Midnight Hike.

I went on a hike tonight
to a beautiful waterfall.
I love hikes, but there
is something different
when I go at night.



The view from the top
over our valley always
takes my breath away.
The city lights are wonderful
from so far away.
And the stars are so vibrant
that I could just stare at them
for extended periods of time.



We are so lucky to have
such a gorgeous place
to live, and are so blessed
to have mountains.
I am going to miss
the mountains when I leave.

THE DAISY POEM

If I had my life to live over,
I’d try to make more mistakes next time.
I would relax. I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been on this trip.
I know very few things I would take seriously.

I would take more chances. I would be crazier.
I would take more trips,
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.
I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones.
You see, I am one of those people who lives life sensibly and sanely;
have done so hour after hour and day after day.

Oh, I have had my moments;
and if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them.
In fact, I’d try to have nothing else.
Just moments, one after another,
instead of living so many years ahead each day.

If I had my life to live over,
I would start barefooted earlier in the spring
and stay that way much later in the Fall.
I wouldn’t make such good grades except by accident.
I would have more dogs;

I would have more sweethearts.
I would go to more dances, and
I would ride on more merry-go-rounds.
I’d pick more daises.


-This is one of my favorite poems.
It means so much to me, and I love it.
My sisters showed it to me when
they were in DG, and ever since
It has meant the world to me.

Arizona...

I blog about shopping
way too much.
But this will be the last
for a while, so enjoy.



So every year, my mom
and her two cute sisters
go to Arizona for a fun
girl's shopping trip.
She comes home every
year telling me how
absolutely wonderful
the trip was.

Since I am leaving so soon,
my aunt invited me
to join them, and lets just say
I was more than ecstatic!
My aunt's private jet
picked us up and
flew us to Arizona
where we stay
in my aunt's house.

The whole trip is
dedicated to shopping.
Completely amazing right?
So on this trip, they all
focused on finding
CUTE missionary clothes.
Luckily, we had tons of luck!
I got so many cute things
that I absolutely love!

There are no better people
to shop with than my mom
and her two sisters, because
everything I tried on, they
would respond with,
"That is so-o cute!!"
"You HAVE to buy that!"
"If you don't buy it,
I will have to buy it for you!"
"That makes you look great!"
"You will be the cutest
sister missionary out there!"

Shopping is always much
more successful and fun
with a little encouragement.

Love & Shopping...

Love is like shopping...

When you go to the mall
with no intention of
buying anything,
you always do.
The perfect pair of shoes
pop out of nowhere, and
you can't believe you
never noticed them before.

Then there is the shirt that
every time you
go to the store it's at,
you go to the rack its always
on and spend the
next hour debating if
you should buy it or not.
By the time you decide
to buy it, someone else has
bought it and you always
wonder what would have
happened if you would
have bought that shirt.

When you have something
specific you need to buy
when going shopping,
you can never find it.
If you need a salmon-pink
shirt, for some reason
salmon-pink isn't in style
so no one is carrying it.

When you can't find the one
perfect piece of clothing,
you end up just buying
something you didn't want
that doesn't even look good on you
because you are so frustrated.
Then you always regret buying it
because you never wanted it
in the first place.

Then of course there is the
"shopping spree".
You go crazy going to
20 different stores
buying everything in sight.
Then feeling depressed after
because you have no money left.

Finally there is the
perfect shopping experience.
You go into the mall
looking for something that
will make you look great.
And you find it.
It looks amazing on you,
and you love it
more than anything.

One day I will have the
perfect shopping experience.

You Know That Feeling...

You know that feeling
when you are
laughing so hard
you can't breathe?



That is the feeling
I get when I go tubing.
I never grew up going
boating much, so when
I do get to go, I get
extremely excited and
have the most amazing time.



A bunch of my friends
and I went and
lets just say it was a
HUGE SUCCESS!
I had such a blast
with them and
loved every second.



So Trevor....
When is the next
boating trip?

Moment of the Day...

My sister and her 2 sweet girls
are in town from Texas.
Nothing makes me happier
then when they come to town.
Today I was just watching tv
and my sweet niece, Abby
came up right next to me
and held my hand.
She continued to watch
tv with me, loving the fact
that we were together.
She didn't need to say anything
for me to know she was so happy.
Moments like these
bring me the greatest JOY.

