hey mr. wilson

utah

2012-01-26T18:38:00.001-07:00

people. sometimes, utah looks like this. and when utah looks like this, i love her. when utah looks like this i find myself thinking "i could stay here forever!"
(howwwwweever, that thought never lasts very long)

the heart

2012-01-24T13:37:00.002-07:00

more and more i'm beginning to realize that there may be a valuable lesson in all of this muck.

already my heart is softer and lighter than before.

more open and giving.

more understanding.

it never ceases to surprise me when i stumble upon these pockets of hope in the middle of a crappy mess.

grateful.

cooking mama

2012-01-08T21:47:00.001-07:00

missing: "winter" in arizona, sister time, my duck wrangler, my colonel sanders look alike and even the ratty lady pups.
it's a dang good thing i've got my boy. see you in four months, arizona!

christmas recap

2012-01-05T17:44:00.002-07:00

*so, my camera cord decided to stay in arizona a little bit longer than me and jeremy (smart camera cord).

therefore, the string of photos and hilarious captions that follow are thanks to my mom for putting that dang cord (+poptart, pringles stix, and peppermint bark?) in the mail!

thanks mom!

our time in arizona was GRAND. i took only a few days off from work so we had to make every second count. and with sisters like mine, that's not hard to do...

lunch at sauce followed by an impromptu dance off and photos to document the fact that peri drove.

see? (also, this was the day peri was dressed just like HANNA, which scared me a little bit more than her driving.)

3/4 of my #1 all time favorite people.

does your family have a brood of hens and a flock of ducks in their backyard? hmm?

christmas eve at carabbas. keep it classy.

sunday. that dogs name is sunnie.

capturing boyfriend (husband)'s excitement upon opening mesosilver! thanks mom!

it's fine.

miracle mile deli. typical.

sunshine. also, is this making your eyes hurt? mine too.

and. that's all for now.

the new year

2012-01-01T01:00:00.001-07:00

we rang in the new year with a few of our favorite people: whitney, jim, nancy, kruse, josh and nicole...oh, and my least favorite person (dog), elliott.

happy new year!

merry christmas, kids!

2011-12-25T18:25:00.001-07:00

arizona christmas top three:

1. i'm married to the cutest boy, who WAS EXCITED to wear matching green pants today:

2. seeing the second cutest boy in the flesh! (well, kind of) best christmas present ever:

3. being related to these crazies/wearing our personalized christmas presents from elder cook:

it's been a very merry christmas, indeed.

last christmas

2011-12-20T14:00:00.002-07:00

this is our last christmas with that little lady of a tree.
(isn't she beautiful?)
next year, we'll be downsizing to a little baby lady of a tree.

after parties.

2011-12-13T13:05:00.000-07:00

that jeremy, he's a dancer.

unfortunately, it's generally after everyone has gone home that he really gets going.

so, for all eight of you that showed up to the third annual wilson white elephant, THIS is what you missed.

so proud of that boy's talents. so proud.

picture day.

2011-12-03T13:16:00.001-07:00

somehow, elise manages to make two of the least photogenic people on planet earth look half decent.

...just one of the many reasons why we love her and her handsome assistant.

(those two will seriously have the cutest curly headed babies ever. EVER.)

despite the fact that jeremy's belt may never sit in the center or that my hair caves easily to the wind, i think the wilson family photos with our favorite photographer turned out pretty well.

thanks again, elise. we love you x 1,000,000,000.

thankful

2011-11-25T18:06:00.001-07:00

this year was our third thanksgiving. our third thanksgiving with the griffiths'.

i'm pretty positive that jeremy loves the griffiths' almost as much as i do.

i'm also pretty positive that he has successfully wooed one of the youngest griffiths girls with his good looks and charm.

that's my boy.

grateful; for that boy and for all that we have been blessed with.

the usual, you know?

2011-11-21T21:13:00.001-07:00

did you hear that the orem nordstrom is closing?

that means a giant commute is in store for this girl come february.

that news, coupled with a few (several? a dozen?...a million.) more pleasant surprises, has us making faces like this a whole lot lately.

if you could press play on this photo you would hear something like:

"AWESSSOOOME!!!"

"we are so good at life it's ridiculous!"

e: "jeremy did you remember to _____?"

j: "heeuck heeuck heeuck" ("no")

anyway,

happy monday

these days

2011-11-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

these days are silly, all willy nilly.
one day we're high and another we're low.
some days there are traffic citations and others there are job offers.
days we're too late and mornings we're early.
plans that fall by the wayside and others that are carefully prepared and carried out.
bodies that are sick, bodies that are tired.
and bodies that are energized and quick.
hearts that are full, and hearts that are very very sad.

at the end of the day we settle in the trouble or triumph and learn from it.

it's just like holding a plank, you know? a serious trouble, but a serious triumph.

“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted.

It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as

patience, faith, fortitude and humility.

All that we suffer and all that we endure,

especially when we endure it patiently,

builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls,

and makes us more tender and charitable,

more worthy to be called the children of God . . ."

-Orson F. Whitney

photo taken on the girls trip to san francisco '08

by the lovely kathryn bingham.

here comes it!

2011-11-15T21:08:00.001-07:00

can you believe this?

only a master can pick his nose and conduct at the same time!
but seriously, this is incredible...

