Happy Valentine's Day!

(From L to R) Lindsy, Alison, Rachel (center), Amanda, and me

GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN! Happy Valentine's Day to us, living it up being single!

So I spent Valentine's Day doing my favorite things: studying, cleaning, running 7 miles (I am training for a half marathon in May and I am so excited to be training for something and to have a reason to increase my running mileage :), etc. Then I went with my friend, Alison, and her friend, Lindsy to a yummy Tex Mex restaurant in Harvard Square called Border Cafe. We observed couples around us and tried to determine at what point they were in their relationships-1st date, several dates, about to be engaged, etc. After, we got yummy, healthy frozen yogurt at this place nearby called Berry Line-it is so good, sweet, and a small one only has like 125 calories! We burned that off just walking around. Then we were going to see a chic flick but decided that everything was probably sold out, so we headed back to Alison's house. A few minutes later, her roommates and my good friends, Rachel and then Amanda got home from work. So we ate more sweets, chatted, and then watched Emma-a classic chic flick! We decided to have a sleepover, so we put all their mattresses in the living room and we all were very warm and cozy. I don't hate Valentine's Day really, I never have, but I especially enjoy it when spent with fun girls! I love my Boston girlies!

Super Random Friday the 13th in Salem, MA

So my friends and I had good intentions of going to Salem, MA for their festival the week leading up to Feb. 14th for their So Sweet Valentine's and Ice sculpting event. There were supposed to be tons of window decorations, ice sculptures throughout the city, lots of free prizes and free chocolates all over. We thought it sounded fun. So without realizing, we ended up there on Friday evening...yes, Friday the 13th in Salem, MA. Nothing scary happened, I promise, but it was definitely one of the most RANDOM nights that I have had in a while. We get in town around 7 pm, and it's like a ghost town. Everything is closed and deserted, and apparently most of the ice sculptures were melted (we actually had several warmer days this week, yes, above freezing in Boston in the winter-a true miracle). So we wandered around, and ended up spending most of the night at this place called Gulu-Gulu Cafe. We had an assortment of meats, cheeses, and bread for starters. We had yummy smoothies, and we had crepes or paninis for dinner. They had an old Godzilla movie on a big screen-horrible movie, totally weird. There was also a DJ playing 80s music. Then there was a cabinet filled with games. Andrew and Alison chose to play Scrabble...we played twice. The first picture (above) is of the 2nd round-we were struggling with too many short words.

Me, Andrew, Amanda, and Alison (L to R) at Gulu-Gulu Cafe, after eating our yummy crepes and smoothies.

Our first round of Scrabble...we did ok, I lost this round. Yes, we are all members of the Church, and yes, that is the word exalted in the center of the board; Alison played this first word to get us started!

Before deciding on the Gulu-Gulu Cafe to spend a random evening of food eating, Godzilla watching, Scrabble playing and all of us being in weird moods, we stopped in this Comic store. Here I am posed with the KISS doll...I would fit in with the band a little too well, due to my tongue fetish.

Alison and I posed with our Be*witched friend, a little Friday the 13th like. We laughed on the way home that we had driven the 20 miles to Salem with good intentions of particpating in the festival events, and instead playing Scrabble, listening to 80s, watching Godzilla, and yeah...it sounds like a freaky dream...We had a good time, but it's not an excursion that I plan to make again anytime soon.

Michael Phelps

Ok, many of you know that I am a huge Michael Phelps fan...I guess we should define fan?! He is an amazing swimmer, and I love watching him swim; he is my athletic hero. I might also have had a slight obsession with him, and I might have gotten way too excited when he showed up at the Celtics game back in December. It might be the case that all of my family and friends referred to him as my secret boyfriend. This picture is me posing with him on his box of cereal at a random convenience store here in Boston. This picture was taken before all of this "news" came out about him doing drugs, and smoking bongs and what have you. Was I sad? Was I hurt? Were all my dreams shattered? Well, I was disappointed, but he knows what he did is wrong, and once I can teach him about the Word of Wisdom, he won't even consider doing anything dumb like that again. Haha. I still admire him as an athlete, but I guess I will now have to seriously re-plan my future life with another man by my side. :) Kidding...I deserve better than him, right?!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

My mommy is my absolute best friend in the whole wide world and I don't know what I would do if I couldn't talk to her all the time and if I couldn't see her regularly!!! Even though she lives in Tokyo, Japan I get to see her quite frequently. While I was living in Salt Lake City, she would come almost every 3 months to see her mom, my Nana, and she would always stay with me! I miss all of our drives around the Salt Lake Valley, listening to my favorite tunes, and talking about anything and everything! Mommy-I LOVE YOU, and I thank my Heavenly Father every day that He allowed me to be your daughter. I am grateful that Heavenly Father knew so well what I would need. Thanks for keeping me happy and for helping me keep things in perspective. Thanks for listening so well, for being my personal cheerleader, and for being an example to me of what kind of mother and wife I want to be. Happy, Happy Birthday to you! Know that I love you for now and forever!

