i'll say it, i miss myspace!

...and while i'm at it, i miss skateboarding, too! when did i grow up? how long has it been since i was a teenager? these thoughts have been provoked tonight thanks to ayley. and thanks to ayley, i recently revisited an old, abandoned, archaic place from my history. this place is called my myspace page. i don't recall writing so many blog posts, but it's true, i did write them. i'm considering starting up a series on my blog called "kelli's old myspace posts revisited". worthwhile? i'll let you decide. i think the best part is noticing how much i've grown and changed since then and still the parts of me that are the exact same.

apparently this little gem was on there, and i'd like to share!
consider this post #1 of the myspace series.

"Life is a miraculous occurrence. Billions of years had to go just right to produce you and I. Weather had to remain stable long enough for us not to get caught in a freeze or violent explosion. Species had to be fought and won. The evolution of the modern human, some 200,000 years in the making had to go accordingly and is going accordingly. What a glorious mistake if we are indeed an accident in nature! But so be it. I am that I am. This is what it is. And it works in mysterious ways; giving life, love or just delivering the mail at just the right moment to make us appreciate the magic. Each one of us is responsible for the ripple, even if we never leave the house. 

Be grateful. Your family past, present, and future depends on it."

-Jason Mraz


and an old myspace photo, for the heck of it.

diaphanous

this is lindsey james. what a beauty. lindsey and i have been friends since 7th grade science class when we'd giggle about our weirdo teacher together. it was friends-at-first-assigned-seating. lindsey isn't just another girl or just another friend. lindsey is such a special person in my life. she's one in a million, she's anything but typical, yet you can't help but feel so comfortable around her. she takes you as you are and still will be perfectly honest with you when you need it. lindsey is an angel on earth and whatever man ends up with her is a lucky man. i'm so happy to have lindsey in my life.

view from our kitchen

just something for you to munch on while surfing the blogosphere..! jared took this picture while i was cooking dinner on sunday. steak, potatoes and stuffed mushrooms. i felt totally domestic that day and can say with full confidence that dinner was delicious, and enjoyed by both of us.

come, listen, feel

i served a mission for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. it was one of the hardest, but best things i've ever done. i made many sacrifices during those eighteen months, but not without two times the return. there was a cd circulating throughout the mission with quotes and beautiful music. the first time i heard it i cried. i can't even adequately tell you the peace this track brings to my heart. i thought i lost my only copy of the cd when our car was totaled in an accident. i searched the internet for a copy to no avail. but somehow, i found my copy of the cd a couple weeks ago in some storage. i was soo happy. i know it's cheesy, but i uploaded the track onto youtube, so others could find and enjoy it's beauty.

it really is so touching and beautiful. i don't expect everyone who looks at my blog to be interested. but i'm still asking, challenging even, please! listen and feel the power of jesus christ on this track. i'm sure, even if you are interested, you won't have time to listen to all eighteen minutes right now. but when you do have the time, please come back and listen. quiet your surroundings, listen and challenge it. try to not feel peace. try to not feel love. try it.

"You are a child of God.  He is the father of your spirit.  Spiritually you are of noble birth, the offspring of the King of Heaven.  Fix that truth in your mind and hold to it.  However many generations in your mortal ancestry, no matter what race or people you represent, the pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line.  You are a child of God!"
-Elder Boyd K. Packer
"To Young Women and Men," Gen. Conf. April 1989 - Ensign, May 1989,  p. 54

melora

everything about this is making my day. MAKING MY DAY. it's like jan is real life. if only this was true of michael, dwight, jim, erin, kelly and kevin. if only. but after finding this website, it led me to find this little gem.

life-sta-gram update.

new little succulent friends at home, purple handlebar wrap, visited the queen bee shop (perfect 10! must stop in!), hung out at heebeegeebeez looking for unicorn comix (what, that's not cool?), went shopping, was recruited as a hair model, made a yummy din-din, rocking bright yellow nails (they remind me of sunshine..remember when the sun used to come out? no? that's because its FEBRUARY), got a new macbook pro (as if i need more reasons to use the computer, it is now 10 times easier to surf the web), mutually agreeing to an awesome weekend and lastly being tempted to take an alchemy class because of the nine year old inside of me.