My Recent Favorite Activity...

LONGBOARDING...
There is nothing like the thrill
of going down a hill
with the wind running through my hair.
Picking up speed, and rounding the corner
hoping to not slow down or fall off;
longboarding brings a new excitement
to my life, and I absolutely love it.



My friends and I have been
going to parking garages,
starting at the top,
riding all the way down
to the bottom,
taking the elevator back to the top
and repeating the whole process.
I enjoy it way more than
I probably should.



If my mom knew I was doing this,
she would probably kill me.
But it is so exciting to
race to the bottom
hoping to pick up enough speed
to beat everyone.
One day, I will advance
to riding on my feet
Instead of on my bum bum...

Thank You, Daddy!

If you are an avid reader of my blog,
you know I love my dad.
He teaches me so much
about things that are so important
in many different aspects.
Since it is Father's Day,
I want to say how blessed I am
to have the most WONDERFUL
dad in the world.

I chose this picture because
my dad (the one on the left)
is still best friends with his
brother (the one on the right).
Their entire lives they have been
best friends, always sticking
up for each other, and being there
for each other no matter the circumstances.
This is how my dad lives his life.
He loves everyone and
never says an unkind thing to anyone.
I love him so much
and hope to be just like him.
I love you, Dad.
Thank you for your example.
I don't think there is happier
man in this world.

Taking A Look At Friends...

I am warning you. This post may not make sense.
But its on my mind. So here it goes...

Since I have had the date of when I go on my mission,
I have wanted to hang out with all of my friends.
This includes every group of friends I have ever hung out with.
I have always been one to have the most random friends.
I always get along with random people in random groups.
The past couple of days, I have really thought about this,
and for some reason have been categorizing a few in my head.
Let me explain...

There is the "Ward Best Friend"

The "Ward Best Friend" is the friend that you have grown up with,
and have always been best friends even though you
hang out with different groups of friends.
You tell them EVERYTHING that goes on in your life,
and this most likely occurs during Sunday School.
You both go your separate ways through life.
But whenever both of you return home,
it is like nothing ever changed.
And you are both still 6 years old,
and all that matters is
Barbies and dressing up in costumes.

Then There is the "Guy Best Friend"

For some reason this gets tricky for everyone.
Luckily, it has never been tricky for me.
Meet Thom. He is my "Guy Best Friend"
He knows me better than anyone on this planet.
He is like a brother to me, and I miss him so much.
(He is on a mission in Texas).
He is the first person I told about my mission,
in fact I tell him EVERYTHING first.
He tells me the guy opinion on everything
and has to approve of the people I date.
He is the least judgmental person in my life,
and loves me no matter what dumb things I do.

Meet my "Elementary-High School Best Friend"

This is the best friend that you have been through everything with.
Throughout your entire existence (well of what you can remember)
you have been best friends with this person.
Every memory you have of your schooling years,
this person is involved, and loved every minute of it.
They know you, and laugh at your faults
because they know you better than you know yourself.
This is the best friend who will tell you the truth
no matter how blunt it is.
This is the best friend who you rarely fight with
because you have known each other for so long
that you know what you disagree on
and both of you are completely fine with it
and love each other for those exact reasons.
(A.K.A. UTAH UTES & byu crap...)

Which leads to the all too famous "College Best Friend"

This is the best friend who you enter college with
both of you not knowing what the heck you are doing.
But luckily you have each other, side by side,
knowing they will be with you every step of the way.
This is the best friend that is right there with you
when you sleep over at guy's dorm room for the first time,
has the exact same school schedule and wears the same clothes,
and moves out with you for the first time
to pull all nighters and pranks doing the
craziest/funnest/dumbest things
you have ever done in your life.
This is the best friend that anxiously awaits
what you have to say when you
get home from a first date,
who is the first person you tell when you fall in love,
and the person who comforts you when you witness
your first heartbreak.
This is the best friend who witnesses
the biggest changes in your life
and does the same in theirs.

