wonderful sight.
*sidenote: moments before I saw Christian, I was talking SUPER loudly about him to my family. Everyone on his side was really entertained by this.*

He had flown to Arizona to surprise me! 

A Christmas miracle!

I thought my heart was going to come out of my chest from happiness and shock. Obviously.

And then he proposed!

You know what happens when you put butter in the microwave too long? Or a marshmallow? Or both? Yeah. That's what happened to my entire world when I saw him standing there. 

Such a silly, lucky girl.

Mom cried, dad cried, I cried, Christian cried (almost-ish. I saw a few teary blinks!)
and basically I'm still reeling.

Christian Carter, you are a dream come true. I love you times a million, and I can't wait to have you as my hubs... forever and ever!

And thank you Sydney Ulrich Photography for the wonderful photos!

a veces... it's spanish for "sometimes"

Sometimes when your b-friend's family is coming into town this weekend, you are charged with the duty of putting up a last-minute Christmas tree.

And sometimes you find one for 50% off at Target (!!!!)

And then you buy lots of fun decorations, and spend the remainder of the evening getting your Yuletide on.

 Always a stud muffin.

Sometimes days that start off really "blahhhhhh" end up really "awwwwww".

And sometimes you are really thankful for that.

ding dong, merrily on high

2 things about that song.

First, it always reminds me of Little Women.

How great is that movie? Oh wait, I know. 

IT'S THE BEST. 

Second, things are just ding dong merrily on high today, because Christmas break is here!!!!

*queue standing ovation*

So here's been the business over the last few days.

I had to take 3 tests on the last day of finals last week. 

I KNOW, I KNOW.

Sometimes I question my sanity... or maybe stupidity is a better word.

Regardless, I survived.

And it's probably for the following reason:

I had the Rocky theme song and Eye of the Tiger stuck in my head literally the WHOLE day. 

Imagine how epic my walk out of the testing center was.

 Following a stress-free Friday night, I spent all day Saturday doing cool things, like such as:

*Running. OUTSIDE. I was feeling brave. And by the end, I was also feeling very very cold.

*"Helping" Christian move into his new apartment.

Which is in my complex, BY THE WAY. Big step, people. Big step :)

Also, I say "helping" because all I did was unload a few bags of food. 

The rest of the time, I provide the entertainment and HE provides the muscle, folks.

*Creamery visiting with old roommate Liv.

Have you ever had their sundae of the month?

NO WORDS.

Sunday was blissed-out, filled with LOTS of family time. 

Spent the afternoon in Alpine with Christian's g-parents, followed by a crazy evening in Provo with my aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. 

It's so nice to have family in Utah, we both feel very lucky, especially this time of year.

Look how happy we were, enjoying the festivities!

Basically the weekend was nice, 

and I'm a very grateful lady at the moment.

git yer boogey on

When I first typed that, it said "git yer boogeyman on" haha. 

You can do that too I guess. 

So basically one of the biggest reasons why I love running is because of my great workout playlist. 

It gets me almost as pumped as frozen yogurt.

Or Happy Hour at Sonic.

Or watching Modern Family.

Or Josh Groban concerts.

Or no school.

Ok so maybe I get pumped easily. 

Anyways, I thought I would share. You can thank me later!

1. E.T.- Katy Perry. I should probably be embarrassed. But I'm not. When you run to this song and see your mile time improve, you can add it to your playlist too. 

I won't even say "I told you so."

2. This is All Now- Taking Back Sunday. Again, just another great song to help you improve your mile time!

Plus the guitar riff is so catchy.

3. My Time- Fabolous and Jeremih. 

If you didn't feel like it was "your time" before listening to this, I GUARANTEE you will afterwards.

I'm so funny.

4. A Beautiful Lie- 30 Seconds to Mars. 

Definitely the BEST sprinting song on the list. 

Try it. In tempo with the song.

I DARE YOU NOT TO SWEAT YOUR BRAINS OUT.

5. One Time- Justin Bieber. 

Ok how could I NOT have a biebs song on here? Honestly?

6. Love is Only a Feeling- The Darkness.
Did you know these guys are still touring? 

Color me surprised, I had no idea they had done anything significant since "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"

Check it. This is probably the second weirdest music video ever.

7. The Show Goes On- Lupe Fiasco.
K so maybe he ripped off a Modest Mouse song, but this is still great to run to.

8. Little Secrets- Passion Pit.
The first 15 seconds of the song speak for itself.

9. Hysteria- Muse.
If you don't feel like you are in a Bourne movie while listening to this then....
Well, I'm sorry. You are just plain missing out.