valentine's day recap

i came home to flowers and TWO cards, PLUS new shoes!  i took the photo of the irish proverb because i walk past it everyday on my way home from school and it was valentine's day. we visited sonora grill and decided their salsa is out of this world. and since our husbands were working until 11pm, ali and i made them some pinterest v-day gifts that ali really knew about since childhood.

alas i share with you a slightly late valentine's day video. i realized after making this that the vast majority of viewers will probably think it's a joke. though extremely cheesy, this video features a bunch of mine and jared's very favorite things. glee, bikes, dreamcatchers, a shredstin cameo, and each other. laugh at it if you want or be bored by it but with all the memories from the last year i can't help but love it.

memories

i just found these photos on jared's computer while filtering through some of my old stuff. they might seem kind of boring to you, but to me they are packed with emotion. these pictures capture, kind of capture the couple weeks we had together before i left on my mission. it was so dreamy, beautiful and heavenly. it was paradise.

wild thing

i am craving an adventure. i want to go get lost in the mountains or go climb around the rocks somewhere. who is with me!!!!?

unexpected yet nonetheless necessary post

my jaw is on the floor! he looks just like ryan gosling, i even liked his impressions at the end!

she said i rock a lot of polka-dots.

i think the small things in life are designed to teach us great lessons. in case you don't know, i am a receptionist for a math tutoring company. there is a section in our office that is only for employees, there's not a door but it's closed off with a curtain. there is also a sign posted that states the closet is for employees only and invites the students to ask a tutor or receptionist if they need anything back there (like extra homework or to use the sink). a couple days ago i was working back at the computer in the closet and this student just barges in and says (without warning or any form of a salutation), "there's no cups and i need coffee." he wasn't being funny or friendly. he was seriously upset that there were no cups available for him that instant for the complimentary coffee and there he stood, his eyes demanding cups. keep in mind this is an educational institution for adults. ADULTS. without hesitating i apologized and stocked up the table with cups. he looked at me like i was scum and snatched a cup the second i set them down.

every time this student walks into the office, despite the amount of times i smile and say hello he has never smiled at me. i don't think i've seen him smile ever. he's probably a fine person, maybe with a family. he seems to be hard working in class and from the discussions where he's complained about our lab hours i've learned that he puts in a lot of time at work. but it's like there is this rain cloud that is permanently over his head. maybe other people around him feel the same way i do, maybe no one else does. but the rest of the night i couldn't stop thinking about how empty and cold i felt after interacting with him, not just that night, but every time. i couldn't stop wondering why he was so rude. i even tweeted it!

then fast forward to tonight. i'm working again at the front desk and probably not being as focused as i could be. it's pretty busy and crowded in the office and out of no where this student (a different student) comes up with a huge bag of trash. "hey i just emptied this in the classroom, it was getting pretty full! do you mind if i snag a new one to put in the garbage can?" i think i stared at him for a good ten seconds, wondering if i should hug him. sitting there at the front desk with a million students swirling around, staring at this toothy-grinned man holding up a giant bag of trash, my heart was flooded with love. i could have kissed him. he saw a problem, and knew that he could do something to fix it. without stepping over any boundaries, he politely searched where to place the old bag of trash. when i came to my senses i jumped up and ran to get a new garbage bag. before i could do anything he grabbed the new bag out of my hands and lined it in the trash can. 

this student always says hello, and even though i only ever told him once, he always calls me by name. he has spaces in his teeth but a smile to melt your heart and he remembers to share it often. i can't think of a time where i've been around him that i didn't feel warm and uplifted.

