it's monday.

Three reasons why today rocks, even though it's a Monday.

1. The office is closed, which means I didn't have to get up before the sun did [literally], which means I got to  sleep my little self in a good three hours longer. I may regret that tomorrow morning when I'm not so lucky.

2. Our friends who are getting married next month are moving in upstairs. When we first moved into our little apartment after we were married, there was no one above us. That lasted about a month, and then all quiet-ness [and my sanity] went out the window. I had never done the apartment living thing before, and it drove me crazy that I could hear ever step those people took! I finally got used to it and two weeks later, they moved and we were back to being the upstair kind of neighborless. [Insert long story here] Mike and Marinda [who both served their missions with each other and MRudd] were looking for a place to live post marriage time in February, the pieces fell together and now they are going to be our neighbors. We love these two and can't wait to be all neighborly with them, so the sound of footsteps on my ceiling this morning has never been so welcomed.

3. I'm taking a seven week class online [again]. We were supposed to take the first exam last week, but something went wrong and the teacher postponed it to this week. This morning, I got an email from her saying she decided to cancel the exam and give everyone a free 40 points! Peeps, this has NEVER happened before EVER in my college career at blessed ASU. Seriously. And I would have never ever ever expected it from this teacher. Someone will be getting good ratings from yours truly on ratemyprofessor.com. For real.

And that, my friends, is why today is the most awesome Monday ever, all before 10:00am, and me even getting out of bed. That's what's up.

things i love - august

• Owl City's new album, The Midsummer Station. Although I'm a little disappointed that it's not his typical electronic pun-ny music and a little too redundant and pop-ish, I still think it's good (and clean) music and well done.
• My stress management class. My professor is a doctor, like full on MD status, and he's seriously one of my top three favorite professors at ASU. Seriously, I absolutely love his class. More to come on that later, I'm sure.
• Couple friends. We are love spending time and doing things with our friends that are married (or dating). It is seriously so much fun!
• The new shoe store. I've mentioned the $10 shoes store before. It was in this super-small-super-crowded-hole-in-the-wall-ghetto-as-all-get-out-po-dunk of a place. Well, folks, this month they moved to a much bigger space, and let me tell you...It is marvelous. Glorious. Fantastic. If you go, you must take me with you.
• Going to bed early. There have been a few nights recently when I have gone to bed at 8:30 and been completely conked out by 9:00. Wearing myself out I guess.
• The bookshelf in our front room. It's finally decorated, complete with old books, ceramic birds and owls, quote blocks, and photos. Oh, and 12 Books of Mormon. #gottalovemymissionaryofahusband
• My new planner. There is nothing like a fresh planner. I look forward to that purchase every year, I kid you not.
• Coupons. Dude. My mom, aka Coupon Queen, rocks. She shares her coupons with us and is teaching us the ins and outs of saving more than you spend. Awesome!
• The 'you & me' sign that our brother-in-law, Kirk, made us. I pinned the idea a while back, and he made my dreams come true! The thing looks exactly how it does in the pin! He and MRudd are planning on turning it into a headboard. So excited!
• Study/homework sessions with Celeste. School is back in full swing, something I don't really love. Last year baby.
• Snickers ice cream bars. Di-vine.
• The sky. Arizona sunsets are probably some of the most beautiful things ever.
• Target. Can't get enough of this place. In fact, I think we're going tonight.
• BOGO coupons for Rumbi's. If you haven't been to this place, you seriously need to check it out. Yum.
•  Not being sick. I caught the annual summer cold and it lasted me a whole two weeks. Even though it wasn't fun being sick, I was glad I got it before school started as opposed to after.
• Going to the temple. So much to remember, so much to learn.
• Wedding pictures. Lots of those to come in the hopefully near future. Ya'll are about to be bombarded.
• Financial aid. Perks of being newlyweds and serving a mission, aka blessings for paying tithing.

happy go lucky in love

Sometimes I look at pictures of MRudd and I and I think to myself, "Is this real?!"

I am really married to my best friend and high school sweetheart. He is the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me. How did I get so lucky?

So happy.

So blessed.

So in love.

awkward and awesome thursday

Awkward

• Trying to be wonder woman and carry/lift a super heavy box to/into my car by myself. In public. I know I'm not walking anywhere near straight, but I am perfectly capable of driving this vehicle.
• Seven of us (us meaning members of my family) crowded around the same foot long tank full of little crabs and little fish in Walmart for 45 minutes straight. Five of us are no longer in elementary school. 
• Climbing into bed, getting all situated with pillows, blanket, and Kindle for some spider solitaire and finding myself short of breath. Someone needs to get her workout on.
• The place some minds went after reading above bullet.
• When husband walks in from work and finds me with all the lights off, all the curtains drawn, and all the fans on because it's too hot any other way.