Klynveld, Peat, Marwick, and Goerdeler

2011-11-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

he did it! my boy got the job.

jeremy's phone rang during sunday school this morning.

after class we went outside in the freezing cold and listened to

the best voice mail i've ever heard in my 22 years of life.

we laughed, i cried, it was better than cats.

and then we went our separate ways for the last hour of church.

these wilsons are new yorkers.

merry christmas and a happy new year!

late nights and early mornings.

2011-11-12T13:42:00.000-07:00

jeremy's interviews have taken him away from me early thursday morning and returned him to me late on friday night. the past two fridays we've stopped at the in-N-out burger in west valley for fries and milk shakes.

it's fun, but i'll be happy to return to my 12 o'clock bed time next friday.

thursday III

2011-11-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

this is the third thursday that i've driven to the airport and the crack of dawn.

the third thursday that i've had the day off, only to spend it lounging by my lonesome.

this is the third thursday that boyfriend (husband) spent his AM hours on a non stop flight.

the third thursday he's had a luxurious room all to himself.

this is the third thursday that we've practiced for interviews over the phone.

the third thursday that my inbox has been filled pictures of that city.

this transition into adulthood is funny...and kind of repetitive?

flightless bird

2011-11-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

oooh, i'm a sucker for that jazz brush

"I want this book to fill the world, man!"

2011-11-03T19:43:00.002-06:00

my nonnie

2011-10-28T10:35:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to my beautiful grandmother.

here's to many many many more birthdays!

love you.

hustlin'

2011-10-27T20:15:00.000-06:00

boyfriend (husband) is in new york for the second time this month on an interview tour, which will continue into next month.

Q: do you know what this means?

A: i bought a jump rope, cleaned the apartment, wrote my missionary, ate too much candy, and i've watched not one, but TWO ridiculous "chick flicks"!

here here!

just kidding (not really, i did actually do those things...and it was wonderful).

what it actually means is that my boy is hustlin'. and he's good at it too.

however: i'm starting to wonder if he's really just going to new york every other weekend to meet scott for shakes at the shake shack....

scott?...

hmm, just as i suspected.

p.s.- thanks for the photos, jeremy!

normal.

2011-10-20T17:18:00.000-06:00

my #1 goal in life is to have a "laughing baby" or a "break dancing toddler". whenever i see a baby doing something hilarious i think "ooooooohhh i hope i can make a baby that is that amazing!!" obviously there aren't any wilson babies just yet, however, i do share genes with two of the most hilarious people that i personally know. (three, if you include noah...but he's never suprised me with cupcakes and music videos...)

i've said it before, and i'll say it again - i have THE BEST sisters in the world.

last night jeremy and i watched old videos of these two for about twenty minutes. there are too many. this particular video was taken in the summer of 2009. i was at work on my 20th birthday, mom was with dad in texas where dad was going through the first stages of some pretty serious chemo and peri and chloe were home alone planning a birthday surprise.

that birthday was absolutely, positively the best birthday i've ever had.

i am so grateful for these little ladies.

i always know that i can go to peri for sage fashion advice and chloe for dance moves/juicy gossip.

woah woah woah

2011-10-18T23:55:00.000-06:00

she's back. and i'm still a fan.

everything.

2011-10-14T21:51:00.000-06:00

my sisters are cuter than yours

2011-10-12T16:54:00.000-06:00

if there were a competition for "prettiest/sweetest/coolest sisters", i would enter these two.

and i would totally take home the crown.

i mean...they would totally take home the crown(s)?

if you'd like to see more of this cute-ness, watch this, and this, also-this.

i love you little ladies!

color blocking?

2011-10-11T13:09:00.000-06:00

yesterday, jeremy left for school in this outfit:

yellow beanie

blue puff jacket

green pants

i know what your thinking, jeremy should start a fashion blog!

are mormons christians?

2011-10-10T21:40:00.000-06:00

i have had my faith questioned once or twice in my twenty-two years, but in the past few months there have been many, many more.

unfortunately, rather than this: "are mormons christians?"

i hear a lot more of this: "mormons are not christians."

before my time spent with layla, i didn't think (or even care!) of how to respond/what it would feel like if (when) my faith came under scrutiny. thanks to many long and sometimes tearful discussions with my pint sized ohian bff, i know.

being pulled and stretched does not feel good, people. however, the benefits of all of that pulling and stretching have outweighed all of the moments of frustration and confusion. and, as mind boggling that still is to me, i know that layla would say the same. i also know that my sweet and saucy home girl would stick up for me if ever there were to be sour words spread across zanesville, ohio about "mormons". because, although she may still question my beliefs and at times suggest things that cause me to want to rip out my hair, she knows my heart. and she loves me. because she asked me. she comes to me when she has questions/concerns about "mormons".

i guess that all of this is to say that if you have a question about what we believe, ask! you will get a straight answer and i promise you will fair much better than Pastor Jeffress.

and now, a few words from Elder Holland...

