Home Sweet Home

I've lived in Utah for about 8 years, but Clovis will always be home. I don't care if I live here the rest of my life (well, actually I do care and I don't plan on it...), it will never feel like home to me. That's not to say that Utah doesn't have its perks- it certainly does (i.e. 7-11's on practically every corner, the seasons, temples, great people, etc.). I wouldn't live here unless I liked it, but it'll never give me the rush of warm, happy feelings I get when I turn onto Sunnyside Ave. I had the chance to go back to Clovis a few weeks ago and while I didn't recognize most of the city, my old neighborhood took me right back to high school- the fact that all the radio stations seemed to only play music from the late 90's may have also had something to do with it too. Seriously, I don't think I've heard so much Natalie Imbruglia and Blink-182 since I was in the 11th grade.

Sunnyside, just the way I left it.

When did the trees get so big?

For real?

So I'm not in charge of the animals at work, but turns out that in addition to my counseling and assessment responsibilities, I am in charge of the Lost & Found (kind of random). Lost & Found in an Alzheimer's community? Isn't everything/everyone lost? I thought for sure it was a joke they were playing on the "new girl", but turns out it's not. This should be interesting.

Sometimes I hate being a girl...

...because it makes me do things like burst into tears at Sunday dinner with my parents. I only cry like twice a year (although I tear up daily while watching Oprah and such), and for some weird reason, yesterday was one of those days. Somehow I ended up laying in my mom's lap in the rocking chair while she reminded me that at least we're not pioneers that got all the way to Utah and then didn't even have a rocking chair to cry in when things got hard. Needless to say, the tears quickly turned to laughs. Thanks mom for making it better.

P.S. Dad, you were right, we should've just stuck to talking about Bret Favre or something.

Just another day at work...

Contrary to popular belief, I work with old people (and their families), not animals. But there happens to be a kangaroo, 6 dogs, a few cats, some birds, and a bunch of fish that also live in the Alzheimer's community. Oh yeah, and sometimes we have visitors like ponies and camels. And yes, Oscar the kangaroo is wearing a diaper- luckily that doesn't fall under the umbrella of my job description.

Old Soul, New Heart

My friend (and past roommate- until she had to go and get married on me), Shea, is outrageously talented. So talented in fact that she started her own accessory business and was able to quit her 9 to 5 to become a full time crafter. Okay, the title "crafter" doesn't really do her justice. But anyway, she makes beautiful things and I want to buy all of them. Go HERE to check her stuff out. And yes, I know I'm not supposed to end sentences with a preposition.

P.S. I'm partial to the Sparkle Sparkle Shake. Maybe it has to do with the fact that it's named for yours truly?

We like to party, we like, we like to party.

And by "party" I mean, throw weddings. Getting married seems to be the thing to do around here- maybe one of these days I'll hop on that bandwagon, but for now, I

love celebrating the nuptials of my friends.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Anderson

Had to pick up Big Gulps between the temple and recpetion set-up

I'm noticing a pattern in my photos- looks like my go to pose is the "hand on the hip".

Roommates

I must've been really feeling the beat.

Sometimes a little heart and soul...

...does the heart and soul a little good.

*Picture via Melissa Lucia

(I just love how she translated our frenzied fingers onto film)

Two thumbs up

I love magazines and I love documentaries, so imagine my delight when I got to watch a documentary about a magazine this weekend.

The key to my heart.

I've always liked nerds. Not the Urkle kind, but the cool kind- you know, a nerd with personality and social skills. It's surprisingly hard to find.