a state affair

I've always loved state fairs. Maybe it's the weird food? The nasty, greasy food I only eat once a year? The rides that they assembled in five minutes? The hoochie teenagers? It's all part of the appeal. I grew up going to them, drawing about the Zipper and the Gravitron in my journal when I was 8 yrs old. Let's be honest, I can't remember most things about my childhood, but the Zipper I do remember. The Pirate ship? Clear as day. 

This year I went to the Utah State Fair. It did not disappoint!

 

 We saw lots of weird things/people...

Toll: is this a man or a woman?

 And lots of weird foods....

 And lots of fried (good?) foods...

 But my favorite, I think, was the Utah sheep ugly-sweater-contest-gone-eights-spandex party. This sheep had my vote, for sure:

 I told Jacob all about my favorite rides and just as we turned the corner, there it was. Shining brightly, carts twirling, people puking, and squeaking machinery - THE ZIPPER, ablaze in glory.

Needless to say, I realized I don't quite have the eight-year-old resilience I had the last time I rode it. We were both sick-tired for a good hour after.

24 Hair Ideas you probably don't wish you had!

 I got off work early today. So what do I do? Post 3 posts that probably no one cares about. 

This one includes far too many pictures of me. 

But..I've been wanting to post about this for a while. After all, I've kind of been obsessed with hair and hairstyles for quite some time. I think part of it is I kind of get bored with doing the same thing every day (whether that be running the same route, eating the same foods, doing the same hairstyles, having a boring monotonous job - it all gets to me). 

Whatever it is, I kind of have hairADD. If you have the same problem, here are some ideas for hairstyles if you get bored with doing the same thing. (NJP- no judgement policy and no questions about why I have all of these photos of myself...I lead a lonely life, okay...)

For long hair:

1. Long, straightened, side part

2. Facial hair/hobo style

3. The side pony with loose curls

4. Braid all the way around and end on other side with side pony (creepy smile to boot)

5. The makeshift mustache/long curls with front hair pulled up

6. The side fishtail with bangs you hate/love/hate/love/hate

7. Half up with front pulled up as well

8. The sock bun (put in ponytail, cut off end of sock, roll up and wrap hair around it)

9. Loose curls with 1 inch or bigger barrel curling iron

10. Wavy - with smaller barrel curling iron, don't wrap the hair around just make it "bent" with curling iron

11. Pretend like your hair has some natural curl and diffuse it. Then realize that this never works and do it again in 2 months with the same result. 

 For Shorter Hair:

1. Down, natural but curl edges with curling iron to make it look more "round"; warning: can become "mom" haircut real quick

2. Twist one side back and then barrett in it.

3. Straightened, half up with no bangs

4. Bangs + scarf (in pony or bun in back)

5. Braid and then tie on the side with small rubberband

6. Missionary helmet bun. Not actually cute, but some days you don't care about cute

7. Short braid with straightened hair, bobbypin at top

8. Half up, bangs, straightened

10. Side braid

11. Down, side part, loose curls with big barrel curling iron

12. Polygamist wife twisted ponytail

recent wonderfulness!

 I have had some great past couple of weeks. To be honest, I've been busy sick. Well, not sick literally (knock on wood, can't believe I've lasted this 3 weeks throughout the school year without getting sick, yes!) but just busy I guess. My weeks have been full (let's be honest, stressful, not just full) with work work work and the past few weekends have been play play play. I keep feeling like I wish there was just one more hour in the day. I'm guessing that feeling never goes away (?) so I should just get used to it?  And I guess it's better than being bored. My weekends have been full and wonderful.

Including a trip to Zion with Jacob to do a canyon with sis Ang as well as lots of good quality time with Jacob in SLC. Life has been good. I've been neglectful with pictures, so here is my photovomit post of the month: (you know you like it)

Best/Worst photobomb in history

Zion with the man

My awesome, athletic, hip, cool, intense sister Angela

My adorbs, adventurous, cute, spunky niece Liesel and I

My cute, chill, supernatural strong, beady-eyed niece Hannah

Chocolate pools & sistermother/child

My wonderul, kind, spontaneous, understanding boyfriend Jacob and I eating MONGOLIAN food

Us at a (free) James Taylor concert. Oh and Motab was there, too (but lezz be honest, everyone was there for J. Taylor. no offence Motab)

With my J in front of the business buildlings. Oh and temple....

Online Class

 This is how I feel about having a 3-hr online seminar/class after 8 hrs of work. Gag. ME.

Can I complain about starting work when everyone else works year-round?

I'm starting school in 1 day. I'm terrified. I don't know these kids! They could be monsters! They could be...kids! Oh wait...I really have nothing to be terrified of but that doesn't mean I'm not. It's not as bad as the first day of school last year, but I definitely will need to find my groove again.

I've spent the last 3 days organizing my room. The teachers are totally rearranged, so we have 3 new 2nd grade teachers. Luckily, my English partner teacher is the same awesome Mrs. C (can I just tell you again what a blessing she is in my life? she teaches me how to simplify simplify simplify, have fun, have a life outside of work, love the kids, organize myself, and be happy teaching. she's so what I need). One of the other new 2nd grade teachers is the most O.C.D. woman I have ever met - her classroom is more organized than any classroom I've ever seen. I mean, think handmade zebra-print labels matching handmade zebra-print stickers and handmade zebra-print...everything. It's overwhelming. She OWNS, and I mean, OWNS, little devices that keep your chords together so that they aren't a huge mess. She's crazy. Crazy brilliant. She came into my classroom and said "your flow is off" and rearranged everything in my classroom so that it flowed better. ? I didn't even know what "flow" was. Let's just say I've learned a lot from her obsessive organizing skillz/O.C.D. Bless her heart. And don't worry, I won't let her rub off on me too much (to be honest, I don't think I could even be like her if I wanted to).

That's beside the point. Point: teaching is still scary but I know from experience it could be worse (last yr) so I'm not complaining. Although sometimes I may think, "wouldn't it be nice to not have to work ever!?"

This past week I went on a hike to dog lake up Big C Canyon. I'm so glad I have hiking - it's been my sanity and my outlet and my happiness this past week when I couldn't find it anywhere else. Yes, another post about nature. You can tune out if you want.

 

I'm also so glad that I have a friend like Bethany. She's a saint and understands me and forgives me when I'm a bad friend. BHH

 I also had the special treat of having my brother Ryan and Kiyomi along with their 3 wonderful kids BJO come and visit from L.A. We had Ethiopian food downtown SLC and then toured City Creek. I love their family, and I loved spending time with them.

my search

I went to the temple recently and had a wonderful experience. I feel completely inadequate at communicating what I felt within those walls as I was being taught, but if I tried, the one word that would come to mind would be love. Isn't that the whole purpose of our existence? To learn and understand God's love for us? Sometimes it's hard to feel or find in the experience of life, but I always find it if I search hard and long enough. 

I feel God's love for me more deeply and more tangibly when I am in His beautiful creations, like I was today when I was on the top of a mountain just a few miles from where I live.

"...and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44