through writing about this i've realized that God wants me to learn from these experiences. it may be small, but do i want to be the rain cloud girl or the toothy-grinned girl? do i find ways to help others or do i complain about others? do i ask for everything and give nothing in return or do i give everything and ask nothing in return? am i hateful and full of vengeance or am i loving and patient? i hope i'm the latter, but i can't always say that's true. i've realized it's something to think about, and a goal to work toward. i wonder how i could bless my husband or other loved ones if i took the time to be more considerate of their feelings? what kind of impact could i have if i was deliberately more gentle in my actions and words? it's amazing to me how instantly our thoughts influence those around us. i have a goal right now to find ways every day to give service to others in some way. help me by sharing your stories of service, whether given or received. i'd be thrilled to hear your stories of service!

{photos by lindsey james}

minutiae

i took these photos up in logan last friday. they make me dream of living in my own garden, or even better, my own forest. i wanted to dig the moss off the roots of the tree where it was living and take it home with me, to put it in my own little terrarium. speaking of which, i did build a couple terrariums, but they are still lacking some flair, i'll share them soon though, no doubt. also, i'm dying to do this project. right?

in hopes of spring

"the world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful" -ee cummings

to jared's demurral and to my dismay, we spent a large portion of the weekend travelling in our car in the snow/rain/slush. and jared did basically all of the driving. even though i was the one who originally scheduled all our weekend plans, i think it was me who held up the worst amidst our busyness. that's how it is with school and work too. i often bite off more than i can chew. and jared is the sound one who's wise enough to know it's too much, yet bears with me through it all.

so eighty dollars later our car saw the likes of utah from ogden to logan to ogden to bountiful to ogden to provo to ogden again. whew! catch all that? i'm enjoying the fact that i'm not in a car, that we have almost no commute to work and school this week, also our comfortable couches, being freshly showered, and watching my husband sleep peacefully on the couch. there is something so calming about a sleeping person in the room with you, baby or otherwise. am i right? here's to a rejuvenating week of work and school. i hope i meet new people, catch up with school and do better with my job. by friday of last week it kinda felt like i was behind on everything. at least our house is clean, right? and lastly, let's pray i finally squeeze in some time to work out. i feel like a completely different person when i'm working out and when i'm not. i ate some junky food this weekend which is really slowing me down. here's to a new week!

ps. i rarely post quotes on the blog for fear of being wrong on the author or the quotation itself. if someone finds an error, please feel free to let me know!

jared // love week

i'm thinking about all the reasons i love jared. and they are so very many. i see the world differently. being in love with jared is a gift. he's not a slob. he's not lazy. he's the hardest worker i know. he takes so much pride in being an honest, good person. i drive him to the most extreme limits and he's like this patient boy who never snaps. i honestly don't understand it. he's not blaming or critical. he's just so warm and good.

last friday we were in the computer lab finalizing a paper just before class and i can't even remember what was the matter or what we were talking about but he just said, "stop i want you to listen to me. if we weren't married i'd propose to you right here in the middle of this library i love you that much."

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

how do i get you alone?

the james family is so incredibly amazing. they are all so talented in so many ways. i headed up to logan last night to spend some time with lindsey and was lucky enough to see anna perform this little ditty. i just can't say enough good things about this family. they are so beautiful to look at. they are so kind and genuine to be around. you just feel at home with them. i love them. i'll share some more on them another day. but for now, watch anna rawk the stage in front of 1500 people.

six minutes NOT wasted

i don't know what i love more, 90's prom, the fact that lance bass and danielle fishel went to prom like they weren't the biggest celebrities of their day, or that tyra featured this couple and this story on her show? or the fact that it was perfectly normal that they were in a committed relationship and didn't have sex and everyone was just ok with it? or that she gave him a friendship key chain on the tyra show? or just that they were still good friends after it all? and i don't know who i love more, lance, tyra or danielle? oh and you guys have to watch this, just for good measure. the cheesiness of it is making me so happy.

dutch shoes

this little fridge magnet was the only souvenir we brought home from aruba last summer, besides sunburns. with the dreary february weather outside, these yellow shoes are little reminders of summer and sunshine and the new season just around the corner. oh and who knew aruba was settled by the dutch?

