Glitter and Gills

Prince has been replaced by Prince Caspian.... Laura (my co-worker) and I went to go get a new fish for the royal fishbowl last Wednesday. Lets just say Prince-C is wayyy more active and hungry. I expect him to live long!

Also, I totally made some glitter shoes. These are for my friend who has been having a tough couple of weeks. I figured that getting glittery shoes in the mail would brightened my day, so I'm sending them to her. I'm making a pair for myself, so I will take pictures to put up on here as a step-by-step how to! Happy Monday everyone!

Pont de L'archevêché

In Paris, people place padlocks on this bridge. They do it as a couple and it symbolizes their everlasting love and a promise to return to Pairs one day together. I want to do this.

January Evaluation

Remember my 2011 Aspirations? Well to keep myself sticking to these little gems, I'm going to evaluate myself once a month. I feel like if I do this in writing (or typing) than it could be more humbling and help me stick to it more.... we'll see. Oh and along with this evaluation I have put pictures. They are at the bottom, so if you want to skip the goal mumbo-jumob than feel free!

Spiritual Goals:

This is sad, but the only goal I've really stuck to is the conference talks, mostly because I always have to have a back-up lesson prepared for Relief Society just in case the teacher bails. At the beginning of the month I was doing great about the scripture study and Teaching, No Greater Call, but alas, I have dwindled in that area. My excuse: I'm too tired when I get home and I can't seem to find time. I will find time this month. Also, I've tried leaving Sunday as a day of real rest, but I always have an assignment due that I have to get done and its not like I even procrastinated with it either! I can excuse this. Other than that I really have been relaxing more on Sunday and trying to reflect on what the Lord wants from me.

Physical Goals:

I have kept these goals for the most part (surprise surprise!). I do go to the gym at least four days a week and I work my butt off (literally... I have lost 3 pounds and have started to tone this beast!). I try to be physical on the weekends, but sometimes it is really hard because Saturday and Sunday are my busiest days of the week tying up loose ends and such. I'm still looking for a new sport to get into. I think Volleyball or biking. I've been going to Volleyball every Thursday and I'm starting to get better at it (a far cry from even being okay, but hey, there is improvement). Ben has recently started this biking kick and fixing up bikes and it is contagious, so I think I'm also going to get into that with him and start biking (great cardio).

Financial Goals:

I have been saving $50 per paycheck and that helps a lot. If I get a raise I'll definitely increase it, but for now that's awesome. This saving up is going to go to a down-payment for a new car by the end of the year I think. We'll see as the year comes to an end; I might not even be able to part with the Silver Bullet. Also determining a"want" from a "need" = INSANELY HARD! Especially when you are making more money and when you all of a sudden have decided to become the next Martha Stewart and be an intense kind of crafty lately. Between the armoire and visiting teaching and craft blogs I have been bit by the craft bug and its not going away. "Want" vs "Need" is proving to be an intense battle.

Educational Goals:

I have, so far, all A's and I'm thinking that this semester won't be so bad! My teachers are all okay. Some of them really irritate me because they have this whole God complex (because they are attorneys) and they tend to give out free legal advise in class that doesn't even pertain to the subject matter. For example, in real property class, if a student asks you "If my baby daddy don't pay his child support, so can I take his house?" you, as the teacher, should not start handing out free legal advise. That is stupid, especially when you can charge them at least $100 an hour for it! Other than that, I do have a personal relationship with each one of my professors and it helps. This is all getting me closer to my graduation goal.

Marriage Goals:

I have started to really enjoy who I am. I"m figuring out who Kaylee is and she's not so bad. I'm more comfortable in my own skin and I'm sure it boils down to making correct choices and walking by faith more often. I have been more prayerful and patient. Courting Ben is fun and as ready as I would be for marriage, I am okay (for now) with the dating side. How often do you get to have a pure and uncomplicated relationship free of the stresses of the world (not that ours isn't, but it could be worse!)? I'm enjoying that for the time being. Also, I have been crafting for my future home.... see above financial goals and the beast. This has been proving to be an easy goal for sure.

Personal Goals:

I'm pretty sure I have been blogging at least once a week. If not I feel like I have been a lot more and I'm enjoying it, so that's okay in my eyes. I haven't been cooking more, but I have been compiling recipes to try soon. We'll see if in February I can actually get into the kitchen! I didn't get to the temple this month, but I have already scheduled a day for February 18th. I hope that I won't let anything get in the way of that!

There are my goals. I'm pleased with myself and it hasn't been too hard (which might mean I need to switch them up and add more throughout the year). We will see what next month brings!

Before the Bouncing Souls and NOFX concert, I showed Spencer and Ben how to play "Chubby Bunny" which turned into Spencer making me a roasted marshmello with a torch.

Notice my leather pants? One of the three times I have been able to wear them!

The Bouncing Souls and NOFX concert... I have my mouth gaping open because I was in excruciating pain from the heels I decided to wear to a 4 hour concert at the House of Blues.

NOFX behind us.... I was stoked to have gone and ever more stoked to get to the car to relieve my little toesies... Awesome night all in all... Totally worth the pain!

Missing.

"A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?” -Kahlil Gibran

I have had many friends and even big friends, but very few great friends. To quote the infamous, at least in my eyes, Angelica from “Win a Date with Tad Hamilton”:

Angelica: Well is it love, big love, or great love?

Pete: What do you mean?

Angelica: Well, love you get over in two months, big love you get over in two years, and great love, well great love... changes your life. So which one is it?"

Lately I have realized that I truly miss these great friends even more and that I need to be a great friend to them and make more time for them, even I it is a quick phone call or visit. So here they are, the great friends that I am missing in my life right now:

Amanda Knowles. I stalked her into being my friend. I guess even at the early age of 7, I knew how much I would need Amanda in my life. She is always there when I need her and will always see the best side of me. She once dubbed herself my guardian angel, Mandy Lou Hoo, and that is exactly what she is. Amanda has made me an infinitely better person and I am eternally grateful for her presence in my life.

