flora and fauna

I've decided something.

I'm an excellent dater.
#selfpromotion

No, hear me through on this. I participate in and plan some of the greatest dates. I have a complete blast on these dates and create hilarious memories that can be revisited over and over again, each time creating genuine laughter. I feel comfortable on these dates, expressing opinions, sharing views, telling jokes and being completely amused by the other's antics and stories. I feel so comfortable on these dates that I'll down an entire turkey-bacon-swiss, fries, and a shake at JCW's and not worry about whether I'm being judged. That, or I'll consume more Easter Peeps than is decent to describe simply because I can. I'm completely myself on these dates and the people I'm with seem to like spending time with me anyway.
It's awesome.

There's only one problem. 

All of these dates are with my girls.

I mean, that's not really a problem because I tell you what, we have fun. I also hang out with surprisingly undramatic girls that can just laugh at things and take it all in stride. And I'm all like, who needs boy drama when I can just have fun with the girls? You read about one of my recent friend-dates last time. Well, I'm here to tell you of another one. Actually...more like show you.

That's right! It's picture time!

Lindsay-friend is my go-to guinea pig when I want to take a bunch of pictures because she's beautiful without trying but doesn't take herself too seriously. i had fun attempting to be as natural in front of the camera as she is. look forward to those pictures next time. We also have like, 10 years of memories to revisit so it's cool. Plus we do a pretty splendid job of keeping in touch and knowing what's going on in each other's lives, even if I'm terrible at keeping the boys straight. Pretty sure I've got the last 5 months down though.

Anyway, when I mentioned that I wanted to go to the tulips in a recent blog post yeah people, i'm serious about the stuff i put on here she responded. So we arranged and we went. wow. cool story bro. It was a fantastic date. The day was the most beautiful we've seen so far this spring. The colors were unreal. The stories were hilarious and the walking felt great. yeah, who needs a segway anyway!? actually, they looked super fun. and maybe we tried to seduce one of the guys driving one so that we could take it? maybe. 

Happy scrolling!

Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival

May 4, 2013

The tulips are getting two enthusiastic thumbs up from me.

Did you have a favorite picture? Let me know so that I can like, submit it for judging or something.

peace and a whole bunch of coy fish.

seriously. did you see those things? sheesh.

rrw

to the happy couple!

As I have mentioned before and as everyone who doesn't live under a rock has realized wedding season is upon us! Photos are up. Temples are booked. Decorations are being planned. Announcements are arriving. Dresses are being hemmed. Travel arrangements are being solidified. Twinkle lights are selling like Lays new Chicken and Waffles flavored chip. seriously, i have not been able to find me a bag of those...ever! and i've desperately wanted to taste them.

Last Friday I was teaching a friend how to drive stick shift and convinced her to take the practice out on the streets of Provo. We ended up near Rock Canyon Park. Our eyes were drawn to a house up on the hill that was so lit up I think Matthew would have been proud. (Matt 5:14). We decided we wanted in on whatever it was that was happening there and, serendipitously, we were already wearing our Sunday best. So we parked the car and walked right in, trying to appear like we belonged among the rich and famous.

It was one of the most beautiful wedding receptions I have ever been too. The home on the hill overlooked all of Provo. probably because the people who own the home own most of Provo too. second to the LDS Church, of course. The man-made creek was perfectly accented with pictures of the couple and lit with lovely little candles. Trellises and awnings were softly glowing with the perfectly placed lighting. The wedding dresses of the mother and grandmother hung in places of honor, connecting the generations of family together with class.

The view from the incredible infinity pool was breathtaking, only paling in comparison to the delicious ice cream sandwich bar, where caterers took your order and made a personal treat just for you. The selection of cookies ranged from chocolate chip to snickerdoodle to caramel apple. One could mix and match the top and bottom of their cookies, filling the inside with dependable vanilla or branching out to mint or toffee or strawberry or chocolate. The unlimited supply of bottled soda was surprisingly delicious, forcing me to the conclusion that they must have paid to put a heavy dose of happiness in each of them.

It was a wonderful atmosphere. It was a delicious treat. It was the perfect dancing playlist. The couple was beautiful.
if only i'd known who they were....

I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

The best cookies I have ever tasted.

But I kind of think every cookie I eat is that way soo...

Wait, was this wedding for me?

I'd swim in that.

I don't know what is was but these root beers were just magnificent.

So now that I've decided to take up wedding crashing, you better watch out for me at your next big shindig. I'll probably be there, whether you invited me or not.

And if, on the off chance that someone from this wedding reads this, thank you for being the kindest hosts to the two girls you didn't know.

peace and tulips.

coming up in the next post.

rrw

get excited

i'm gonna be an aunt.