(you can read the talk in it's entirety here)

employed

2011-09-28T22:38:00.002-06:00

after a month of resume sending/interviewing, i was blessed with a job in cosmetics at Nordstrom. job hunting, in my opinion, is second only to having 3 cavities filled in one sitting. (what, you have never had a cavity in your life? get outta here, i don't wanna hear about it.

jk. (but seriously))

anyway, i am grateful. and apparently a little crazy. because i worry that passing co workers are going to assume i'm making out with my boyfriend(husband)(chauffeur) if i'm with him in the car for a couple seconds longer than a couple seconds.

tmi? sorry, i just don't know what else to say and i'm tired of seeing that waldo video.

so, here's a replacement video that is 100% less interesting than that waldo video and probably 1000% more awkward!

k, bye!

p.s.- if you need cosmetics, come see me, girlfriAns!

blah-dee-blah blah

2011-09-16T13:27:00.002-06:00

in the middle of what could be a no good, even very bad, day there are a few things that have made me smile, even laugh! LAUGH, people!

exhibit a:

noah and another 4 ft salvadorian

exhibit b:

German film director, Werner Herzog, reading Where's Waldo

exhibit c:

love notes waiting for me when i head out the door for yet another interview.

sasquatch

2011-09-15T16:43:00.000-06:00

i saw sasquatch in my backyard this afternoon.

you: GET OUT!?

me: no, seriously.

you: PROVE IT!

me: alright:

it's tuesday.

2011-09-13T10:23:00.000-06:00

i'm not even sure what to say about this. only that it made my tuesday.

monday hike in 58 seconds

2011-09-06T14:01:00.002-06:00

on monday, we hiked to stewart falls with the andrews.

i am so grateful to be back in utah. our time here is short, but we are making the most of it.

i'm sure going to miss these mountains when we trade them for miles and miles of trees.

according to jeremy, the shot of us waving like a couple of loons "is for the future kids". well kids, here's proof that your parents have forever been dweebs. please love us through it!

my numba one

2011-09-04T21:02:00.001-06:00

last night on the scooter ride home from an outing with josh and nicole i decided i loved my boyfriend (husband) so much i felt like singing about it.

and, of course, it was only the best that came to my mind.

and, of course, i swallowed 3 or 20 bugs.

someday, baby

2011-09-03T11:34:00.000-06:00

i've got babies on the brain.

friends having babies makes me want to buy baby clothes every time i've out! somebody in this wilson family needs to have a baby so that i can use the "but i'm at aunt!!" excuse when i bring home the mini goods.

obviously, i'll be saving gems like this one for my own wilson babes. those lucky kids. right? ...riiiight?

there he goes

2011-08-29T11:25:00.000-06:00

and for once, i'm glad that i'm not invited on this scooter ride down the mountain.

good luck at school, jeremy!

to the best:

2011-08-29T08:00:00.002-06:00

happy birthday to the strongest person i know. here's to many many more birthdays!!

love you, dad.

Hey! there, Hi! there, Ho! there

2011-08-24T14:13:00.000-06:00

the wilsons go to disneyland

2011-08-24T11:42:00.001-06:00

boyfriend and i just returned from a 4 day adventure with the wilsons...

although all of the wilson kids are married...i often felt like i was palling around with a bunch of 12 year olds!

(which obviously made disneyland 10 times more fun)

the snows

the wilsons

us wilsons

our in house yoga instructor

sooooo serious

too cool

too crazy

so excited. (and so fun. obviously.)

the snow/wilson 12 (5) year olds minus joshy wilson

the end.

forward, pressing forward

2011-08-21T08:15:00.005-06:00

when i was engaged, there were some who said the first year would be bliss.

HA.

what a hokey joke that was!

the first year was rough, people. we were busy as all get out and a little overwhelmed with all of the goings on of our new life. our new life together.

jeremy focused on his crazy school schedule while i worked a desk job (and gained 10lbs) so that boyfriend could get through school with his sanity in tact. (and he did! for the most part.)

there were a lot of tears and a few fits.

i watched as a sickness came and went (and later came again), we broke dishes and put a whole in the wall, we said goodbye to noah and we learned a whole lot about ourselves as well as our new family members.

year two brought new struggles to sift though and big decisions to be made. i started to crack a bit and let a lot of sad things go. we learned to lean on each other and pick one another up when the other's down.

as hard as the first year was, the second turned out to be even more of a challenge.

none of this is to say that we haven't had THE BEST time...

marriage is funny. and hard. mostly though, it's funny. and awesome.

looking back now i can see how all of the hard stuff and big decisions have shaped our character and strengthened our friendship. there is no one in the world that i love more than my boy.

here's to round three.

here's to the highs and the lows and figuring out all of the world throws at us TOGETHER.

here's to making things work, and celebrating our success.

here's to YOU, jeremy wilson.

love you.

home again.

2011-08-17T14:53:00.000-06:00

it's good to be back in our over-sized apartment with the mountains in our backyard.

i'm not so secretly hoping that these next eight months go by very, very slowly.

home girls

2011-08-11T20:57:00.000-06:00

2/3 of my best home girls.

arizona home

2011-08-09T22:57:00.000-06:00

i am loving being at home with my sisters before they get back to school.

peri and i found one of the ducks (i'm sure he has a name...but i just can't keep them straight) in the backyard serenading his gf. obviously, we had to capture the moment.

i miss my boo, but it's good to be back at the ranch.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye

2011-08-08T11:16:00.000-06:00

jeremy left me this morning at the crack of dawn. meanwhile, i have to wait around to catch a late flight. cleaning and packing up was odd. it really feels as though we arrived yesterday and now it's time to go home!

