Wednesday night football.

Kyle plays flag football on Wednesday nights.   His niece's love to play with my camera.  One Wednesday night I had 316 photos to upload.  316.  I'll just share a few.  :)

Sidnie, Jaycee, and Brynn

"Fat man face."

Brynn

Jaycee

Logan :)  Photo cred. goes to Brynn!

Kyle and his brother Brandon

Sid and I

Sid and I.  BFF :)

Team huddle!

Charity, showing Brynn how thrilled she is to be photographed :)

Logan makes this face at the camera EVERY TIME :)

Those are all I'll post of football Wednesdays until next week...

Here are some pictures that I love, just for fun!

Ayla and Kyle :)

My cute boyfriend on his recent trip to Wisconsin with a Brett Favre look-a-like!

Cuddling while watching a movie :)  (Don't ever tell him I posted this! ha!)

BYU Football

Last weekend I attended my very first BYU football game.  This has been on my bucket list of things to do before I leave (IF I EVER LEAVE) Utah.  Kyle's mom was able to watch Ayla and we went with his brother and sister-in-law.  I had so much fun.  BYU won!  I was not expecting that!  We sat right above the visitors section.  It was fun to watch the obviously drunk UCF fans get all worked up.  I loved sitting with Kyle and cheering and eating hot dogs and ice cream and texting our good friend Corinne, who supplied fun conversation/entertainment.  Her and her boyfriend were also at the game, just not sitting near us.  Next BYU game... I am so getting a cougar tail.  AKA giant maple bar.  Mmmm.

TOUCHDOWN!

I'm sad that I don't have any pictures of Kyle and I together from the fair or the game.  I need to get better at that!

This week's upcoming adventures... bowling with Corinne and Brady and Saturday at Lagoon!  Pictures to come!

The Utah State Fair

Last night Kyle took Ayla and I to the Utah State Fair.  I have been craving a fair lately (the sights, sounds, animals, cotton candy, and candied apples!) so I was SUPER excited!

We got to visit his mom and sister-in-law at their booth "Sweetie Beadie" where they sold beaded watch bands, necklaces, and earrings.  We got cotton candy, walked around all the booths, watched seals perform a bit, played some ridiculously expensive games and lost terribly (I ALMOST made the baskets and he ALMOST got the football through the stars), and we got to see the animals!  Mine and Ayla's favorite part!  We saw doves and various other birds, including an Emu that Ayla called "Nemo", bunnies, goats, and cows! (My personal fav)

Ayla was excited by everything going on around her and didn't want to sit still!

Ayla with the seals in the background.  She called them "puppies".

I like that they're making the same face that says "Put the camera away!"

Ayla and Kyle petting the goats :)

"Hello horsey!"

This isn't the best picture but it shows how friendly my little girl is.  She loves everyone! (kinda scary)

This bull almost killed Ayla.  Literally.  Immediately after this picture was taken he started swinging his head back and forth at her and his horns almost took her out.  I have never been so scared!

We had a really great time at the fair!  Thank you Kyle, and thanks to Kyle's mama for the free passes!

Love.

Just love.

It's been a minute.

June?  That's the last time I updated my blog?  Gross.  How will I ever know what happened from June until September?  I can tell you that there is a lot that I don't want to remember but some things that I never want to forget.

Ayla is so big.  She's 22 months (2 months away from two years old?!) and talking up a storm.  She laughs really loud like her mom, talks constantly, and sings almost all the time.  I cannot even wrap my head around how cute she is.  She calls me "honey" and I love it.  I will write more about her and everything that she has been learning and accomplishing in her 2 year post, seeing as I probably won't blog until then. ;)

Ayla and I moved into our own apartment.  It's actually a house which was converted int two living spaces.  My walls are a super light teal and we still have stairs (which makes it feel more home-y to me) and I can't remember the last time I have been so happy with my living situation.