10. Kings and Queens- 30 Seconds to Mars.
The BEST song on the planet to end an epic run with.
Again....  Try it. Your life will be changed.
I'm not even trying to be dramatic, for once in my life.

Ok well, now that I have been all reconnected with this playlist, it's time for me to go be hardcore.
Aka MATH FINAL DOMINATIONNNNNNN.

little love letters

Dear people in the map room who I see every day, 

I'm so glad I'm not the only regular.

I like sharing acknowledging/pained looks,

You know, the ones that say "Oh hey, it's you again. 

I don't know your name, but I'm sorry we are here.

Studying.

For 6 hours straight.

Again."

You guys make me smile.

Dear Bret Michaels,
You started a rocker clothing line?
FOR PETS?
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Dear Mother Nature,

I can't believe you haven't dumped more snow on Utah yet.

And I can't believe I'm actually upset about it.

White Christmas?

Yeah, prolly not.

Dear Christian,

You are cute and I like you.

Thanks for sending me Spanish poems via email.

You are one of a kind. Aka the best.

Winky winky ;)

Dear Bobby Helms,

Jingle Bell Rock is one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Thanks for singing like it's your job.

Oh wait.....

Dear self,

Only 3 more finals left.

Also good job on using literally EVERY SINGLE PIECE

OF PAPER in your 5 subject notebook this semester. 

The last one being scratch paper for your stats exam.

That's something to be proud of.

Dear Christmas break,

SEE YA SOON!!!!

instagram favs

Here are two things I have learned since I started using Instagram.

1. I am obsessed with it.

2. You can take some pretty bomb photos without trying too hard.

The following pictures are testament to both of these things

As much as it looks like I took this picture from a t.v. screen, I totz  didn't. My bedroom window is just BEYOND dirty.

Also, just so you are aware.... a bunch of B-vitamins got wet in my bag yesterday and now it STINKS.

Literally, my bag smells so awful. And in turn,so do my notebooks, gloves, planner..... you get it.

Problem with this situation...

What on earth were B-vitamins in my bag for????

I guess I should just be glad it wasn't a fish oil pill right?

a treat for your happy friday

I love this song. 

But the video?
Two words.

SLAY. ME.

I honestly don't think I have ever seen anything so 90's, except for the 90's themself.

The hair, the animals, the nature, the fade-in-fade-out close ups, the galloping horses, the random immodest woman, the chest hair, the super high wrangler jeans....

Just watch and enjoy the awesome.

peace out

I'm done with the blogging world.

......

............

........................

KIDDING.

 But guess what I AM done with?! Fall semester 2011, Arrrriba!

Now just to tackle finals. Which really, I'm not all that worried about.

(My philosophy is to keep telling  myself that and maybe it will happen. Probably)

Next time you hear from me, I will probably be wasted on either egg nogg or *Starbucks caramel apple spice,

spending all my free time with my very own Christmas miracle aka the ever so handsome Christian,
prepping to leave for AZ,
meeting the rest of the Carter family,
and just frolicking in all-around Christmas break bliss. 

*sidenote: I honestly think that drink is what happiness tastes like. Either that, or Felix Felicis. Fist-bump to all you wonderful HP nerds who are nodding in agreement.

other sidenote: this is my 200th post. I feel.............. proud?

Or maybe the word is..... lame? Because here is a secret. I still keep 2 other journals.
Yeah, I'm like freaking Mia Thermopolis.

other other sidenote: I have officially, OFFICIALLY, decided to revert back to my original advertising major.

*squeeeeee of excitement*

My name is Brooke, I am 22 and I am still figuring out life.

It ain't no thang.

long time!

It's been quite some time since I dedicated a post to music.

And I miss it. So here goes. 

I am having a love affair with a few good albums right now.
And if you are looking for a way to jazz up your music collection, probably you should  read on.
Because I am totz the best music expert in Utah and probably the United States. Or world.
Also, I'm really humble.
Moving on.

First, "Winter Songs". Sarah Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, Lenka, and Fiona Apple all on one lovely Christmas compilation?

YES PLEASE.
Also, Katy Perry singing a blues-ey White Christmas? Surprisingly... me likey!

Also Jonsi's album "Go".

Holy wintertime-magical!

Here's a sample of my favorite song.

 One more bit of exciting news concerning this Icelandic weirdo/genius.
exhibit A.