well, i'm going home...jeremy's headed to disney world to finish off the internship.

goodbye, boston. maybe we'll see you again this time next year.

bus tour around town

2011-08-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

on our last full day, we saw most of boston via the upper deck trolley tour. because we were pretty wiped out from our previous adventures, this was the perfect way to see boston.

very cleaver, bosTAN.

it was so awesome to spend a lot of one on one time with my sweet dad.

what a perfect way to end our time here in boston, with one of our favorite guys!

love you x 1,000,000,000, dad! you are a rockstar.

fenway

2011-08-01T20:50:00.000-06:00

after a long day at the cape, we met jeremy for a baseball game...

babe

we sat behind a couple of the players.

dad paid some kid one dollar to take this photo. i personally thought it was worth 75 cents.

yarmouth, ma

2011-08-01T20:40:00.000-06:00

our visit with miss marilyn george was fabulous.

the beach at chatham was beautiful.

dogfish. on their way to london to be put in a basket of fish and chips.

yuck.

portland + kennebunkport, maine

2011-07-31T20:32:00.002-06:00

day one with dad proved to be quite exciting (of course).

we spent the day in maine seeing the sites and listening to dad perfect is boston accent.

(hahvad, chadah, lobstah baston and, "are you going to put this on the blag?")

a welcome! dinner at bertucci's in harvard square.

fisherman's grill!

kennebunkport. home of the bush compound!

tomorrow we're headed to the cape to visit friends! soooo good to have dad here for a visit.

p.s. - just when i thought we could possibly get past our squinting problem, i found this on the camera:

a birthday on church street

2011-07-29T06:13:00.001-06:00

harry potter and THE BEST ICE CREAM IN THE WORLD made for quite an exciting birthday.

so far, 22 feels a lot like 21.

ivy ivy ivy // beacon hill

2011-07-27T16:02:00.000-06:00

i love ivy. and i especially love the ivy on beacon hill.

24 hours in nyc

2011-07-25T08:37:00.001-06:00

24 hours on the hottest weekend of the year? why not?

(now that it's over, i could give you 1,047 reasons why not)

the boyfriend and i boarded the bolt bus early saturday morning headed to nyc and arrived right before the heat got going. scott was nice enough to power walk with us through (what seemed like miles of) the city. by the late afternoon i felt as though i had just taken a shower in my own sweat. (too much?) it was nasty.

regardless, nyc is crazy awesome.

we loved every second of our short stay.

the next two photos come with a sincere apology to our future squinty eyed children. it was disappointing to find out that i can no longer tease jeremy about his squinty eyes. poor little wilson babies...

the squinty couple!!

thanks for being such a great host, scott!

grape juice city

2011-07-20T14:22:00.002-06:00

RATATAT.
reminds me of October 2007.
after today, RATATAT will remind me of October 2007 and standing on the green line with my bum pressed against several latinas, who may not have been wearing deodorant. whew! the subway does a number on my senses.

speaking of grape juice, my hair is now the color of grape juice.
oopsie.

go do

2011-07-18T13:59:00.001-06:00

shuffled on the the ipod at whole foods this morning. made shopping for groceries 100% more awesome.

boston, newport, woods hole, plymouth, salem, lexington and concord.

2011-07-17T07:28:00.000-06:00

we had a marathon of a week with jeremy's parents. the visit started with a little squirrel watching (jeremy)...

wednesday night at the MFA to see the Chihuly exhibit

thursday we kayaked on the charles river. lots of wind made for a choppy ride...

the city looks best from the river.

on friday we met up with friends at the public gardens for pizza and a trip to the science museum.

on saturday we drove to rhode island to walk along the cliffs and check out the mansions

(house hunting is such a chore!) (haha?)

kite watching // del's frozen lemonade ("a RI tradition!")

plymouth // mayflower II

we weren't too impressed with plymouth rock...

well, there you go. i'm going to miss having people to explore with... see you next month in disneyland, wilsons!

ohio + the sandlunds

2011-07-09T06:03:00.001-06:00

other than my own family, the sandlunds are my favorite family on earth. i love them.

i spent a few days in ohio learning how to be an INCREDIBLE mother, among other things. (announcement!?)(no.)

it was rough leaving a 2 year old who can make my name sound like GOLD

and this little babe who always has this look on her face...

miss you!

the 4th, from longfellow bridge

2011-07-04T16:46:00.023-06:00

on the 4th, we spent the day seeing the sights before heading home to rest up for the late night fireworks.

(10:30pm!? wayyyy past my bedtime.)

this is (sort of) what it looked like...

this is how serious harvard students celebrate the 4th.

this is what you get when jeremy offers to take a photo of you and then tells you "it looks great!"

waiting for fireworks. (2 more hours!)

someday, i want to watch the fireworks from a boat. the next morning on my way to the airport i saw most of these boats out on the water...SLUMBER PARTY. incredible.

the north end

2011-07-01T20:13:00.000-06:00

no work for jeremy today! we perused the shops at quincy market and then headed to the north end for CANNOLIS!

we. love. boston.

quincy market

boston common

2011-07-01T06:48:00.002-06:00

thursday is the new friday, (well, this week it is) so jeremy and i went out for ice cream to celebrate.

we ended up in boston common watching this baseball game, not bad for a thursday night!

harvard square

2011-06-30T21:10:00.002-06:00

tonight when we got off of the red line, tired and sore, this is what we were met with...

