Laurel and the Golden Birthday

So my birthday has come and gone. It was... interesting. Filled with lots of memories. Some I wish to forget. Others that I haven't quite decided how I feel about. 

For some reason I didn't take any pictures during my party on Friday. And I'm waiting for my sister-in-law, Em, to send the picture of me and my twin brother blowing out our birthday cake candles on Sunday. I realize that it was under sad and tragic circumstances that brought Twin and his family out to Utah, but I'm grateful that we got to spend our 29th birthday together. In fact, I may be tearing up just a bit as I type that out. 

I do love my Twin a lot more than I show and a lot more than how I usually treat him. He's the type of person I have always wished I could be--brilliant, athletic, like-able, skinny, tan, handsome, fun to be around, popular. I think he's amazing and I'm sad that he's been a world away for most of our adult life. Maybe that will change one day...

So, here is the only picture I have from my party:

Do you know what that is? A nerf gun. That's what Linds and Julia gifted to me for my birthday. Actually, she gave me 3 nerf guns and extra ammo. This is a gun that I'm willing to shoot. And shoot I did. I may have had a little battle that ended when I realized that half of the party was watching me and the Guy battle it out. But it was the best gift. Perfect for me.

And then a video of my friends singing "happy birthday" to me. I made a wish... It didn't come true. Maybe I shouldn't have put a deadline on the birthday wish. Luckily, I had another opportunity with my other cake--but I forgot to make a wish. So, I guess I don't get a birthday wish this year. Oh well. I'm 29 now. Woo. 

Bring on, 30, I guess. 

Update:

Finally pulled out my pictures from the family party on my actual birthday:

Dinner (delicious ravoli lasagna... yum!)

Let's talk about how there are a lot of candles on that cake...

Me with the littlest nephew at the time until Lil' B showed up... 

He actually makes me look a bit tan. I'm kind of grateful for that!

¿Hablas español?

Apparently, my plan to survive two classes in a semester by taking a ridiculously easy class (Beginning Business Spanish) backfired. 

Monday I got access to my class online and I figured I could get a head start before classes started today. First order of business to my Spanish class was to take an assessment. Normally, one should score lower than 150. I scored over 500. I received a notice to contact my professor and discuss options with him.

So I did. The professor responded in a rather lengthy email in Spanish in which the gist was: "If you understand this, respond in Spanish, and we probably should get you into the advanced class."

To be honest, I'm a little shocked because I had to list my experience with the language (which added up to 2.5 years total) and my professor said that I was near native fluency at least in writing. I haven't really touched my Spanish in the last year since I switched jobs. Who knew that it was still there?

Oh yeah, and the professor asked for my patience during the first few weeks since it will be a lot of "review" for me.

Basically, I don't get off easy. I can do this, though, right? Survive Beginning Cataloging and Classification and Advanced Spanish Conversation? Well, I better!

I Wish I Still Could Be a California Girl...

Not only did last Monday end up being a holiday, but I had planned to go to San Diego on Wednesday through Saturday. That made last week a one day work week. Best work week ever. Not only that, but I escaped the first snow storm and was greeted in Long Beach by this kind of weather:

65 degrees, sunshine and blue skies. Perfect.

Mother may have made fun of me for spending time laying out in my swimsuit. I swore I was getting a bit darker.... maybe not really, but it felt like it. 

I also got an iPad for work, so I installed instagram and had fun taking pictures during the few days I was there on my iPad (and then maybe emailing them to my boss to let him know I was alive and well...)

Nothing compares to a California sunset from the family's backyard.

Thursday morning, I woke up early and took in a run at the beach. In the middle of it, I stopped and took this picture and maybe sent it to a couple of co-workers to let them know they were missed.

Then, of course, there was a stop at VG's for some donuts. Really... I couldn't pass it up. It had been over a year. Donuts were a necessity. 