(August 2008-Alex and Stacey's wedding) I am always flattered when people say that I look just like my mother-she's beautiful!

(August 2008-At the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, NY) I love being with my mom, we both like driving, we both like listening to good music, and we both like talking to each other-it was the longest road trip I had ever made, from Salt Lake to Boston-but by far, my favorite road trip so far! Thanks, Mom!

(July 2008 in Provo, UT) We had lunch with Alex and Stacey and were just being silly...

This is what I decided I might look like after the long road trip out to Boston; my Mom is the best for willingly doing the drive with me.

(Christmas 2006 in London, England) I have a tongue fetish in photos, and this photo is so funny because my Mom is sticking out her tongue the way that I usually do, and I am sticking out my tongue the way that she usually does it.

(September 2007 in Tokyo, Japan) My mommy will always call me her baby girl, and I am glad that she still lets me me that baby sometimes. I am glad that she lets me need my mommy...and even lets me sit on her lap from time to time.

(September 2007 in Tokyo, Japan) My Dad took the best picture ever of us...he doesn't give much warning, not even a 1, 2, 3...

(July 2007 in Park City) My mom and I spent a day in Park City when she came to visit me and my Nana one time. We spent the day walking around, shopping, eating a yummy meal, and I convinced her to do the zipline at the Olympic Park-it was such fun!

(January 2009 in Yokohama, Japan) My mom and I spent part of the day in Yokohama exploring while my Dad was at home in Tokyo a little under the weather. I love doing anything with my mom!

(Christmas morning 2009 in Tokyo) My mom, or "Santa," got me these fun, fake glasses, this pink scarf, and the cool hat...she is so good to me!!! In my glasses, it makes us look alot alike!

(September 2006 in Tokyo) My mom and I at a park in Tokyo; I am wearing a hat that my mom convinced me to buy...she loves me in hats and I love her for buying me hats.

(August 2008 in Boston, MA) My mom helped me get safely to Boston, she helped me unpack and paint some furniture in my room, get things set up and moved in, and we did have a little time for some sightseeing. Here we are in the Boston Public Garden. Mom-you need to come back and visit me very soon here!!!

(December 2007 in Salt Lake City, UT) Here we are on Temple Square right before Christmas. Alex and my mom came for a visit. One of my favorite things to do with my mom is to go to the temple; it is my faovrite place in the whole world.

(December 2007 in Bountiful, UT) My mom and I had just been to visit my Nana in her assisted living home. I know my mom always came to see my Nana, but I was so glad that it meant I would get to see her lots....now that I am in Boston, it will be another extra stop that isn't very convenient.

Mom-I love you so much. I am sorry that I am not there in Tokyo to help make your day super special. But I hope you know that I would love to be there, and I will be thinking about you all day. I love you so much. You are my best friend in the whole wide world, and I am the luckiest girl ever to have someone like you. Friends never understood how I could be so open and honest with you, and literally tell you everything...but I always found it sad that they couldn't have those same bonds with their moms. Thanks for being my mom and a best friend all at the same time!!!!! Happy Birthday to you!!!

Tokyo, JAPAN

My mom and I on Christmas Day at Asakusa (my glasses are fake-I have always wanted bad eyes cause I love wearing glasses....I have 3 fake pairs!)

My 5 year old niece, Maddie (Madeleine), and I trying on fake glasses at one of the many, many shops that lead up to the temple in Asakusa-kinda reminds us of the moneychangers at the temple in Christ's day.

Here I am posing at Tokyo Disneyland-it was a magical day and I think just about all of my dreams did come true! :) It was cold and windy, but nothing compared to what I am experiencing being back in Boston!!!

Here is supercute Izzie playing hide and seek through the tunnel at Disneyland.

Here we all are-Mom, Dad, Izzie in the stroller, Me holding Maddie, Luke, and Ally-outside of it's a small world-man! that song really can get stuck in your head.

My 1 year old niece, Izzie (Isabelle) is such a doll!

My Dad and I went with my sister and my brother-in-law to Kamakura on New Year's Eve Day.

We saw the Great Buddha, a huge one outside sitting/meditating on the hill-My Dad was so proud of this picture-it looks like Buddha is a part of our little group.

Let's just say that Ally struggles with chopsticks...so my Dad started feeding her-cute, or not?!

I always like my chocolate-covered bananas. Yes, I am healthy...but it is fun to get something fruity covered in something yummy and not so good for you like chocolate...this one tasted a lot better than my chocolate-dipped banana in Japan the time before.

I LOVE Tokyo, it is so different, but I always find a special place in my heart for the different places that I travel to, and especially for the places that my parents live that become home to me, even if they are not in America. I love so many things about Tokyo, and it is always an enjoyable, eye-opening experience. These photos just recap some of the fun and adventures that I had there this time (my 3rd time to visit!)