(it's a long one, but soooo worth the time)

i tried to come up with a joke about the dancers... i've got nothin'.

a walk down massachusetts ave.

2011-06-29T08:00:00.001-06:00

today i walked from our apartment in cambridge to newbury street to catch train headed to the financial district. it was BEAUTIFUL outside; warm and breezy.

i took some pictures of a few of the beautiful buildings along the way...

and there you have it! some of the highlights without the 4 mile walk...

the iPod

2011-06-29T07:31:00.000-06:00

when walking around a large city, an iPod is a necessity.

(i would know, i've been people watching for three weeks now.)

i ditched the iPod around my sophomore year at BYU thinking that it was anti social and well, it is. iPod on = "don't talk to me, i can't hear you and i'm very serious about getting to where i'm going". but, in an effort to fit in with the bostonians, i have taken up wearing my earbuds on my walks through the city.

i must admit, however, that the moments when i'm free of the dang iPod i have met a lot of really great people.

hey boston! take out your earbuds, let's talk!!

newbury street

2011-06-28T14:29:00.002-06:00

this afternoon i took the red line and green line to get to newbury street. one of my favorite streets in all of boston. brownstone all down the street...ahhh

walking photos.

2011-06-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

my mom texted me this afternoon:

"no blogging? no email? no text?"

well here you go, mom!

walking through the city is so exciting. there is something to see everywhere. this afternoon when i got on the train headed downtown to pick something up at tj maxx i sat down next to an adorable little woman. she told me all about how to avoid getting pushed when getting on the subway. she also advised me to NEVER, EVER take "those dam* perscription drugs that the pharmaceutical companies are pushing". she stressed the issue of people "walking around looking like they're pregnant...but they're not...they're just fat in the middle!" "that's a deformity, you know??" she asked me if people were like that in utah. ha. when she got off at the next stop she squeezed my leg, wished me luck, and then she was gone. what a gem.

later on, while picking up some yellow nail polish from cvs, a little 83 year old woman checked me out. "been doing this for sixty three years, you know?" she said. "i'm not as quick as i used to be, hey, don't leave your wallet over there honey, someone younger might, you never know!, walk away with that...can't be too careful. i've been doing this SIXTY THREE YEARS, you know, and i can't climb over the counter any more!" she was fantastic, and i told her so.

my final encounter of the day was with a nice business man in the linens section of tj maxx. we chatted about where the queen size sheets were hiding. he bent down to check out the bottom shelf and HELLO! lacy.pink.thong. wow. i don't even know. my virgin eyes were (are) a little bit (lotta bit) scarred.

also, i knew my hair could be a frizz ball...but i had no idea it could be THIS frizzy.

that's all.

harvard mba campus // reading the help

harvard mba library

downtown crossing

cambridge, charles river

working hard, or hardly working?

2011-06-20T13:51:00.001-06:00

let me tell you, it was hard work finding my way down to the MIT campus to get my hair washed and dried. i have the blisters to prove it. ...i also have $30 and a tame mane to prove that i sat in a chair for a whole hour while a cute gal tested some product on my locks.

well guys, it worked. and it looks like i've got myself a part, part time job!

cambridge, ma

2011-06-20T07:33:00.000-06:00

every morning there are rowers going in and out of this boathouse.

occasionally, in the evenings, there are dinner parties.

dad

2011-06-19T13:36:00.000-06:00

my dad is a superstar.

when i'm feeling down and things seem all out of wack, i think of ALL of the junk my dad has sorted through and over come in the past couple of years and suddenly i have too many things to be grateful for.

he is an incredible example of courage, faith and strength for all of us.

don't know where i'd be without this guy.

happy father's day, dad. you deserve only the best.

photos borrowed from peri, who also loves this guy.

2011-06-17T12:32:00.002-06:00

dear diary,

boston is awesome. i mean, sometimes when i'm huffing it all over town, shlepping bags of frozen berries, cereal, a playground ball (?), baby carrots, juice and feta all the while talking on the phone with my mom who is at home in gilbert, arizona watching my progress on google map so that i can get home in a timely manner, it can be a little overwhelming. sometimes i really miss suburbia. (sometimes? in the last 5 days you've missed suburbia? YES. I HAVE, OKAY!?)

anyway, i love it here. the combination of brick and rowers on my morning walk along the river makes me swoon. the people here are straight forward and friendly. and tonight, jeremy and i are headed to mike's for our first (of MANY) cannoli of the summer. mmmm mm mmm.

and what am i doing with ALL of my free time while the boyfriend works his little bottom off (free breakfast, lunch and ICE CREAM, pshh, hardly sounds like work to me!)? well, i'm taking long...LONG walks around the city, reading -- lots of reading, oh, and i'm charging big bucks for some gal to wash and dry my hair. (big bucks = $30) so, i'm busy, ALRIGHT?!

that's all for now, diary. bye.

happy birthday bebe!

2011-06-15T06:20:00.000-06:00

we love the woodlands.

2011-06-12T22:00:00.000-06:00

today's the day.

jeremy and i said goodbye to our bff's, david and libby. i cried a little tonight when i thought about all of the snow cone dates and monopoly games that have come to an end. who will we call when we need a good belly laugh or a sugar fix?

all i know is that all of our future friends have a lot to live up to.

matching tee's obviously make saying goodbye a lot easier.

flip flops.

sammy's in 5?

visit with my bebes.