Baby Burningham is due at the end of October.

Nothing else to say because I might start crying again.

it happens.

peace and babies

rrw

why? Q/A of my life

Everyone knows that the first and best way to combat a long day at work is to facebook stalk. But let's get real, the person we stalk the most on facebook is ourselves. Right? Come on, am I right? I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE. PLEASE. Ok, whatever. I'm the only one. But let me tell you, I facebook stalk myself bad. Like, go back through everything I've ever posted, conversations I've had with people, my messages, my likes, my employment and my favorite quotes still working on that one. It's like I have to check to make sure that I'm actually who I am. Occasionally I'm proud to own up to the things I've done on facebook because dang, sometimes you just say something clever and you are proud of it.

Other times you wonder why such things ever made it to facebook. Sure, sometimes you get tagged in a horrendous picture and you know it was put up solely because the person posting it looks like a Brazilian Butt-lift model in it and you have to respect that.

But sometimes it's just all on you.

Today I give you the facebook fails I have brought on myself. Pictures that I look at and just wonder...."why?" Feel free to judge. I certainly am.

Why?

Because nothing says "look how cool I am on my first road trip without parents" like a triple chin, sunburned nose, and hippy headband. #juniortourforlife

Why?

Because it was the first time living on my own and I could. And I mean, if you can look like an orc, go for it.

Why?

Because the "frenchman low ponytail" look was totally in all summer and I'm driving the coolest jeep in the world through bear country. boom.

Why?

I have no idea.

I was a freshman and took pictures of everything. 

no but really, there are 4 albums

Why?

Because the natural thing to do when you go to Mesa Verde is to take a picture that looks like you're trying to eat it.

I hope this post makes you feel better about yourself. And to all my friends and family who endured these times, thank you. Thank you for not abandoning me and for having hope. Just...don't let such things happen again.

peace and ukraine

totes official going there

more later

rrw

in honor of april 25th, the perfect date

Good news guys. I finally thought of my absolute perfect date. no, i didn't actually go on the perfect date. i just thought about it. which...i embrace. thinking is a forte of mine, remember? If a man were to take me on this date I would marry him the next day. (as long as he had an adequate understanding and appreciation for Harry Potter, cheese, Glacier National Park, and respected Nicholas Hoult as the most attractive man on the planet).

So yeah. I thought of that date. Cool beans.

Wait, did you want me to tell you about it? I'm sorry but no can do. Why? I don't know. I'm just weird like that. Maybe later.

In other news:
-My entire left leg is in pain. I think it might be growing, in which case, I will be lopsided.
-A professor asked me how to do his job (basically) today at work and I just had to tell him I had no idea and that he could call the library for help. when in doubt, call the library.
-I'm making my second appearance in Provo this weekend. my family be all like "whaaaaaa?"
-Saw Top Gun for the first time and didn't really get it/like it.
-Campus looked as close to Hogwarts as it ever will today, what with all the robes swirling around and obvious levitation charms being cast on people while trying to take pictures.
-I thought about going to a big city this summer but then got scared and changed plans to go to the mountains. Surprise!
-Tulip festival anyone? *forewarning: i may or may not break my oath to not take pictures of flowers during this event. i may or may not talk to you due to my taking pictures of flowers. does this make any sense?


peace and zandaya
she's my favorite on dancing with the stars.

rrw

clarification

This is post is written in an effort to add clarification to confusion, to stifle rumors, and adequately inform any who have asked questions pertaining to previous posts and/or pictures put on this blog. This is all due to my mom asking me why all of my old ward members/leaders/friends who are hip enough to have instagram and nice enough to read this blog were asking if I was engaged.

I am not engaged.

While everyone and their dog is getting engaged and married this fine spring/summer season it's like 101 Dalmatians up in here, I am not. I am involved with a few weddings because I love my friends, hence the pictures of me with wedding dresses, poofy hairnet things, and hashtags like #shoppingforaweddingdress and #tistheseasontobemarried.

Seeing all these wonderful people so happy and excited makes me so happy and excited. In fact, I think I like this position better than actually being engaged because I don't have to do any wedding planning. But I do get to feel like I'm on Say Yes to the Dress and I have an excuse to shop at places that have bright pink boxes and bags. So...it's a win win.


Know what else was a win win? This weekend. So many good things happened and I just had a blast. There was the Egypt Art Festival, The Boys and Girls Club Gala, seeing old friends and bonding over pizza from The Pie, laughing hysterically at stupid memes at 1:30am, seeing the best movie in the world again and then yelling about the significance of the perfect "questioning eyebrow" with my Lindsay-friend. My family played croquet i lost, like i always do tried our hands at "speed croquet," which is the single most terrifying experience I have had in the last 3 and a half years i lost that one too, sat around a fire in the backyard, laughed at the stories of my brother-in-law and his older brother when they were kids, and laughed at our own antics and stupid injuries we've sustained over the years the best were the really bad whiplash i gave myself my looking up at a launching rocket too fast and spencer's use of unpleasant leaves in the wilderness. 