There is a boy.  He says sweet things and brings me flowers and gets me necklaces when he goes out of town.  He holds my hand and tells me I'm beautiful and he lets me cry when I need to and he always knows when to ask if I'm ok and he always always always makes me smile and he even sings me songs.  He plays with my baby and he tells her he will miss her when he says good bye and she gives him kisses.  The kisses thing is HUGE, I can barely get her to kiss me.  If she loves him...  that's a good sign.  I think children are excellent judges of character.  And I think he is wonderful.

That's just a very quick update.  Very quick.  Here are some pictures.  I vow to be better at this lil blog!

Go Packers!

Skype session with Grandma and Uncle.

Snuggles!

My hair is getting long.  Like, really long.

Today :)

My pretty necklace from a special boy

Yup, it's a Packers necklace :)

Friendship.

Friends are important.  Friends, real friends, are not easy to find.  Especially in Utah.

I do not understand this place.  This is not a Utah-bashing thing, just a very honest observation... People here are selfish.  I have never met so many self-involved, detached, apathetic people.  It blows my mind because where I come from people care.  I'm pretty sure most people that I grew up associating with would give you the shirt off their back if you asked for it.  Or if you didn't ask they would still notice that you needed it and offer it up willingly.  Here in Utah I can't even make dinner plans with someone without it being pushed out two or three times and then eventually not happening.  And this isn't just one or two people.  This is pretty much everyone.

I've been here for about 4 years (holy cow, how did that happen?) and friends are something that I have struggled with.  I have felt very lonely in this desert state.  There are people everywhere.  Everyone is nice to your face.  There are lots of "we should hang out!" and "let's do this!" type comments, but never any follow-through.  I will tell you, this does nothing for one's health.  I have found myself, on many occasions, wondering why people here don't like me.  After speaking to people about this, it's not just me.  It's just a way of life here.  Do what you want, when you want, if someone else fits into that plan...perfect.  If not, no big deal, who needs friends?

Um.  I do.  I need friends.

June 2007- Rainbow Party (to rebel from wearing Starbucks black and green everyday)

I met Carissa in 2007.  She was a tiny little bird of a girl who got a job at Starbucks.  I had the pleasure of teaching her the tricks of the trade.  (You're welcome current Starbucks customers for training the best barista around!)  We hit it off instantly.  This girl was witty, sarcastic, hilarious, and just plain nice.  I am 4 years older than her.  We are very different but at the same time we click perfectly.

Halloween 2007.  Raggedy Ann and Snow White.

What do we do best?  Talk shit.  Excuse my language.  And by "talk shit" I mean sit for hours discussing life.  Boys, girls, clothes, big cities, careers, family, money... you name it.  We talk about it.  We talk and talk and talk.  And we are funny.  So sarcastic.  So honest.  Harsh at times.  Vulnerable.  We talk a lot.  Half the time I will be telling a story and she will be telling a story.  Simultaneously.  She doesn't respond about what I'm saying, I don't respond about what she's saying.  We just talk.  And I know she's listening.  She knows I'm listening.  No need to acknowledge what the other is saying.  I know that she's listening because the next time I see her is when she asks the follow-up questions.

Best Barista!

Sometimes life gets in the way and we'll go a couple weeks without seeing each other or even exchanging more than an "I just miss you" text message.  But when we finally get together it is perfect.  And I remember why she has become one of my very best friends.  A rare find here in Utah County.  A consistent, true friend.  Someone that I can call when I am having a bad day, or when I want to dance, or when I kiss a boy and I need to talk about it for over an hour, or when I feel like doing nothing but eating pizza wearing no makeup with messy hair and a child wearing nothing but a diaper... Someone to be the godmother to my baby.  Ayla adores Carissa.  Little bird already paints her nails, tells her embarrassing stories about me, and talks about when we're old sitting at a cafe drinking coffee getting ready to send a 20 year old Ayla off to Europe for a semester, and how she's prepared to deal with a child who rebels against me...she has advice ready.

Terrible dark picture... But this was yesterday, pizza night at Carissa's house!

I love her and I am thankful for the friendship that we have.  If nothing else good comes from my time here in Utah, I have found a life-long friend in Carissa Lee Fillmore.

June 2011.  Owl Bar, Sundance, UT