...busy week...

it definitely has been a busy week to say the least. school is starting to pick up (p.s. school started last monday for the university of utah) and it indeed is keeping me busy. i like my classes so far. learning lots, studying lots and enjoying lots. i was not too excited to begin school but am so happy to be there. it's the nerd in me. i have no shame :)

monday i took bailey and ryan's engagement pictures, i'm just taking a minor break from going through them...hence why i am blogging in the middle of the night. i told her that i would have them done by tomorrow, 'cause it's almost been a week and it still has not been completed. working full-time and going to school full time...in salt lake city to say the least...requires a lot of discipline. i'm in a routine. a pretty good one, but it doesn't leave a whole lot of time for other things. even on the weekends i study...I guess i need to be a little more disciplined so i can play. i'm finally going to take vacation this coming week!! i'm so ecstatic to say the least! especially because rosie and aidyn with be here in two days. TWO DAYS!! woot!

I can't even recall much else that happened this week besides school and work...oh wait...my old roommate Karlie and I went to dinner and just caught up at pizza factory. while i was there i saw my friend Lauren Jespersen from jr. high. so random. but it was nice to see karlie karlie again and eat (which is always good) and hang out.

for some sort of enjoyment here is Yuri-bug and Sophie-bubbles making silly faces for me from when i was at ro and rach's house :) little kid funny faces are the best!

...boyz II men...

this past thursday boyz II men came to the scera shell in good ol' orem, utah. of all places, my home town :) and to see them for only ten dollars was one of the best things that could have ever taken place. needless to say it was AMAZING and i couldn't have been happier. music seriously is my safehaven, not only that but to be there with the cousins/family was so much fun! here are some photos of this memorable event...the akanas, buns, and myself waiting in line...we got there a little after six. natalie and josie were one of the first standing in line, we were somewhere in the middle. after we had waited in line and got our spots we went and got food at cafe rio. mmmmm...here are the akana girls, i can't believe how grown up chels and brand are getting! before the concert had started...Dust, Dane, Leo, Leinani, and myself...i was awkwardly sitting on Nani's lap (if you couldn't already tell by the picture)
My friends Charlene and Milly were also there. I know these girlies from work. They are hilarious! Both from the East coast and definitely half the east coast swagger.
This is Miss Maybelline. She's from one of my favorite states...TEXAS! This girl is crazy! ha ha...i love it. I also know her from work. That rose that she's holding was handed to her by boyz II men...incredible! ha ha...
there were so many people there. i saw people that i hadn't seen in a really long time. i also think that boyz II men was really overwhelmed by the support they had from orem, utah. who would of thought?

...wedding season...

i can't keep up with all the weddings that have happened in the past few weeks. the neighbor boys always make fun of me because instead of hanging out with them, i go to weddings. last time i went over there to drop off left over wedding cake, one of them asked me..."true or false? you've been to nine weddings in the past two weeks." ha ha...it hasn't been that many, but probably nine in the past month. regardless i love them and most importantly i love the people in them. it makes me cry when i see the daddy daughter dance. ask mom. she usually cries with me. here is a picture of mom and papasan...at the most recent wedding...

although i will admit that there is one thing that i don't like about weddings. and i don't know if it just because i don't really feel the need to be married, but i'm not the fondest of the bouquet toss although most of the time i get called out...it's so junk...

...rosie's girls...

are getting so big. also that shirt that aidyn (left) is wearing someone gave to me...ha ha...like that would really fit me...really? leilani (middle) is so tall and so smart, watch out world! and miss mia (right) isn't such a little kid anymore, i'm not sure what is going on with her eye...bug bite maybe?

sidenote: rosie and ai are coming september 9th :)

...i can't believe i forgot to post this...

so some of the frousins and i got together and had frousin night! ash ditched us for a work party, so she is absent from the pictures. but it was some good times composed of cafe rio pork barbacoa burritos (mmmmm...), tattoos, toe nails, and the movie "what happens in vegas" at the dollar theatre (thanks deina for paying for all of us...high rolla!)
deina's house also had all these horse flies (i believe that is what they are called) flying in her house. deina caught a bunch...sick...they were HUGE!
life doesn't get much better than this :)

...breif updates...

it's been a few weeks since i've blogged but here are some quick updates...

marshall and karlie are married...but this is a picture of just karlie and i at the wedding reception. they both looked so happy! it was fantastic :) but i am sad that i no longer have a bunk bed buddy...

kim n kamai are also married...also can't believe it, but am so excited for them! yay!!

isa and aiko are still dating...
i hadn't been to my apartment for weeks...but last time i was there we locked out our roommate carly...kristen sat on the door...
aubry pretended to not know what was going on...(p.s. our apartment is pretty cute...)and i just laid on the couch laughing...Kuni and Oliver left for Houston on monday afternoon to go and visit Rosie and Elle took a train at three in the morning to head out to New York. They've moved, and once again i'm sad. I cried myself to work that morning even though i'm super stoked for them and their new adventures, it's definitely bittersweet to not have them around. Here is the most recent as well as the most photogenic picture of the Cleverly-Takahashi fam bam. "Glistening" Kuni, Grumpy Ollie, and Grinning Eleanor...
At Ols was happy to take a picture with me shortly thereafter... We sure miss y'all!! Hopefully i'll see you soon...in nyc that is :)

...number 19...

remember how a while ago there was post of things to do prior to reaching the age of 21? well during that post i posed a question whether or not there are fireflies in utah, the conclusion: there is one. but just one. here is the proof. isn't it amazing?! for the first time in my life i saw a real firefly light up in my backyard! why it was there? i have no idea. why there was only one? i have no idea. did it make my ridiculous happy? yes. and then i caught the firefly...