2011-05-23T21:18:00.002-06:00

a couple weeks ago, jeremy and i went down to visit my family in the sun.

it was wonderful.

i love my bebe girls. (and my squinty eyed boy.)

Janelle Monae // Cold War

2011-05-17T15:33:00.000-06:00

awesome.

mother's day

2011-05-08T08:00:00.003-06:00

happy day to this little lady:

duck wrangler, master gardener, solar oven chef, lover of frozen chocolates, herbal remedies and her babies (especially her eldest...)

where would we be without you?!

love you, mom.

photo thanks to the lovely elise

a note from elder cook...

2011-05-06T09:08:00.003-06:00

"We are still working with familia Guardado. What an incredible family! They are for sure going to get baptized! We are marrying them nextsaturday and then the 21st they should be getting baptized, but it all depends on if hermana Marcia has had the baby or not. She could have her baby any day now. When we taught them on wednesday night, we finished talking about there wedding and baptism and then the dad Hector asked "I know that we are going to get married civily, but when can we get sealed in the temple so we can be together forever?"..........WOW! THAT! is why I came to the mission! when he said that i looked at my comp, and then back at them and told them that in a year they will be sealed. What an incredible family. They have changed so much in these past 3 or 4 weeks. They dont have anything!!! Sometimes not even food, but now they have their restored gospel and thats what matters. On Sunday when we went to teach themthe night after church they had not eaten since breakfast. I felt so bad to see the kids all looking sad. Alexa who is five was super tiredand went to her bed super hungry and Hector the dad told her sheneeded to eat a tortilla before she went to bed. So she went over and grabbed a little tortilla, put some salt on it and ate it. I almost cried when i saw that! The next day me and my comp went to their house with a carton of eggs, beans, rice, and a big thing of juice. They were soooooo grateful! In my personal study i was reading in Alma 26 where it talks aboutammon and his bros and there trials that led them to success. I LOVE verse 27: Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst they brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto your success."

love this boy SO MUCH. i am so grateful for the work he is taking part in in El Salvador and for the plan of happiness. God bless the familia Guardado!

graduation looked like this:

2011-04-23T12:50:00.000-06:00

alum·na

noun \ə-ˈləm-nə\

plural alum·nae

Definition of ALUMNA

: a girl or woman who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university

i'm a graduate! and it. feels. so. good.

His Sacred Name - An Easter Declaration

2011-04-16T19:57:00.000-06:00

i love planning my young women lessons and taking the time to peruse through all of the good things on the church website. i am so grateful for my Savior, and for this time of year.

mini me's birthday!

2011-04-15T12:24:00.000-06:00

happy birthday to one of my best girls! today my little periwinkle turns FIFTEEN!

finals // fancy footwork (take 1)

2011-04-13T21:49:00.000-06:00

today was my last day of winter semester. ever. there's not even a tiny bone in my body that's sadaboutit!

to celebrate, i've compiled a few of my favorite dance scenes in the past week or two. my boyfriend (husband) has some serious moves. this is one of many dance vids that will surely follow. it's only a matter of time before they are calling him to star in step up 4 (we just netflixed step up 3...UM HELLO -- YES!!!)...

fancy footwork from estee wilson on Vimeo.

*yes, we justdancetwo in our pajamas.

*yes, i only pull out the flip when someone (jeremy) is dancing.
*yes, that is snow in april.

*yes, that's kim kardashian on our tv (so sue me! it's been a rough week...)

*yes the apartment is a mess (so sue me! it's been a rough week...)

*yes my sister's/boyfriend(husband) are the cutest!!

guys, i'm a college grad!!!

cougartown

2011-03-31T19:13:00.000-06:00

three weeks, nine more days of class, two projects, ONE paper and four finals until graduation.

graduation.

me.

for real.

this boy might be more excited than i am about my graduation.

crossing our fingers that my foul mood(s) have been a direct result of school induced stress!

we're almost there, jeremy!!

my boys

2011-03-21T21:14:00.000-06:00

i had to beg noah and jeremy to take this self-timed photo before church [sometime in the winter of 2010]. they warned me that it was a silly idea and that there's no way it would turn out...and boy were they right! we're missing their eyes, noah's eating, jeremy's belt is off-kilter and most of the frame is filled with lawn chairs!

but i can't help but love this photo. you can tell by the expressions on their faces that they are humoring me....and i am loving it.

i love these two.

happy birthday, boi!

2011-03-16T14:04:00.000-06:00

today my boyfriend (husband) turns 24.
i love his so much it hurts.

and now you understand why.

happy birthday, jeremy!

feliz cumpleaños

2011-03-15T21:44:00.000-06:00

happy birthday, elder cook!
keep on keepin on!
i love youuuu.

running with jeremy

2011-02-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

on saturday afternoon jeremy and i decided to run 'the loop'.