You know the movie coming out soon, We Bought a Zoo?
The entire soundtrack is Jonsi music! WOO HOO!

I've found that sometimes I have to use music to help me embrace things.

Like bitterly cold weather *cue today*

I guess I can't complain too much. It's December 1st and there is no sign of snow yet!
Thanks Utah for being kind once in your life. Just keep it up through finals and I will be a happy camper.
Or student-er.
Whichev-er. 

ode to thanksgiving... and other things

Howdy. 

Notice the bloggy change? 

I was getting tired of the fake Spanish name "la vida es"... and it's a good thing Christian didn't know about it, otherwise I would have been chastised for my poor grammar. 

Such is the life of a non-latina and her fluent-in-Spanish boyfriend.

So Thanksgiving break was the ultimate. 

Seriously, best 5 days EVER.

Christian meshed perfectly with the family, and even Maggie loved him. 

Hugely important, obviously.

Among gorging on Thanksgiving food for days, we enjoyed movies, a rousing game of Horse, lots of Bananagrams, a trip to the zoo, decorating for Christmas and wonderful late night talks.

All in all, a break for the books. 

Now we just need to make it through the next three week of torture...

I mean school....

And we will be on to bigger, and better, and more shiny things.

If you get my drift ;)

*SAP ALERT*

We love the zoo. Also aquariums.

But mostly each other. 

Happy last week of November, peeps!

the most wonderful time of the year

Slightly premature, I know.

But I can't help but be filled with ultimate holiday cheer right now. 

The mono monster has almost fully disappeared, 

*Rejoice, body!*

They are "lighting" the Riverwoods tonight,

*Santa AND Jon Schmidt will be there, EEP!*

There are so many wonderful Christmas albums out right now,

*Matt Wertz, Lower Lights, Michael Buble........ be still my heart!*

Thanksgiving is next week,

*Bringing Christian home to meet the family, holy wow!*

And it's the weekend

*This speaks for itself*

Happy Friday.

p.s. look how presh

Grainy, but cute. Real Cute.

november thankfuls

Tis the season. 

And I'm feeling pretty thankful right now, so I figured I might as well just knock out the whole month in one fell swoop. I'z so SMART and I'z go to college! Obviously!

- Today I am thankful for good music. I went the entire last week 

(I repeat, an ENTIRE WEEK)

without listening to pretty much anything. I forget how much of a lifeblood it is, and I'm really enjoying some Groban tunes today. Bless good music. 

- I am thankful for good health. 

I'm just going to be real and admit that I have mono again... I don't know why I'm embarrassed, but I am...

And seeing as how I have felt like DEATH for the last week, I'm incredibly glad that for the majority of my life, I have been lucky enough to be disease-broken bone-other ailments free. 

Just a few weeks and that will be me again. A few weeks.... a few weeks....a....few....weeks.....

*falls asleep*

nobutreally

- I am thankful for church. 

Sadly, I was unable to attend yesterday. And that cliche of wanting what we can't have sure rang true. 

I will be immensely grateful when I can go again in a few weeks.

- I am thankful for loving friends.

Not just mine, but all the friends in the world. It makes me really happy to know that just like my friends, roommates, boyfriend, and family have been so kind and helpful to me over the last week, there are 7 billion other people in the world who would probably do the same thing for their friends. 

I really do have faith in humanity. I know way too many beautiful people not to. 

- I am thankful for bland food. 

As Cholula's self-proclaimed #1 fan, it's no secret that I MUST have food with lots of flavor. However when your throat and stomach don't want to comply, thus resulting in the loss of 9 lbs in one week,

(Truth. Watch for the latest fad, the mono diet. "You're one kiss away from the best body of your life!") 

you have to eat really tame food. And I am so thankful that tame food exists! 

I'm lookin at you, oatmeal, applesauce and popsicles!

- I'm thankful for Christmas tunes. 

Mostly just Michael Buble Christmas tunes. 

Give me a minute while I wipe the drool from my face........

-I am thankful for baths. 

I mean really, do we really need to shower every day? Because I have taken a bath every day for over a week now, and it's probably my favorite thing ever. 

Don't ask me when I am going to stop, because you probably don't want to know the answer.

I could go on and on, but this is what I have been thinking the most about over the last few days. And now I'm going to take a nap, because this has been the most energy-expelling 20 minutes of my day thus far. 

It's the life, let me tell ya. 

baby carrot?

False.

Larry Bird carrot.