I look like a little girl in this picture. ha ha...but it was so exciting! once again, props to Sabs for being the bomb dot com and reminding me to stay young even though i'm starting to get old :)

...bridal shower happiness...

meet karlie wathen... she is my roomie. my favorite of them all. she is getting married in 18 days and i can't even fathom it but i am SOOO excited!! her bridal shower was this past saturday and it was nice and quaint. here is a picture of Elisha, Me, Aubs, Karlie, and Kristen at the shower after we had "dressed" her in her gown. i have got to admit that this is by far the best bridal shower dress that i have ever seen. just look at that toilet paper train flowing in the wind. i mean really--it doesn't get any better than that!
karlie being a creeper. ha ha...i've decided that it's one of our favorite traits. all i had to say was "karlie be a creeper" and this is the result. i'm just really glad that she has fluff coming out of her ears as she hides behind her flowers. that's my girl karlie karlie. happy bridal shower!!

oh also...i'm going to have to say that because the bridal showers with the Aunties are pretty...what's the word...scandalous...i was expecting this one to be as well. ha ha...not even close...this was probably the most questionable of all the gifts...so funny...

it's a thong! at least that's what the note said...

...at the crack of dawn...

i woke up and went to watch the hot air balloon lift off in the morning. i was slightly late due to being informed of the incorrect time...but on my way there i saw the hot air balloons rising in the sky. this picture was taken while driving and not looking; it turned out pretty well.they were getting pretty high and then supposedly they were supposed to start circling around...i'm curious how one "drives" a hot air balloon...as they came back around and were landing in the stadium/field...they got really close...these are the more patriotic balloons. but the one with the pig and the strawberry looking one were my favorites! after that i went back to my apartment for a little bit to eat breakfast...again...and then headed over to the parade! it's been a while since i've been to the parade. i don't think that i have been there and actually watched the whole parade since i was a little girl. i really enjoyed the marching bands...ha ha...i'm such a band geek. After the parade some friends and I went to Cracker Barrell for some good ol' American cookin. Last time i had been there was when i was with Rosie and her family whey they lived in San Antonio...I was in high school at the time so it was a while ago. I went home and took a nap then headed to my parentals to find this...

isa on the couch, sad (I forced him smile in this picture) because his girlfriend was at the grand canyon and he didn't want to watch the fireworks without her...tender...but slightly pathetic. i don't think he wanted to leave the house all weekend that she was gone because he "wanted to stay home." lame excuse. he wouldn't go out with me, so i came home and made sure he was all right.
after checking up on isa, i went and visited my bccffe (which stands for best cross-cultural friend for eternity) Buns. we caught up for a while 'cause i haven't seen her in a while 'cause her real family was in town then she forced me to leave to go and watch fireworks with a friend. ha ha...i went and watched the fireworks above the provo temple, kicked it with some friends, then went and laid on the grass (<--doesn't sound exciting but it's heaven). it was a good fourth to say the least.

...random events...

so here are some random pictures from the random things that have happened in the past week or so...i've been spending a lot of time over at the neighbors' house because Justin is taking the MCAT soon as well as applying for medical school so I've been over there helping out with that, editing personal statements and looking over everything; during the times that we have taken breaks or are just going insane from overload i have grown a beard...taped mike up because he kept attacking me and i was too tired to handle itjustin serenading us with some spanish melodies...all i can remember him saying is something along the lines of "me gusta miguel"...strum strum strum...and i got stuffed in a duffle bag, zipped up, although i had to come up a few times before they could close the bag 'cause i was getting claustraphobic, then carried to another room. it was one of the most interesting/weird things that i have ever done. almost exhilarating. i've never been so confused as to where i was and where i was going in my life. note to self: i have no sense of direction in a duffle bag.
evan and I went to warped tour and saw some incredible bands as well as discovered some new amazing music. here are our before pictures....

and our after...we look good...ha ha...UVSC is now UVU (going from college to university) and my roommates and some friends went to watch the fireworks. I couldn't find my camera during the fireworks, mainly because aubry had stolen it and put it in her bag...ha ha...so there are just pre-firework pictures.
me, seth, and aubs being absolutely photogenic and working the camera.

then somehow airplane came up and this is the result of that... kristen and jesse (seth in the background). as always it was a good time.

...looks gross...

but absolutely tastes fantastic. this is a strawberry cheesecake carmel apple from the rocky mountain chocolate factory...slightly mangled...but nonetheless is delightful to say the least. we went there for benz's birthday then went for a little stroll down in the riverwoods shopping center. it was a perfect day.

...belated birthday shout-outs...

last week i slacked with the happy birthday wishing so i'm going to catch up real quick...from first to last...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...

Miss Ai who is so sweet and makes me laugh/smile everyday i see her and even when i don't just the thought of her makes me warm. she's crazy and out of control and that's how i like her best.

Benz the world traveler and quite hilarious kid i know from jr. high who think it's awkward when there are only ethnic people around when we hangout. ha ha...

Sister Rosie

(sorry only your picture is black and white but it's the most recent i had of you) who i miss everyday and wish i was still in texas with. she's amazing.

Neighbor Michael who thinks that he is my favorite out of the neighbor boys...little does he know...ha ha he's getting there. i hope you get your castle one day gov; that would be sick.

Y'all are absolutely wonderful and i hope your birthdays were the best days yet :)