Laurel Marzek. She is the one who finally got me to ride the bus. I was eavesdropping in my 6^th grade reading class and found out that she lived right around the bend from me in my neighborhood. That day I went home and told mom that I would love to ride the bus now; she totally knew something was up. Ever since then Laurel has shown me what a truly big heart is and that determination is what makes a person successful; well that and their genuineness. I want to be more patient like her.

Katie Wallace. I loved her from the moment I met her. We just clicked and from there we were inseparable. Who knew that me sitting in on a missionary discussion would result in one of the most endearing friendships I have ever been apart of. It became a joke between us that we were practically in a relationship because we would spend every waking moment together. Even though we are in different areas, we won’t ever break up (I promise!) and she will always be my one and only “girlfriend.” Katie is love.

Sara Ranon. This is the most legit girl I can think of. Everything she is and does, I want to do too. Her style is amazing and her outgoing yet reserved personality is contagious. At first she may appear to be shy, but whoa! hold on to your pants when she wants to have fun because trust me, it will be fun. Sara has a vest for life and has a sincere heart; one that is hard to come by in a friend. I feel like I can always tell her anything and she won't judge me at all. Sara is very near and dear to my heart; I have done some major growing with her. I wish I could be more like her.

Jay Rhinehart. He is probably the only guy to make my true friend list. He stole Oreos (well not technically stole, but you know) for me at a volleyball activity and ever since he became a true friend. Jay showed a lot of patience in being my friend and in turn taught me more patience than I thought I could handle. He taught me to drive a manual and always looked out for me. Every girl needs a guy friend like Jay. If you don’t have one, I feel really sorry for you because they are invaluable.

I miss you guys (if you ever happen upon this). I promise to be the great friend that you in turn deserve for being my great friend.

Long Live the Prince!

The lovely people at work bought me a fish for my desk. He lived in an all purple tank and was a prissy. I called him Prince Jacq (he eventually got an Eiffel tower for his tank so it had to be French). This is him:

Well Betta are tropical fish and since my office is at the very back of our building and is the coldest, four weekends of freezing to death in his water literally killed him. May he rest in peace. I'm headed to PetCo today for his heir.

*NOTE! Prince J lasted a month... by far the record for my fish. The last one lived 18 hrs (the longest living one before Monday).*

The Beast

My "Lindy" has now turned into "The Beast." Last week my friend Jillian came over to help me start this thing. She's been dabbling in faux finishing and offered to help. Little did I realize that the massive wooden piece that I had obtained would require sanding. On top of that, I never knew how much time it takes to sand something. Lets just say that Jillian and I spent our whole day sanding just the exterior walls of the thing. We applied one coat of paint (which only took 15 minutes and that's supposed to be the fun part!) and then Jillian left. That means I spend the rest of my weekend sanding the doors and painting the inside and the rest of the outside. Luckily Ben snapped this oh so insanely attractive picture of me sanding in my "faux clothes." Good thing I didn't make Jillian do all of the sanding with me or she probably wouldn't have volunteered to come over tomorrow to start the "faux" part. Wish me luck!

P.S.

I want to be like Grace Kelly....

Off-Roading Machine

Camping was awesome... I'm still waiting on Sara, aka Scarlet the Harlot aka Maggie Pie, to email me the pictures. After a lot of craziness we finally got out to the camp site late on Friday night. While the boys scoped everything out, Sara and I sat in the car with Ben's brother's girlfriend, Christina and her daughter Olivia (cutest little girl in the world!!!). I'm so glad that I got to spend the little bit of time I did with them and get to know Christina better. I totally was awesome too the Olivia fell asleep on me (even though she was in an insanely awkward position and seemed to love it). Christina is legit and I really love her.

I'm so grateful that Sara brought me the most glorious of all sleeping bags so I was super cozy all night. Probably one of the best nights rest I have had in a long time and I totally wasn't freezing despite the 42 degree weather. The next morning we all made left over hobos and eggs for breakfast (which turned into brunch and then lunch). After all of the breakfast shennanigans, we adventured on to the more epic part of the trip; Off-roading! Surprisingly, Ben let me and Sara go nuts with his Jeep in the sandy dunes of the sand pits. I was so proud of myself when Sara got us stuck in the sand and no boys were around and I got us out of it! All of the times I have gone mudding with Ben I guess I was learning at the same time. this is all that I had learned that helped get Sara and I and the Jeep unstuck (multiple times):

1. If your tires are still moving you're not stuck.

2. Switch between reverse and drive while moving the tires slightly to help get you unstuck.

3. Always keep it in 2 wheel drive (4 wheel drive is a last resort).

4. If ll else fails, switch it into 4 high and you pretty much can get out of anything with that beast of a Jeep!

5. You will never ever have to use 4 low, well, because the Jeep is legit.

I was so excited by my awesome getting us un-stuckness that I made Sara drive back so we could pick up Ben and show him the awesome ruts we made in the sand!

Pretty much the entire trip was amazing and I had a blast. I really hope Ben did since it was kind of his birthday party (Ben doesn't like birthdays. That was sooo hard for me to not make a big deal out of his birthday). By the way, Ben is 27 now. He seems to think that is old and I totally don't. If he's old then he sure is aging well. It did freak me out for like .2 seconds when he said, "Kaylee, I'm almost 30." Since I just turned 21, I decided that makes him Hugh Hefner. Which totally makes me a playboy bunny.......... or not. Anyhoo... pictures to come once Sara finally decides that it is more important to send me pictures after a 12 hour day than sleeping.