Awesome

• Getting ready for bed on a day when getting ready in the morning didn't make it past a shower. No make up to take off is a really good feeling.
• The third eye giant zit in the middle of my forehead that wouldn't pop from last week that miraculously went away all on it's own sans popping.
•  Cold showers after running errands and cleaning house all day.
• When the people you follow on Pinterest are pinteresting at the same time you are. Constant flow of fresh pins.
• The fact that I'm taking a Harry Potter class this next semester. And I'm a senior in college. That's what's up.

things i love - july

•  The ocean. I don’t like to swim in it, but cruising on it is highly recommended by yours truly. Wonder and amazement right here.
• The temple. Pretty sure this one gets better the more you go. It’s been killing me that the temple has been closed since we’ve been home. So glad it re-opens today!
• These sheets. Uh-mazing. Seriously, the softest things ever. Get them. And the pillowcases.
• Gift cards. We got a bazillion of these things for our wedding, and they have seriously been the bomb.com.
• Mormon messages. We’ve been watching a lot of these lately and the spirit they bring is super sweet. I have yet to find one that doesn’t make me cry.
• Karaoke, mainly for the people watching.
• This brow pencil. I have always been curious as to how these things work because I don’t particularly like my eyebrows and think they could use a lot of help. Got my makeup done at MAC for our bridal shoot, chick used this pencil, sold. Makes such a huge difference, but still natural looking! Love it!
• Laundry. I have been blessed thus far with someone that does my laundry for me, i.e. my mamasita (whose favorite chore is laundry) and BFF Celeste (who tried for a year to teach me). You’re in shock right now, I know. I don’t care. Since becoming a wifey I have taken on the demons called Washer and Dryer. And I have found that I rather enjoy doing it.
• Groupons + Living Social Deals. They have some good stuff. I would suggest you sign up for their emails here and here.
• Hotels. I stayed in five different hotels this month. Five, people. That’s got to be some kind of record. Best part of staying in a hotel: Someone else cleans your room for you. In some hotels, twice a day.
• Maxi dresses. I wear them almost every day. I think this means I need more!! ;) So comfy, so cute.
• Spider solitaire. MRudd and I would play this on the cruise while waiting for shows to start. Didn’t take long for it to become an add-ic-tion.
• Staples OptiFlow pen. Best pen ever. I have an internal meltdown every time I forget it somewhere. One time I forgot it in Tucson, and it was awful.
• Our shower curtain. It makes me so dang happy. Isn’t it happy?
• Jack in the Box’s Oreo shake. Another addiction. A bad one. But oh so good.
• The Olympics. I love me some competition.
• Oh, and my husband. I have one of those now. Awesome! He's the best!

for grandma

I have been missing my grandma a lot lately. I'm not sure if it's because of the wedding or what, but she has definitely been on my mind and on my heart. Last night was particularly rough. MRudd and I were curled up in bed, watching Mormon messages to wind down before going to sleep. We were watching this video when I lost every ounce of grief and heartbreak I've been bottling up the past couple months. While not our case exactly, this story and my grandma's story have a few similarities, which explains why it was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I cried and I cried and I cried and I cried.

I felt extremely raw, and very small and alone. I knew that I should be happy for my grandma; she was dealing with countless trials when she was killed, and she is now free from those and somewhere beautiful. But in that moment, I decided that it was okay to cry. It was okay to feel grief and heartache and loss and  sadness and pain. Those feelings are real, and they are deep, and they need to be felt. I prayed silently for comfort, for faith, and for peace. It was late, and I was physically and mentally exhausted. Then the thought came to ask Michael Rudd for a blessing. He, of course, did not hesitate. In the blessing, he said that angels were watching over me. Soon after my grandma was killed, I received a blessing from my stepdad. That blessing specifically told me that my grandma was to be my guardian angel.  For this reason, I believe the blessing my husband gave me last night was a reminder that she's here, that she's with me, and that she loves me still the same.

Today would have been my grandma's 64th birthday. After work, Michael Rudd and I visited her grave and took her some new flowers. Yellow roses, her favorite. We came home and made chicken and dumplings, one of her specialties, for dinner, and then took out my remembrance box and just remembered. It is my hope that by being involved in the memory of my grandma while her passing is so fresh on my mind and so heavy on my heart, that my pain and weakness, my grief and heartache, will slowly become a strength and a firmer testimony of what's in store.

I am so grateful for the plan of salvation, for the knowledge that I have that someday I will see my sweet grandma again. I am so grateful for the power of the priesthood, for a husband who worthily holds and willingly exercises it. I am grateful for the moments of despair and utter sadness, because without them I would not fully understand the joy. Most of all, I am grateful for a loving God who understands our trials and our heartaches, who listens anytime we call. 

sunshine on monday: hey [mormon] girl

I'm sure you've seen the Ryan Gosling "Hey girl" spoofs that are all over Pinterest. Here are a few of my favorites.

Hope these brought a little sunshine to your Monday :)