Witch finger carrot.

Sorting hat carrot??

That's the first thing I thought when I pulled this out of the bag. 

HarryPotteronthebrainmuch?

Duh. What's new.

Obviously lunch was fun today.
Also I took the math exam from HADES last night and I didn't fail....
This weekend is going to be B.O.M.B.....
Halloween is in 5 days....
My birthday is in 6...
...AND I don't have any tests next week.
(First time in 2 months, I kid you not.)
All things considered, I have every reason in the world to be a happy camper right now.
Thus, I am.

thursday's childfun

Here are some things I have to be thankful for as of late

How's that for getting down to business?

-lunch of champions, 3 times this week. (seriously though, it makes me way happy to eat crap for a meal sometimes. SOMETIMES. I do like vegetables too)

-lot’s of good inspiration and revelation. Thank you parents, conference talks and LDS.org

-it’s finally cool enough to wear a cardigan all day and only be mildly sweaty upon arriving to class

-midweek dates with friends

-being stupid with my roommates. SO freshman year of me.

And still SO fun.

Whatevs, I will be 19 forever.

-short hair.
6 inches shorter to be exact

Never mind the fact that I am one of THOSE people... you know the kind that takes pictures of themselves.
And makes semi gay faces.
Ugh. New low.

-running to "Livin on a Prayer".
You haven't truly enjoyed running until you do this.
Also maybe you should sing along.
Just sayin.

-Rupert Grint making surprise appearances in the library. 

And then gawking for 20 minutes because literally, it was Rupert Grint.

 How creepy are we, on a scale of 1 to  "get a restraining order  "?

-carving a Harry Potter style pumpkin tomorrow night with Christian.

Yeah....he loves me. Are you jellycat?

-Michael Buble’s ability to heal my soul with his sultry goodness

-Thanksgiving in a month SAY WHA?!

That’s all.

Happy Thursday.

Alabama, Arkansas...

Love Edward Sharpe. And that song. Speaking of.....
Oh home. 
Such a bittersweet thing. 

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I live close enough to my family to take little trips, a la this weekend. But then leaving is just.... BLURGH. I hate saying goodbye to those wonderful people.

The great thing about being able to go home, however, are the new things I learn and experience every time.
So cliche of me, right?
Oh well. I'm over it, because it's the truth.
And in light of that, I give you:

Awesome things I learned on trip number 480 to Mesa:
You see, that's funny because I really do go home a lot.... and 480 is an AZ area code.... 
I kill myself sometimes.

- I learned that I thought I hated yoga.
But I don't.
I'm actually obsessed with it.
Specifically bikram yoga.
Never heard of it?
Let me paint a picture.
You are in a room, 100-105 degrees, with a humidifier.
Doing yoga.
And getting so sweaty, you might as well have jumped in a pool.
Actually, you would probably be drier if you jumped in a pool.
I'M NOT KIDDING.
My toes were dripping with perspiration, people.
My friggin toes.
Basically it was the most cleansing, peaceful, awesome thing EVER.
Hence the reason why I am joining a yoga studio as a birthday present to myself.
 (Also my birthday is 20 days away. HOLLEERRRRRR)

- I learned that even though I am an adult, my bestest  friends and I will never cut the middle school shenanigans. Like talking in retarded voices. And dancing around like lunatics.
How did I figure this out, you ask?
Well, Saychelle, one of my closest friends since the young age of 14, was also staying at my house this weekend. Needless to say, we get a little crazy.
Also, she is a married woman.
I feel like that should be said to further validate my point.
Basically no matter how adult my friends and I get, we are still 15 at heart.
I hope it never changes.

- I learned that my brothers are getting so OLD.
I talked with my Mckay for about an hour one night about serious things, like dating and marriage.
It was so tender.
I love having brothers who love me almost as much as I love them.
It's so fun to watch them grow up.

- I learned that dog parks are so fun.
LIKE, SO FUN.
We took Maggie and Saychelle's bulldog Gus on Sunday night, and I was dying of happiness slash laughter.
Dogs are CRAZY when you let a bunch of them run free together.
Not going to lie.... I loved it.

Maggies face makes me die laughing. She looks like a super grouchy yoda-gremlin.

-I learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Look at me and all my cliches!
But really.

- I learned (or re-learned) how much I love outdoor Sunday dinners.
Especially in beautiful Arizona summer weather with people I adore.