@fun

i just want to preface this post by saying that @ournameisfun is following me on twitter. and also that i've been meaning to blog about nate ruess for probably two months. there have been long drives that clarified life and distressing times that were filled with tears over his voice and his musical creations. yesterday i was thinking about how different my life would be if he never made music. i truly can't even imagine what it would be like. it's like imagining if jk rowling never wrote harry potter or if your best friends parents never did it the time they conceived them. (come on, we've all had that thought.) it's just unimaginable what life would be like without it.

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

ok. so i'm driving home from work last night. it's pitch black outside. the steering wheel is freezing cold. i'm shivering and don't have any gloves. i'm ready to be in pj's and eat dinner. i flip on the radio only to realize the ipod is dead. i've listened to the format the entire life of the battery; from the time it was last charged until it died. all me. all format.

i reluctantly switch it over to radio and punch the first radio setting. it's x96. and all at once my mind is blown because out of the speakers i hear the angelic voice of nathan ruess. NATE RUESS. nate ruess. his tantalizing voice sparkles from the radio.

never in my life have i ever heard his voice on the RADIO. and after listening to the compromise a thousand times, the last thing i ever thought i'd hear on the radio is his voice. i tried to remember all the lyrics the entire way home but because i was so overwhelmed i couldn't remember any of them. i was planning to come home and write a post similar to this one but i didn't want to without knowing the song i heard.

THEN--this story takes an eventful twist! jared is messing around on his guitar tonight when all the sudden he starts singing the song from the radio last night. so i'm like "what is that SONG?!!!!" and then he's all "i heard it on the radio today and i couldn't understand why nate ruess was coming from the radio? was it fun? was fun on the radio?" and i'm all "me too! i heard fun on the radio too! fun is perfect!!!!" and then since he remembered the lyrics and could come up with the song on the guitar by ear (really jared? that was so michael of him!), we searched the lyrics and found this song.

so let it be known that this entire blog post has been a giant plea for you to stop and watch and enjoy. please be touched by nate's haircut. his voice. his passion. the fact that the disco ball never breaks because that would just be too jt-esque. gooooooo gooo gahhhhhhh.

campus

jared and i pranced around campus today // he has the day off! // he helped me with a project.

we're dreaming of: buy a kitten; moving to a new apartment; finally owning a good looking bookshelf; getting a fresh crank for jared's new fixie; and eating lunch. OH also! we are featured on catherine's blog today. awesome, right? how's your tuesday going?

mia

hey guys, sorry i've been a little mia. jared and i are taking english 2010, and we are pulling out our hair, to say the LEAST. i'm like the jim in this situation. jared is like the andy. and our professor is like the dwight. imagine have dwight as a professor. and now imagine my i-could-care-less attitude. and then add jared's yes-ma'am-certainly-can-do attitude. i'm on the verge of pranking our professor by putting her stapler in jello.

and as my last effort to excuse myself from not blogging (not that blogging is a chore, it's more of a positive outlet that should take priority in my life), i've been horribly sick. like lay in bed all day and wimper kind of sick. yet i've had none of that, even over this weekend because our schedules are so busy. sometimes i wish it could be the summertime in high school when you had little to no responsibilities. i love our jobs and going to school, but i just wish we could blow it off whenever we wanted. like it was optional. does anyone agree?

jared and i have been debating, would it be ok to buy me a macbook air with student loan money? how many huge purchases can you justify making with student loan money? can i even do my major without one? come on, now really? since my lappy has been down and out for a month now, the whole sharing a computer thing just isn't working--especially taking an english class together. which is funny because sharing a car is seamless for the two of us. what are your guys thoughts?

for now, this week i'll be healing up my body, hopefully making it back to the gym, eating food that grows out of the earth, and looking forward to our tax returns (righhhhht?)

oh yeah, and it's already february. the month of love. complain fest over and i'm out.