The "Dated before-but is now your Best Friend"

Ya usually this doesn't work.
Actually, I don't think this case ever works.
But luckily in my case it does.
Meet Chris. Yep, we dated back in high school.
And now we are best friends.
In fact, we hang out all the time.
And it is the greatest thing,
because since we dated,
he knows me pretty darn well.
I feel like we are kinda like Juno.
Except a lot less extreme.
We did the dating thing first, and it didn't work.
So now we get to be best friends,
and honestly, it is the greatest.
I don't need to try and impress him
and I can be myself.
He helps me with the whole dating scene
like telling me the guy's perspective,
and I help him with his wardrobe.
He is one person I can sit at the kitchen table
playing cards for hours on end
while having the most awesome conversations
about life, love, mistakes, goals;
in fact pretty much everything.
By doing nothing, we have the greatest time.

The "Ballet Best Friend"

Since I pretty much lived at my dance studio,
I do have one of these.
This is the best friend that you pretty much live with
outside of your home.
Amy and I have danced together since drill team clinics when we were 5.
We went through nicknames such as Twiddle-Dee & Twiddle-Dum
and being told that our thighs were "overdeveloped" together.
This is the best friend that went through the times
when you worked harder than you ever have
and was there when your adrenaline rush was going crazy
right before walking onto that stage and performing
in front of so many people.
This was the best friend who you would make up
dances together in your spare time
and dream of being the best dancer in the class.
This is the best friend you go to
when you perform the best performance of your life
as well as the worst.
This is the best friend who knows what it feels like
to do your best, and put your heart into dance.
Not many people know that feeling
and love dancing with all their heart.

Ok so this post is a lot longer than I thought it would be.
But in case you didn't notice, friends are everything to me.
I have so many friends who mean so much to me.
So thank you to all of my friends.
And sorry this is so long and random.

Oh and also, I cannot wait to have the title of
"My Husband Is My Best Friend"
:)

Shopaholic...

My name is Elizabeth
and I am a shopaholic.

I blame my mother,
and my sister, Annelise.
They truly understand
what it means when you
fall in love while shopping.
Let me explain...

Today I woke up to
a phone call from my
brother, Timmy.
He told me to get ready
because the
G STAR SALE
started today.

Of course I had
already known this
and my friend, Chris
was planning to pick us up
around 10:30 a.m. so we
could be the first customers.

Of course we were the first people there,
and there were so many
wonderful things on sale.
I stayed focused on helping the boys
because I leave in 2 months,
what would the point be
in buying anything?

Until I walked past the shoes.
I looked to my left to see
the most gorgeous pair
of heels I have ever seen.
I was in love.

My heart was instantly broken
when I saw they were $178.00.
I decided that since they were
too expensive, and I knew
I wouldn't buy them....
Why not try them on?

I slipped my foot into the heel
and saw how amazing
they made me look in the mirror.
I instantly started thinking
about how I hadn't bought
anything in a while,
and how much I deserved these shoes.
I mean, $178.00 isn't that much right?

Suddenly, a worker came over
and told me how breathtaking I looked.
She was right, they made me look gorgeous,
and my legs look ten times skinnier.
Then she said something that
changed my life forever....

"Ya, they are truly amazing.
And they weird thing is, is they are
50% OFF."

My heart skipped a beat.
"Wait, did you just say 50% off?"
"Ya, I don't even know why,
because they are so adorable."

I instantly started jumping for joy.
I mean, they were half off,
I HAD TO BUY THEM!
It was destiny.
Why else would they be
50% off??
I couldn't contain myself.
I started screaming
50% off to everyone around me.

I grabbed them and held them,
knowing I would be wearing them
for the next 2 months straight.
My life was complete.
I had never been happier in my life.
And now, I own the shoes
that made me the
happiest girl in the world.

Commercial

I teared up during this commercial. I am in love with it.

One Wish

The other day, I was talking with a friend
who did not have a high opinion of one of
my best friends.

You know that feeling you get when someone
says something about your best friend,
and you feel so sad inside?
You cannot even believe someone could
even think of a rude thing to say about
one of the most important people in your life?
I wanted to punch her in the face.

I was telling my mom about the incident
and how sad/mad/frustrated I got.
How I just wanted her to see how
wonderful this person is to me,
and all of the memories I have had with her
and the many lessons I have learned.

That is when my mom told me something
that I will always remember.

Mom: Don't you just hate that?
Me: Ya its the worst.
Mom: Don't you just wish you could see
everyone in that same way?
That you never wanted to say anything
mean about anyone?
And everyone was wonderful in your eyes?