 Forgive the absurd sun-induced glare. And Mckay's disregard for social norms.
- I learned that just when I thought my mom was the most amazing woman out there, I actually had no idea. She has more compassion and love flowing through her body than I knew was humanly possible.

So basically I am just exceptionally grateful for family, friends, dogs and love.
And the fact that it's almost the weekend again.
It's a good life folks.

(When I first wrote that, it said "its a HOOD life". Yeah, that too)

whatinthe hay?

I've been fasting from blogging so long that I came back and the whole layout has changed!

What is with the internets these days?! 

First facebook goes all cuckoo, upsetting nations and starting wars, changing their layout AGAIN

howdarethey

Then Pandora follows suit....

And now Blogger?!?!

I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself. Srsly.

Before you know it, Apple will put out another iPhone or something. 

OH WAIT.....

Anyways, now that I got that burden off my chest, I just want to share a few things that I am happy about today. Because it's Thursday (as Christian fondly calls it, "Friday Eve"), and everyone knows there are lots of things to be happy about on days like today. 

1. My apartment smells like a fally-pumpkin spice-apple pie bliss infused paradise. 

Yeah. It's as great as it sounds.

2. It's freaking hot outside. But at least the sun is shining. 

3. Our power went out a few days ago and Jenny and I had to use a headlamp all night long. 

Also, it had a strobe light setting. 

Queue fake dance party and seizure jokes. 

Why aren't people lined up at the door trying to be our friends again??

4. I woke up a few days ago to a massive hot air balloon right outside my window. For the second time in 4 months. I don't know why this is such a common occurrence in Provo, but I kinda like it.

5. It's the weekend tomorrow EEEEEE! This is a great thing on so many levels, and let me tell you why. 

First, no classes. Bomb.

Second, conference. More bomb.

Third, more than 45 minutes increments with Christian. Also bomb.

6. I go home for a mini vacation 

(that can be translated: "get me the freak out of Provo because I am up to my eyeballs and I just want my mom to take care of me, also I want to play foozball with my brothers, talk music with my dad, and make fun of my ugly/cute dog.")

a week from today. Hollllleerrrrr.

So basically that's the sitch. I'm just going to apologize in advanced because you probably wont hear from me again for like 12 days or something. 

I'm over it. 

Happy weekend.

oh hai. missed ya!

I feel like such a stranger to the blogging world these days!

Correction.

I still creep on everyone's blogs just as much as I did 3 weeks ago. SURPRISE.

I just neglect taking care of my own, because let's be real...

I hardly have enough time to LIVE my life, let alone talk about it on the interwebs!

Now that we got that out of the way....

Things are good. Here is a low down of some of the activities that have gone on over the last 2 weeks:

Buckle up.

- School, school, and more school. Midterms start on Thursday. Heaven help me. 

Also just so you are aware, I really like my math class. I am as shocked as you are. Whodathunk that Finite Mathematics could possibly be.... enjoyable?!

- Church calling coming out my ears. But it's ok because I love it, and I'm certifiably OBSESSED with the women in my ward. Go figure, they are all freaking awesome.

- Many an excursion with the boy. Our latest adventures include hiking Timp (holy hannah, that was insane), visiting Jdawgs, seeing Super 8, shopping at Ross, taking walks, having bonfires, doing homework, watching Lion King in theaters (yes, he is WAY too good to me), and visiting every park within the Provo-Orem radius. Needless to say, we have fun. And I like him.

Oh hai, we are cute.

Also, are you sick of seeing me in that pink jacket yet?!

- Attempting to run as much as possible. It's not working out so well, what with my shin splints and lackofmotivationalsolackoftime. 

But me and Jenny are hardcore, so we just keep doing it. NBD.

Also shout-out to this bestest roommate and friend. Luh you, girl. Seriously.

Well, that's pretty much all, folks. It's not fun to be super busy all the time, but there is something incredibly refreshing about it. 

I like being exhausted when I lay down at night. 

I like being productive. 

I like feeling like I am adding something to this world. 

I like feeling as though there is no possible way to get everything done, and then actually getting it done.

Also, fall is almost upon us.

EEP!

Which just adds to the beautifully refreshing feeling that life has taken on at the moment. 

I am very thankful for it.

DISCLAIMER: I realize that I talk about working out a lot.
Not going to lie, it makes me feel like a tool sometimes. Mostly because I don't want peeps to think I have a big head and think I am so cool and stuff.
Because I am definitely NOT.
Cool, I mean.
Here's the thing.
I am super passionate about exercise.
And one thing I do when I am passionate about something is talk about it.
So la di da, there you go.
Sorry if you think I'm a goober.
2pac said it right: "that's just the way it is".

that feeling when you don't want to blog

And then I'm all:

"I feel obligated! MY READERS NEED ME!!!!"