Friday found me taking some time to go here and reflect on some things and maybe cast some burdens that I haven't been ready to let go of yet. Maybe I didn't really cast them off, just came to the realization that I need to do so and to begin the process of shedding those things. I love going to the temple and always the realization is that I should go more often. It's quiet. The noise is blocked out. Not just the noise of my music or work or whatever, but the conflicting voices that try to give me advice and tell me how to live and how to date and how to do everything. I'm already trying to accept that my timetable has fallen to pieces (can you tell that my birthday is drawing near?) but to have more conflicting voices adds to my confusion. So maybe next month we'll work on getting there at least twice. But I still have a week before February so we'll worry about February then.

It was a whirlwind of a trip, but I'm so glad I got to do it. If only to spend some time with Mom and Dad. I don't think I've cherished the time that I get to spend with them. Maybe because there's usually a lot of activity whenever we get together. But spending a few days with just them was like the months I spent with them after my mission. That's when I learned I had my mother's sense of humor and my father's knack for getting sidetracked (also his ability to handle electronic devices apparently transferred down to me). I only wish I got to see them more often. Maybe one day I'll move back to San Diego, or at least southern California. A girl can dream, right?

And now I bid you adieu. I've got to get some sleep and shake this cold that I'm dealing with along with prepping for school that's starting on Wednesday. I'm taking two classes this semester. I may have just overwhelmed myself, but if I can survive this.. I'm three semesters closer to my masters. And that may be worth it!

Resolute and Bucket List

Some time ago, I wrote down a bucket list. I know a lot of people do it, but I never had a desire to. 

But this year, things are going to be a bit different. I can already feel it.

Instead of doing New Year's Resolutions, I'm going to try and do things only a month at a time. So for January, I'm focusing on 1) eating better; 2) exercising; 3) being nicer. 

I've already started off the month pretty well, and hopefully it just continues. Crossing my fingers.

But I did write down all of the things I would like to do before I kick the bucket. Not necessarily for anyone but so that I could start planning for the fun adventures that I am dying to have!

So, here it is:

Go to a baseball game at Fenway Park

Complete a novel

Change the oil in my car

Get married

Get a masters degree

Go to Hawaii

Go to Greece

Return to my mission

Water ski

Shoot a gun

Go on a cruise

Write a song

Go on an overnight hike

Go to Lake Powell one summer

Go to Wrigley Field for a baseball game

See a Broadway musical in New York

Be quoted

Run a 5k in under 30 minutes

Hike Mt. Timpanogas

Hike to the Y in Provo

Go across the monkey bars

Ride a gondola in Venice

Kayak in the ocean

Swim with dolphins

Learn to ski

Learn to snowboard

Be in a band

Sing karaoke

Learn to scuba dive

Drive Route 66

See the Northern Lights

Walk on the glass platform at the Grand Canyon

Go to Machu Picchu in Peru

Go to Musee D’Orsay in Paris

Go to 4 Corners

Run in a race

Go to Disney World

Go to the Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C.

Learn to play chess

Scrapbook my childhood photos

Buy a house

Own a horse

Fall in love

Have children

Grow a rose garden

Have my name in a film credit

Be published

Journal for 365 consecutive days

Read the Book of Mormon once every year

Attend a NBA game

Attend an Olympics event

Ice skate at Rockefeller Center

Take singing lessons

Be a member in the audience of a TV show

Be thrown into a pool

Catch a foul ball at a baseball game

Be an extra in a film

Go to Jerusalem

Be kissed on New Year’s Eve

Build a sand castle

Fly First class

Ride in a hot air balloon

Donate my hair

Learn photography

Own a Mustang convertible

Ride a horse on a beach

See a solar eclipse

Live in a foreign country

Walk on the Great Wall of China

Read 100 books in 1 year

Go white water rafting

Go parasailing

Rock climb

Ride the London Eye

Own a piano

Be interviewed for a publication

Win a contest

Beat Super Mario Brothers

Be invited to a gala

Pet an elephant

Own a dog

Swim a mile

So if you want to join me for any of these adventures, just let me know.