Overdue

James, Ruth and I went out for yummy Mexican food without the kids, watched Disney's Camp Rock without the kids-yes, we are nerds, and hung out. I love my big brother and sister in law!

One of my really good friends from BYU, Kristen, now lives in Houston with her husband and their 2 darling kids. She drove to Kingwood and spent part of the day with me and my brother's family. It had been about 4 years since we had seen each other-way too long! It was so good to see you, Kristen! We will have to do it again-when I come to Houston, or when you come to Boston, maybe?!?!

Ruth and I enjoyed a beautiful day outside playing with the kids. I said if the weather was like that year round in Texas, then maybe I would stay-60s and 70s, not 100% humidity. I know I am a Texas girl...but the heat and humidity kill me as an adult!

I know this post is overdue and I have no excuses other than I have been putting off blogging. Well, that and I have been spending a lot of time with my wonderful family. So after my semester ended, I spent over 2 weeks in Tokyo with my parents and my sister, Allyson, her husband, Luke, and my 2 adorable nieces. We had a blast, enjoying the holidays, homecooked meals, lots of yummy Japanese food, movies, walks, trips to various playgrounds, seeing the major sites, shrines and temples in Tokyo, and a few side trips out of the city. I always enjoy running with my Dad, he takes me all over Tokyo and its a great way to cover a lot of ground and see different neighborhoods quickly. After that, I spent a week in Kingwood, Texas, my hometown and the residence of my oldest brother, James, his wife, Ruth, and their 5 beautiful children. We hung out, colored, played outside, jumped on the trampoline, I went to lots of gymnastics classes, and we ate yummy food. I think all I did was eat over the break...hmmm...

My 2 year old nephew, David, put on his helmet to ride his little scooter-safety first!

Lainey and Havana enjoyed their blue jello as well as the accompanying blue tongues...Havana and I made the jello-aren't you proud...I really can be more domestic than that...sometimes!

Aimee is darling...

Caitlyn is the oldest, and still beautiful in her brand new glasses...she pulls them off well!

The BEST way to end the semester

Me, Allen, Luke, and Doug after the Celtics beat the Jazz!

The 4 of us again, having a good time (Allen is trying to be short?!)

OK-now I love a great professional sporting event, and the Celtics/Jazz basketball game was great...until my boyfriend showed up!!!! Can you see who this is being interviewed on the big screen?! Yes!!! MICHAEL PHELPS!!! I will admit that I reverted back to my middle school crush syndrome and was screaming, and frantically looking for Cami's binoculars, and then scrambling for my camera. It was a dream come true!!! OK, so Michael Phelps might not be the next Brad Pitt, but he is good looking in my opinion-and the guy is the most amazing swimmer ever!!! My family knows what an avid watcher I was during the Olympics...anyway, this made the night more than worth my $45 ticket. The guys kept asking how long Michael and I had been dating? I said, well, we go way back, you know, he just doesn't know it...kidding. I was so excited though...I mean to be in the same arena as him...I had felt so distant watching him with me in Breckenridge, CO while he was in China...ok, now I know I sound obsessed...so enough about my Michael Phelps (although Kristina Phelps has a nice ring to it, huh?!)

Here I am with my girls-Cami, Rachel, me and Alison before the game started (yes my hair got darker a couple of weeks ago...my mom wasn't thrilled to hear I had gone darker...but I do really like it!)

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year from me to you!!!

So yes, I am now officially done with my first semester of grad school and man, does it feel amazing!!! It has been hectic and crazy since I have been back from my Thanksgiving break in Dallas, hence no new posts. I have been swamped with school, work, and then babysitting quite a bit to make ends meet for this month (and to pay the $50 in parking tickets that I accrued last week...and no, we do not need to go into detail about 2 horrible, no good, very bad days that I had last week). All of my final projects, papers, exams, and presentations got done on time, and I think I did really well this semester. I enjoyed all of my classes and am really looking forward to my courses next semester. To end it all, I went with Cami, after we got off work yesterday, to grab some dinner, to see the Christmas lights in downtown Boston, and then to meet up with some other friends at the game. It was wonderful...the Celtics totally beat the Jazz (I say when in Boston, do as the Bostonians, and the best team did win!) As you can see, the game was fun, and seeing Michael Phelps was well, amazing! Today has been one of the craizest days yet...I got up to take a friend to the airport at the crack of dawn, babysat for 5 hours (now I can pay utilities and parking tickets), finished a take-home essay final exam, and am doing all of my catching up, laundry, and packing bags so that I can get up super early tomorrow to leave for Tokyo!!! Oh, for those of you that do not know...I will spend 3 weeks in Tokyo and 1 week in Houston before heading back to start school on Jan. 14. Enjoy your holidays, I will try and update with Tokyo adventures! Love you all!