So then I do it. 

Aka my current circumstance.
Aka here I am.

So here's the business on life right now. 
It's crazy, but really good. 
It feels so weird to be back in school... I am amazed at how quickly last year wen, or rather flew, by.
Remembering all my classes from last fall, the various weekend activities, rendezvous with friends, it all feels like yesterday! I need to give Father Time a call and ask him to slow things down because this is ridiculous!
But really things are good.
School is going to be hard, but good.
Roommates are good.
Church is good.
Health is good.
Boy is good.
(BOYSAYWHAAA??)
Life is just really good.
That word is so boring, but so incandescently perfect for how I feel about everything.
Just peaceful.
And.... well... GOOD.
There is something so refreshing about this time of year.
When you can smell the change in the weather, the nights get colder, the sun sets sooner, the leaves are threatening to change color, and there are just a whole lot of changes going on. It's such a nice familiar season, and I'm really happy that fall is almost here.

In other news, I did a triathlon this weekend.
Oh wait, no I didn't.
Because my Cannondale decided to go all pancake on me, and I got a flat tire about 10 miles into the bike portion. And then I couldn't finish the race.
*Queue angered tearing out of hair*
Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated. And as such, I have attacked my half marathon training with much-needed vigor. It feels great. And I'm pretty sure I won't have to be worried about my bike wigging out on that race, which is always a plus.
Wanna see some pictures of my cool half race? Ok!

Fun fact: that drink I am holding is the best pre-workout supplement OF YOUR LIFE. And it smells horrible.
Funner fact: Jenny, Abby and I have matching running shoes. Asics Gel Blur33 hollah!

So basically that's it. 

I'm a happy girl with a happy life.

The end.

skull

Did you ever see that Winne the Pooh movie where Christopher Robbin goes off to school? 

But then none of the gang knows what that is, so they begin calling it "skull" instead of school?

No?

Well you are missing out.

Also, I am starting to empathize with the Hundred Acre Wood gang, and I may just start calling school "skull" instead.

It's only been 4 days and that's already how it feels?!

I better brace myself for a looooonnnnnnngggggggg semester. 

Kidding.

Kind of. 

So yeah this week has been a little out of control. And by Tuesday night, I was really feeling the stress. 

So were my tear ducts. 

You get my drift. 

Thankfully, the Lord was mindful of my needs, as always, and sent a tender mercy my way last night.
Who knew that a 3 hour long church meeting could lift my spirits so much? It was just such a nice reminder that I am surrounded by the most fantastic people.

I go to a bomb university. 

I am getting a great education. 

I live in a beautiful place. 

And a lot of people really love me. 

So yeah maybe things will be stressful. 

But you just gotta keep it all in perspective, ya know?

In other news, I am on the biggest Mat Kearny kick right now. I hate to be one of those people....you know.... who are all "I totally loved him before he was on the radio"...... 

But seriously.

I TOTALLY LOVED HIM BEFORE HE WAS ON THE RADIO. 

Also, his new album is so so so SO good. And so is his Pandora station. It suits this time of year/life very nicely. Exhibit A.

Happy Thursday all!

So long, so long

Just channeling my inner Dashboard-Emo-Ican'tbelievesummerisover self today. 

OBVIOUSLY.

But seriously, senior year of college, starting Monday?!

Mind=blown.

But I'm grateful. 

So so grateful. 

I have had great learning experiences this summer. I have learned a lot about patience. About love. About the importance of family. About the blessing of close friendships. About service. About the aesthetically pleasing nature of sunshine and green trees. About my love for the swim/bike/run. About the hilarity of Modern Family, the awesome-ness of Park City outlets, the blessing of happy songs, the beauty of summer rainstorms, the bliss in Saturday afternoon pool-time, and the joy behind Sonic's happy hour.

Yes, this is my cup holder filled with Sonic straw wrappers. 

NO SHAME.

It's been a good 4 months. 

And although I am reluctant to say goodbye to the lessened responsibility and beautiful weather, fall semester is looking mighty good. 

SO BRING IT.

happy heart

Today I am grateful for lots of things.

But especially these things:

Nature

Taken on yesterdays bike ride up the canyon. So beautiful!