'the loop' consists of a horrible amount of UP-hill running. when we got to the final hill jeremy sped off ahead of me and ran that hill like it was NBD.

because i am totally (100%) out of shape and i couldn't run another half marathon or climb timpanogos if you paid me, i stopped and starred at the hill. i seriously considered waiting for jeremy to run back down and carry me up the hill (which actually ended up happening?). instead (or until that ended up happening) i put the pedal to the medal and started sprinting. maybe a minute later i felt like i was going to die and considered taking a nap in the snow. (did i mention it was snowing?) it was snowing.

long (and unimportant) story short: boyfriend did come to my rescue and basically pushed me up that hill. (like any good drill sargent would.)

moral of the story: if you go running without a jeremy you could end up dead in the snow. (too much?)

[post run -- that is a forced smile. (obviously?) and that heavenly light behind us? -- SNOW]

this guy

2011-02-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

the cancer came, the cancer went, and then the cancer came back.
He destroyed it the first time and i have complete faith that He can rid him of it again.

mom and dad are in houston, tx this week for the surgery. the doctors are going to try to remove the new spot.
once again, i am so inspired by his courage and faith. he is strong and positive. ...we all are. i have seen so many miracles in the past two years and i can only hope that they continue.

way to go dad! you are awesome.

[orange top]

[missing front tooth]

[lovin on mom]

[then comes marriage]

[and another]

[bffeaeaeaeaeaeaeae]

prayers are welcome.

when the sandlunds come to town

2011-02-22T21:10:00.003-07:00

one year and some months ago i met a sweet girl. ...online.

about six months after emailing + texting + one skype chat, I flew to ohio to visit layla and her family of three.

really.

for real.

when jeremy dropped me off at the salt lake airport we were both a little nervous. you know. because sometimes flying across the country to meet people you've met online isn't a good idea....well actually, most of the time that's never a good idea...anyway, i threw caution to the wind and flew through the night to meet my friend in ohio.

we bonded over our love for all things beautiful and good. while the baby napped, we sat and discussed the thing that both united us and made us different from one another. our faith.

during my short stay in ohio with the sandlunds i learned more about my testimony than ever before. i was pushed and stretched to a point where i was a little uncomfortable, but it felt good. i came home feeling a greater desire to build upon the foundation that i had.

after my time in ohio layla and i exchanged hundreds of text messages and many more skype chats. the sandlunds became four and the wilsons became...oh, wait.

at the beginning of the year we decided it was time for the sandlunds to head out west.

and they did.

after five days of lounging and chatting and eating (and eating) (and eating), we love the sandlunds 1,000,000 times more than we did before.

come back soon, sandlunds!

xoxo

my valentine...

2011-02-14T20:35:00.003-07:00

loves me even when i'm an obnoxious nerd-alert.

i love you, boy!!!

p.s.- check out how well that alley-ooped! eye is healing!

keep it together!

2011-02-07T21:45:00.002-07:00

i turn my alarm off in the morning. (before i get out of bed)

jeremy pushes snooze 5+ times. (that's 25+ minutes of snooze)

we're such a great team.

this winter semester i have

fallen asleep in class for the first time. ever. woke up to kids flooding the room for the next class. with nap lines all over my face.
considered dropping out at least once every day.
not opened my backpack at home. except for one time. to use my chap stick.
lost my marbles. (every day. every. single. day.) (just ask jeremy.) (actually...don't.)
left the bed unmade every morning, and end up making it 30 minutes before bed.
used the iron 4 times. (sorry mom.)
lost my mascara (at least) 10 times. (messy counters.)
lost my cool in front of lars. a whole tissue box worth of cool.
let my curls take full control of my noggin.
had to start over every. single. day.

it's been a doozy, this year. yes i know it's february.

here's to a new day tomorrow, everyone!

this is my crazy face. (i'm crazy.)

just a couple'a kids.

2011-01-30T21:14:00.003-07:00

we have a problem. there are basically -0- photos on our camera. when there are, they all look...like this one.

it needs to stop.

i mean start?

whatever.

i'll be the one you're falling over every time you laugh

2011-01-29T17:52:00.001-07:00

new year, new face...err...eye brow

2011-01-27T21:55:00.003-07:00

so. since i haven't blogged at all this year i thought i should probably start out with a real doozy.

boyfriend injured himself playing intramural basketball last weekend. and by injured...i mean:

i wasn't there to see the great fall (THANK the heavens!) but i guess this all happened because he went up for an alley-oop (yes that is how it's spelled, i googled it, thank you.) and his legs got knocked out from under him.

BAM.

he landed right smack on it face.

ouch.

so, anyway.

that's what's going on over here.

p.s.- no i didn't hit him! sheesh. that nurse

could not let it go! give it up, lady, you're not hilarious!

oh. BTW:
CAUTION THIS VIDEO IS GROSS.

so long 2010

2010-12-31T16:37:00.003-07:00

2010 was a doozy.

(i really feel like it wasn't too long ago that jeremy and i

were sleepily wishing each other a happy new year at 10pm.)

while there are so many things i wish i could go back and do differently this year,
i am grateful for 2010.

so many lessons learned to take with us into 2011...

from january to december this gal was in school. (all year. ALL YEAR. all. year.)

jeremy decided to tack on another year (!) of school to grab a masters.

(there's no photo for this --see photo above to view my reaction--)

kristin and matt got hitched. i went home solo for the party and got to spend time with my best girls.

dad went a whole year cancer free. he's one tough cookie. (check out that hair!)

ran my first half-marathon. and it hurt.

flew by my lonesome to ohio to meet (for the first time) my newest bff, layla bliss and her sweet sweet family.
(would you like to see the only photo that was taken of this momentous occasion??? *new years resolution: take more photos...)