I have thought about that so much ever since
she said it to me.
How wonderful would it be
to never have one mean thought about anyone?
Everyone meant the world to you
and everyone was wonderful.

In reality, everyone is wonderful to someone.
So I have made a new goal
to look at everyone as I would
my best friend.
I want to look through my perfect lens.

Photo.

Tie Dye

Today my mom told me that
when she was in college,
her and her friends would
wear the craziest
tie dye pants they had
and drive down to Provo
hoping to get arrested.
Supposedly tie dye pants
were pretty risky.
Especially in Provo.
I wonder what our kids
will think when they find out
what we are wearing.

Once Upon A Phone Call...

The most wonderful thing happened to me today.
I called one of my best friends whom I haven't talked to
for quite some time now.
We grew up being inseparable, and loving life.
As we came to college, we went our separate ways
and lived our separate lives with happiness.
I called to see how she was doing,
and to talk about getting together for dinner.
We then talked for about an hour
on different topics:
boys, school, work, our future, and best of all...
Our past.
We talked about all of our funny stories,
our embarrassing moments, etc.
We went on to talk about how the past 3 years
of our lives have been.
There were laughs, cries, and love exchanged.
Although it has been such a long time
since we have talked,
we started right where we left off;
no judgements, or awkwardness.
Just loving friendship.
I am so lucky to continue to be blessed
with the most amazing people in my life.

GLEE!

If you see me rockin' out
& dancing in my car,
it is to GLEE.
I LOVE GLEE!

New May!

So I am a little late on this one, but I figure better late than never.

The new book I read for May was...

THE BEST BOOK!!
This series is absolutely amazing!
And you want to hear the saddest part?
The third book to this series comes out
6 DAYS AFTER I LEAVE!!
UGH!!!!!!!!!
AND the movie is coming out in 2011
so I will miss that too..
It is ok though, I cannot wait to
read and see them when I get back...
But for all you readers,
you HAVE to read this series!
Completely AMAZING!!
I think Steph and Caitlin will agree.
We are already deciding which of us
will be which character in the books.

The one new thing I learned in May
was how to make fabric flowers for my hair.

They are so simple to make,
but add so much so a simple hairdo.
That is May for ya!
I am not sure what book to read for June,
so if anyone has any suggestions let me know!

The Green T-Shirt

Why is it that I HATE
being told I am wrong?
Let me explain...

I grew up as the youngest girl.
I know the word
SPOILED
came to your mind.
Which, I will admit, I was.
So my lack of patience is.. well..
lacking...
But what does that have to do
with getting bugged every time
I get told I am wrong?
Is that my temper coming out?

So back to the missionary clothing.
I went shopping today with my sister
and bought this very cute, plain
green T-SHIRT.
With sleeves attached.
I was happy about my purchase,
because it wasn't ugly,
and very modest.
So my friends come over and
it was sitting on my table...

Friends: What is that for?
Me: For the mission, isn't it cute?
F: You can't wear that on your mission.
M: Yes I can.
F: No you can't.
M: It is a t-shirt why wouldn't I be able to?
F: Umm I think you forget we all went on missions,
we know what you can and can't wear.
M: First, you are all guys so none of you would know.
Second, it is a short sleeve shirt and it is garment-worthy,
I don't understand what is wrong with it.
F: It has to be longer sleeves, you can't wear it.
M: I CAN WEAR IT, BECAUSE IT IS A T-SHIRT!
F: Calm down, Lil its just a t-shirt.
M: Exactly! so I can wear it because its
JUST A T-SHIRT!

I don't understand why
I always have to be right,
but I hate being wrong.
Especially when I know i'm right.

Sisters...

This post is going to be about sisters in many different aspects.
It may end up being extremely random, but a lot of things are on my mind.

I would first like to say that shopping for Sister Missionary clothing is HORRIBLE!
I have gotten so frustrated! They say you can take 5 shirts on the mission.
5 SHIRTS? I mean seriously? I don't wear the same shirt in a month,
let alone one week. Luckily I talked to a friend who has been on a misison,
and she said there is no way I can survive on 5 shirts.
She suggested 10.
Wow, dream big.
I am so grateful for her help though. I have had so many questions about
sister missionary clothing. I loved this quote from her, and it has helped me.