Good smells

My apartment wins this contest. 

So does my perfume. 

Isn't it interesting how much smells can affect our moods? 

I was so happy when I walking into our apple-cinnamon infused living room this morning. 

And drove my coconut car to work this morning. 

But then when I smelled someone's fishy pasta at work, I got all grossed out and irritated. 

Ah life is so hard.

Sleep

It's funny how you learn to appreciate things more when you lose them.

Or part of them...

Aka I got like 5 hours of rest last night. Typical Thursday.

Family

My mom especially. 

I am convinced that no one else in my life wants me to be happier than she does. 

Or gets as excited about my personal life as she does.

Or makes me laugh as hard as she does. 

Or works as hard as she does. 

Basically I will be lucky to KIND OF follow in her footsteps one day. She is the bomb.

Religion

And basically everything that comes with it. 

Words can't even begin to express how full my heart is in this regard.

So I'm not going to try :)

Isn't it interesting how sometimes the things we are most thankful for are also the most cliche and every-day?

I think those are also the things we often take for granted. 

Imagine what life would be like if we could learn to appreciate the mundane a little bit more....

postcards from far away.2

Dear fall semester, 

I have decided to come out of the closet and admit this:

I am actually getting excited to see you.

Maybe not in regards to the homework aspect (blurgh), 

but I miss being on campus. 

And I am beyond excited for football games,

crunchy leaves, 

seeing old friends, 

pumkins, 

the state fair,

and other cool, fall-ish things.

Beyond excited I tell you!

Plus, look how stunning!

Dear Rubios, 

Bless you and your fish tacos.
You are one of the few restaurants I wouldn't mind spending my money on very frequently.
Get in my beeeellllyyyyy!!!!

Dear Education Week,
I haven't decided how I feel about you yet.
On one hand, you are great because there is no school. Which  means far fewer students on campus.
And more parking spots.
And fewer people at the gym.
And fewer idiot student drivers.
And shorter lines at Yogurtland.
But you also bring a slew of crazy people, who apparently don't know how to drive or walk anywhere.
(I guess you can't escape the bad drivers...)
And the lack of parking in the morning is cramping my style.
"Why don't you just walk to work, Brooke?"
Because that would be the obvious solution to my problem. And I'm all about doing things the hard way.
Plus I get really sweaty walking up the hill.
And I'm saving that joy for when school is back in session.
YEEEEE.

Dear dejavu,
You are so weird. And you made a surprise apperance today while I was listening to Elton John at work.
Really? So random!

Dear Justin Bieber,
I am obsessed with you right now, and I don't even care.

Dear job,
We have been together a solid year now! My how time flies! And I am still crazy about ya!
Bring on the next few years!
(I love talking excitedly!!!!!)

Dear next weekend,
Please hurry up.
That's all.
Bai.

ode to a healthy life

I don't like to do things like this very often. 

Aka ever. 

It makes me feel like a prick.

BUT.

It's something I'm passionate about, and this is how I get when I'm passionate about something...

(hence the 98,000 music posts. no shame)

...I must talk/blog about it. 

So here we go.

I'm doing a triathlon in approximately 19 days, and running the Halloween half marathon in October.

(!!!)

And here is what I've learned over the last 2 1/2 months as I've been training with loves Jburk and Abbers:

- I've learned (or re-learned) to love exercising. It's so cool to see an improvement in strength, endurance, mileage etc after working hard for weeks.

The burn, the sweat, the blood, the tears. It just plain feels awesome! 

(Ok maybe there hasn't been blood involved. But I like to pretend it's that intense.....)

- I've learned it's so important to be conscious of what we put into our bodies. 

Like maybe it's not a good idea to go run after eating $4 worth of frozen yogurt.

*voice of experience*

But when you eat a ton of protein, gobs of vegetables, fruit, good carbs, and a workout supplement or two, WOW your run/bike/swim gets taken to a whole new level!

It has taken me a while to learn, but you really should consider the effect of your food on your workout.

It makes a big difference.

And when you do decide to eat that much frozen yogurt 

(I'm an advocate!)

you better plan on running like 3 days later.

- I've learned that sleep is also a HUGE determining factor in how well your workout goes. 

Also learned this the hard way, more than once.

It's basically the worst thing in the world to run and feel like you are going to fall over the whole time.

Couple exhaustion with aforementioned frozen yogurt-eating, and you might as well be dead. 

- I've learned that strength training is also incredibly important. 

Say goodbye to sore knees, hips and shoulders... and say hello to POWER!