It was a spectacular weekend and ended on the perfect note with emails from across the globe. technology rocks.

Behold.

Art Festival

I don't know how many comments were made about how the camel "is better behaved than her other boyfriend" by random parents standing by while this picture was taken.

....whaaaaa?

Do I even know you?

love that man in the background.

Who knew King Tut had hips?

More of him to love.

Gala

I seriously loved this building.

Design your own basket

I will never understand why anyone would ever want to visit an island that has live dinosaurs on it.

But the fossils are sweet.

 I could curl up in that thing's jaw like a kitten in a cardboard box.

#goodtiming

#chompchomp

This is NOT the dress I was going on about.

We're models.

Obvi.

Peace and finals.

rrw

that little black dress

First, lemme just say, yesterday was a downright terrible day for me. It started off great with some sleek looking slacks and a flattering sweater. My awkward bangs looked less awkward than normal and my mascara went on with ease only poked my eyeball once. what of it? But then it just went downhill. Like, way downhill. Excluding the conversation I had with the janitor on the majesty of Montana, I just couldn't get myself to a happy place.

Ugh. It's depressing and embarrassing just to think about it.

Fortunately I have been blessed with amazing friends who will listen to me ramble about my hard life... oh my gosh I'm just sick of waiting for them to come home and I only had like, this really good cereal for breakfast and a superb scripture study and I sat there in front of my overflowing closet just trying to pick from all my clothes and it's just so hard. All my friends are great and I love my family and can't wait to see them and I'm just so sad right now...and somehow manage to NOT strangle me.

Once we deduced that I probably needed to eat something other than M&Ms, things started looking up. Things continued to look up as I made my way to a few different stores to run errands and just be by myself.

While running these errands, I came across some finely sewn fabric that I instantly knew I needed to put on my body. Grabbing my size and another in one size bigger because sometimes you just have bad days and you KNOW you're going to need a bigger size. But guess what? That's ok. I barricaded myself in the dressing room before the fleet of high school girls invaded all corners of the store.

As the fabric fell over my head and my shoulders I thought, "Oh, I love the neckline. And the sleeves are perfect!" I quickly noticed how the waistline was in the perfect place for my torso. The skirt had just enough flare that I could eat a good dinner and still be comfortable (which is probably the most important aspect of potential clothing). The delicate black lace was a complimentary contrast to my less than tan skin. The texture was soft and flattering. This was the dress. This was the dress that would make everyone love me!

But then the dreadful happened.
The hemline. 
2 more inches, an inch and a half, maybe even one, and I would have been doing my little "Yeah I found what I want and I feel good and I'm going to buy this little sucker!" dance yes, that actually does happen. But alas. No such dance was to happen in this dressing room because the dress was too short. But not the "hit-you-in-the-face-oh-my-gosh-what-are-you-thinking-it's-way-too-short" kind of short. It was the "you-could-probably-get-away-with-this-especially-in-the-summer-which-is-right-around-the-corner-anyway" kind of short. Which is the worst kind of short.

I rationalized all sorts of terrible rationalizations. other girls wear things much shorter than this to church.
I made the worst sorts of excuses. i should really wear it while i can, right?
I convinced myself that people wouldn't notice. it's not like that much more of my leg is that big of a deal anyway.

But in the end, the fact that I was trying to justify buying it was reason enough to let it go. Such a sad separation hasn't happened since the last time I went shopping and fell in love with a teapot.

Sometimes dressing modest is a struggle. A REAL struggle that is overlooked and discredited. Modesty? Psh, you covered that in Young Women's ages ago. Why should it be that hard to just buy things that cover you up? Well boys, it IS hard. It is hard to sit there, looking at a dress that you love, that makes you feel pretty and confident and appealing, and say no. It takes time, money, and a whole lot of patience to find articles of clothing that are cute and appropriate. It's a struggle that doesn't get easier just because you graduated to Relief Society and go to BYU. It's really, really hard.

I realized that all over again yesterday.

I commend those who don't have such a difficult time with this as I do, and I'm grateful for their examples. I'm grateful for guidelines and standards that keep me protected. I admit that finding cute skirts and shorts that are long enough for these Weiler legs of mine is difficult, but I know it's worth it.

How about we all try to notice and recognize the modesty in others this week, and compliment them for it? I know I certainly will, because dang. It is an accomplishment.

At least I can count on this one being long enough, amiright?

peace and hemlines to the knees

rrw