Just remember, you don't have to look like a nun and you CAN be cute!!

Seriously, why does every sister missionary have to look like they want to kill themselves? So, I have decided I am going to look cute, because I think it will help me have a better time.
Luckily today I had some luck at J. Crew with some cute cardigans and t-shirts.
But other than that, it is so frustrating deciding what to take.
I love how my biggest problem has been deciding what clothes to take on my mission.
Figures right?

Next, I am going to blab on about my sisters...

I miss this.
Every year, my sisters, mom and I go on a girl's trip, and I don't think we are going to have one this year because I am leaving. It is ok though, because I literally spend all of my time with them during the day. I just wanted to talk about each of my sisters and how amazing they are...

Whitney is my oldest sister, and she has been such a great example to me. She has truly taught me to be myself in a world that wants me to be somebody else. She is always up for going to a dance class, or getting out of her comfort zone in a position she doesn't necessarily want to be in. I remember when I was in high school, she used to come hang out with my friends and me. Keep in mind she is 8 years older than me. She has always been my best friend throughout my whole life. I mean, who would watch Lizze Mcguire when they are 20? She really has taught me that everyone has a kid inside them that can stay alive throughout their entire lives.

Heather is next, and has taught me how to be patient. She never raises her voice, and is definitely the peacemaker in the family. She has been the first one to move away since she has gotten married, and I miss her so much. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't wish she were here in Utah with us. But she has taught all of us that you can make the best of any situation you are in. I really miss her so much. Whenever she comes to visit, there is a glow in the house. Everyone is so much happier, and it is always the best time when she comes. She makes everyone happy and never causes any problems.

Annelise is one of the funniest people I have ever met. Seriously, everything is always funnier when Annelise is around. Everyone always wants Annelise there so everyone can have a good time and no one feels awkward. She is also extremely supportive. She has been the most supportive person in my decision to go on a mission, and it has meant the world to me. This is an example of how most of my life has been. She has always given me the best advice on what I should do in my life, and taught me that no one's judgement is better than my own. She is someone I could spend hours with and never get bored or feel like I don't want to be there.

Kelli is my wonderful sister-in-law. I don't know how I got so lucky to have a sister-in-law like her. She has the best style and advice that is always helpful. She has become such a great part of our family and has fit in from the start. Although there is such a big break of age between us, she treats me like her best friend, and that the age difference doesn't even exist. She is always friendly to everyone and is never rude to people (unless they do something to hurt someone in the family, then she could totally kick their trash). I consider her one of my sisters, because she has become such a close friend to me.

I really have the most amazing sisters. They are always there for me, and I know we will be best friends forever. I love them all so much.

Europe!

Our first stop in Europe was Madrid, Spain. This was Timmy's mission, so it was great that he knew the language and his way around. He was so happy to be back. He had us try Doner Kebabs (even though they aren't Spain food, it was his favorite food in Spain). He took us to a really neat castle that was incredible inside! The best part was that we were able to see the Temple and MTC in Spain. Timmy saw some old friends from the mission there which he loved. It made me even more excited for my mission to come!





Our first stop in Italy out of Milan was Cinque Terra. It means 5 lands in Italian, and it was so gorgeous in each of the cities. We were only able to stop in 3 of the 5, but we loved the ones we stopped in. And of course we got Gilato. We ate Gilato 2 to 3 times a day haha.




Florence was so awesome. It is so cool, because the entire city is in the shape of a circle, and in the center there is a duomo. We climbed to the top of the duomo, and my dad and I were just a little scared because it was so high. I was literally shaking, because it was so high. But it was definitely worth it!




Venice and Lake Como were my absolute FAVORITE places that we stopped at in Italy. They were both so unimaginably GORGEOUS! I was seriously in Heaven with how beautiful everything was. In Lake Como, if you take a ten minute train, you can end up in Switzerland! We weren't able to go, but I thought it was so cool that we were so close to an entirely different country! I was so happy when we were in these places!






France was our last stop. It was truly amazing there, and everything I had imagined. We visited so many widely known places, and it was so fun to see it in real life. My favorite part of Paris were the pastries! They were unreal how great they tasted! One day, we bought a huge box of different pastries, and they were all gone within seconds!





Europe was amazing! It was such a great experience for me.