- I've learned that it's great to pick an event (like a tri) to have an actual goal you are working towards. 

It makes workouts seem even more important, and it's especially fun if you can get friends involved too. 

So basically it's important to set goals, eat consciously, sleep lots, lift weights, and ENJOY IT. 

Life lessons that have taken me a few months to nail down, but man. It's so worth it!

So take it from Nike, and:

things that make me happy today

- This picture I took at Lagoon last month

Unreal, right?

Summer at her finest.

-Yesterday.

It was just one of those days, you know? It started out and I was tired.

Everything was irritating me.

I was depressed that I had to go home to an empty apartment.

I didn't want to do anything basically.

(How awesome do I sound right now?!)

Thankfully though, after some good reading and a little time spent up at the Provo temple, I felt a bajillion times better. 

I hauled my lazy behind out on a 26 mile bike ride (SAY WHAA?) with Abbers, 

talked to a few of my favorite people on the phone, laughed a lot, cleaned my room, 

and had a much better night than I was anticipating. 

I'm so thankful for things like that. 

- BOGO at Yogurtland tonight. I am obsessed with that place.

Also, a trip to the coolest park in Orem.

Epic evening ahead, lemme tell ya.

- The fact that in 14-ish days, my loves will all be back in Provo!

These two weeks cannot go by fast enough....

Basically it's just another great Friday at the beginning of another great weekend. 

Booyah.

warning: this is a post about josh groban. and other nerdy things.

Really folks, I owe him a lot.

Let me explain.

I will begin by telling you a story about myself.

One morning when I was 12 years old, I woke up and heard the most interesting song coming from my kitchen.

My initial reaction went like this:

"What the crap, since when do mom and dad listen to opera music? Weirdies!"

Oh the wisdom of a preteen......

As I lay there listening, I realized something.

It was like the voice had reached out and grabbed my heart with an iron fist, and vowed to never let go.

And that moment was when I fell in love with the ever so dapper Josh Groban. 

Seriously though, my obsession was a little out of control.

His music had such a powerful effect on me that I filled an entire journal with rants about how I was going to walk to L.A. and meet him.

Either that, or just become a famous singer and woo him with my talent. 

(Both being very practical goals, obviously)

Also, I used to sign my journal "Grobangurl" every time I wrote.
And joshgroban.com was the first website I ever surfed.

I know, my cool meter is just off the charts!!

Through my deep love for Josh Groban was also born a love for Charlotte Church. 

And in my desperate effort to be a singing powerhouse like her, I decided to audition for the advanced womens choir in 8th grade.

(Women's? Really? We were 13 and 14 years old...)

As luck would have it, I made it into the choir. 

And thus, my love for ensemble singing was born.

You thought this was going to be a rant entirely about Josh, didn't you? 

Tricks. 

It's actually a rant about choir too. And how much I freaking love it.

New York City, circa 2006. 
Best choir ever.
Just a little snippet to give you an idea of what I participated in on a daily basis.
Doesn't this picture just ooze sassiness?!
So I have been listening to Eric Whitacre radio on Pandora for 2 days now, and it's filling me with so much emotion.  First, because the music is just outofthisworld beautiful.
Second, because it makes me miss my music-filled days.
How lucky was I to be surrounded by people who loved singing as much as I did,
and all through high school?
Answer: pretty darn lucky.
So really, all I have to say is I am incredibly passionate about chorale music.
And I miss it desperately.

Just listen to this, and maybe you will understand why.

RIGHT?!

lucky moments

You know the kind I'm talking about. 

The kind that make you step back and go

"WOAH, I am so blessed"

I had about 50 of those last week while I was home.
At Nicole's reception, watching so many people I know and love celebrate the beautiful event.
Laying in bed talking to Kaylie, about everything under the sun.
At dinner with my family on Saturday night, crying because we were laughing so hard.
On the beautiful drive home listening to awesome soundtrack music.

I feel like I say this a lot, but I am so thankful for those moments.
They always seem to come right when I need them, and have a perfect way of reminding me that life is so sweet.
And really, when do we NOT need to be reminded of that?

And on a completely unrelated note, listen to how sad this is:
Josh Groban will be here in concert in a few weeks. And for the first time since I was 13,
I will not be going.
My heart is breaking. The legacy is over!
Ok maybe it's not that sad.
But kind of. A little bit.

And finally, just because this is sweet:

Noah and the Whale at Lollapalooza.
Love.