**post zumba workout at the best "mexican" restaurant in coshocton,oh. everything about this photo is ridiculous.

we felt like real adults flying across the country to boston where we ate a total of 6 cannolis at Mike's and collected blisters from the miles we walked through that city. (soon to be our city?)

sent noah off to el salvador. see you in 2012!

hiked mt. timpanogos with david and libby woodland. (this hurt too.)

charlotte and josh got married! ...road trip to denver, co.

photo by michelle

visited these two in the land of enchantment.

spent my first christmas away from home with the wilsons.

Wilson Christmas 2010 from estee wilson on Vimeo.

there are a lot of things missing...but you get the picture. 2010 was good to us.

here's to a new year. here's to change.

wishing you a heart happy 2011!

a whole lotta GOOD.

2010-12-20T18:51:00.001-07:00

merry christmas

rest.

2010-12-15T18:25:00.004-07:00

one more final.

then we head off to the land of enchantment to see this handsome couple.

...

YES.

another photo from elise.

thanks elise.

this is my idea of studying for a natural hazards exam

2010-12-12T22:57:00.003-07:00

amen, sweet marjorie

2010-12-11T12:27:00.002-07:00

this morning the boyfriend and i got up at what felt like the crack of dawn (7am) and headed to the temple.

getting up, getting ready, getting into the car and then out of the car - was hard.

suddenly everything on the agenda for this saturday seemed looong and difficult.

suddenly i felt to busy for the planned temple trip.

and then we stepped into the temple.

and some time later...

packing up my things and going home - was hard.

but suddenly everything on the agenda for this saturday seemed doable and not nearly as difficult.

and. that's that.

"we women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. we have

to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is

comfortable for us. we have to develop the maturity to stop trying

to prove something. we have to learn to be content with what we

are."

- marjorie pay hinckley

image via

Narayanan Krishnan

2010-12-09T23:01:00.001-07:00

read the whole story here

"He seeks out the homeless under bridges and in the nooks and crannies between the city's temples. The hot meals he delivers are simple, tasty vegetarian fare he personally prepares, packs and often hand-feeds to nearly 400 clients each day.

Krishnan carries a comb, scissors and razor and is trained in eight haircut styles that, along with a fresh shave, provide extra dignity to those he serves."

*i also like this depiction of the story

i don't have too many words for this. incredible. inspiring.

i love him?

sisters

2010-12-07T20:57:00.004-07:00

remember how i have two HILarious sisters that are complete opposites and i love them?

you forgot?

oh.

well.

...

*my 20th birthday was the best. spent with my best girls at oreganos.

(i realize that this may not be as awesome as chloe "singing" to carrie underwood (in press on nails...), or the "right on target" video by peri...but hilarious nonetheless.)

p.s.-

she is 24/7 NON STOP....i'm telling you!

thoughts on a sunday

2010-12-05T12:58:00.001-07:00

this morning, elder nelson came for a special stake conference.

it was lovely. beyond lovely.

we live among so (sosososososo) many good people.

the closing hymn was one of my favorites.

I believe in Christ; he is my King!
With all my heart to him I’ll sing;
I’ll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God’s Son.
On earth to dwell his soul did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised.

I believe in Christ; oh blessed name!
As Mary’s Son he came to reign
’Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: “Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be.”

I believe in Christ—my Lord, my God!
My feet he plants on gospel sod.

I’ll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan’s grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I’ll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: “Ye shall obtain.”
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I’ll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.

this christmas

2010-12-01T20:31:00.002-07:00

over thanksgiving weekend boyfriend and i put up our christmas tree.

isn't it beautiful?

our apartment looks 1000% better this time of year.

charlotte + josh

2010-11-30T22:28:00.003-07:00

in october, jeremy's brother josh married a big gulp/grammar loving beauty named charlotte jane.

i just love her.

both of these photos were taken by the lovely michelle.

(who is mother to a rockstar/dinosaur lover named eva. )

p.s. - yes. i am truly wearing this summer time ensemble in fall.
sue me.

the good l(w)ife

2010-11-13T10:51:00.002-07:00

i'm not a fan of halloween. not at all. so when jeremy suggested we attend a costume party, i was not amused. then he told me he was serious.

so, because jeremy is my bff and i didn't want to let him down...

[together we are pumkin pie]

pissed that i'm blogging about halloween on the thirteenth of november?

get over it!

2010-11-08T21:37:00.003-07:00

grateful.

for cold sheets.

for yellow leaves falling like rain from the trees.

for mia maids. all five of them.

for decisions. the tough kind.

for plans. big plans.

for clean scans. again. and again. and again.

for sisters. and for surprise thank you notes. thank you.

for noah. testimonies. and misspelled words.

for my bod. that it keeps on keepin on.

for lars. the poor guy who allows me to spill me guts every tuesday at 1pm.

for boyfriends. (just one of those.)(husband.)

grateful.

dance dance dance

2010-10-27T22:09:00.001-06:00

ya girl. play that kazoo.

i love lykke li.

i also loved registering for my last semester of school.

and i also love my boyfriend.

and also, i love working with the 14-15 year old girls in my ward.

love love, lots of love.