Life...LAUGH...La

a life worth living

2011-11-21T18:42:00.000-08:00

Do you ever lay in bed at night, staring up at the ceiling because you can't sleep because your heart is keeping you awake? you just lay there as thoughts of happiness fill your mind and a warmth that lights your chest of fire follows. and as that fire ignites in your chest, water from where ever it comes from all begins to gather in the corners of your eyes, building up until boundaries can no longer contain it. as i lay there in bed, heart on fire, tears dripping down the sides of my face because i am in a horizontal position... It's because these 2 little have decided to drop in from heaven and right into my life.

I lay there and i can't understand why i'm crying. but then i can.

it's as if i will die if i can't hold them. it's if my heart will stop beating if i can't talk to them as soon as the sun comes back up. it's as if my legs feel useless if they cannot run with these kids. it's as if my smile has no interest in existing if it cannot smile along side of Kate and Cole's smile. it is literally as if i cannot breath because my chest is heavy with the power and strength that LOVE brings with it in full force.

Kate and Cole... i love them more than love. I love them more than my heart can hold. they are everything to me. everything. i've never felt love for another human being like the love i feel for these kids. it's real. it's powerful. it makes life SO worth living.

Kate and Cole... you have stolen my heart.

can't sleep

2011-11-17T03:42:00.000-08:00

woke up from a nightmarish dream, and now i can't get back to sleep. i successfully ate a bowl of Honey Comb, drank OJ simpson... or excuse me, OJ the juice, checked facebook, and now... blogging. i should try to go back to sleep. it's 4:45am and there are cars outside driving. now, why would anyone ever want to purposely be up at this time in the morning? yuck. i promise you, i will never commit to anything in my life if it starts before 8:30am. lazy? no, it's for the benefit of all those around me. if i don't get my beauty sleep, i am not a happy camper. if i wake up before 8:30 (still early) I am a poop. i am grumpy and i don't want to see your face, so BACK OFF!

woah

sorry... as you can see, it is definitely before 8:30 right now. and if i'm being honest, it's actually like 10am. if i'm awake before THEN, I don't like you.

my teeth feel really gross right now. night breath and the creatures that suddenly live in your mouth when you sleep, mixed with honey comb. yummy. TMI? sorry.

I want to wake up Leslie so i can have someone to talk to, or at least so i'm not the only one suffering, awake before light has even woken up. "excuse me... pssst, Les, wake up. i'm bored out of my mind because i can't sleep and it's only fair that you suffer with me. a good friend would not sleep soundly while her bestie stares at the wall and blogs. les... wake up. woah grumpy... okay sorry i bothered you with my life!"

over reaction? look at the time... now back at me, now the clock one more time, and now look at the ceiling, down to the floor and open your oven and peer inside, and NOW back at me... i'm grumpy, therefore, get out of my way. or at least do what i say.

that's all.

(i decided to end all my blog posts with "that's all" like Miranda on The Devil Wears Prada. i just like the way she says it as she gracefully waves her hand and refuses eye contact. that's all.)

My Grandma Izzy

2011-10-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Isabell Jean Spongberg

October 19th, 1928

October 3rd, 2011

With humble hearts we pay tribute to our sweet wife, mother, grandmother and friend Isabell Jean Spongberg. Isabell's life revolved around the things that she loved most: her husband, children, grandchildren, extended family, friends and the Church.

Isabell is survived by her loving husband V. Jay Spongberg. Children: Mark, Roland (Sandee), Craig (Robyn), Connie (Stan) Ricks, and Karen (Dave) Schiess, 21 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, brother Russell (Carol) Hewett and numerous nieces, nephews and others who considered her to be their second mother.

Isabell was born in Pocatello, Idaho. Shortly thereafter, her family moved to Long Beach, California where she lived until moving to Orem, Utah in 2004. At her home there was always room for anyone who needed love and care or a hot meal. She promised any of the youth in her ward who attended Seminary that they could come to breakfast any morning between Seminary and school, and there were many who took her up on her offer. All who passed through her door felt her love and appreciated her warmth. She always remembered names, birthdays, and phone numbers. She had a gift for making all those she knew feel loved, worthwhile and important.

She was married to the love of her life, Jay. They grew up in the same ward and attended the same schools. After they were married they were rarely apart, maintaining their relationship together in the family business (Spongberg Mortuary), church and free time together. They served together in the Melbourne Australia Mission from 1999 to 2000. They have always been true sweethearts-from their first date and forever.

Isabell loved Heavenly Father and served Him everyday. She preached the Gospel always in word and deed. She was a great example of Christ-like love. She was simply a loving, wonderful woman who touched countless lives.

She loved to travel and visited many countries around the world. She would make friends everywhere she went, from castles to campgrounds and to neighbors. She made it a point to introduce herself to new faces at Church and made them feel welcome, and often extended an invitation to Sunday dinner.

She loved to have fun and to have surprises for her grandkids. She always had a treat for them in "her secret stash!" She loved See's Candy, milkshakes and fresh pies. In her last days, when she barely ate, she could almost always make room for a Haagen- Daz bar.

Mom is as beautiful on the inside as on the outside. Truly an "Elect Lady".

Mom, you are loved by everyone who has ever known you. We will miss you and think of you often and look forward to seeing you again, as an Eternal Family. We love you.

I am blessed

2011-09-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

I. Love. These. Boys.

i was in California, LA this past week staying with some of my buds down there. and seriously, i couldn't ask for better, kinder, more loving friends than these guys here.

I had a blast!!!! and I am so blessed to have become such good friends with these guys here.

saving up for my next trip down there again.

very very soon i hope.

whesla

2011-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

In case you do not understand the title of this blog post, i will break it down for you. it is Whitney, Leslie, and Lauren combined into one dynamic trio!

My absolute besties right now are these freaking girls right hur...

We are pretty much inseparable, which is a good thing except when they drag me along to late night parties AFTER i have taken my sleep meds... so needless to say, the new people we have met this week think i am a total stoner. pros and cons to that ;)

Les and I are roommates, Whitney and my my dresser and night stand are floor mates. and together we are one awesome

Ménage à trois

wait, no that is NOT the right phrase to use. inappropriate. i mean it in the positive way, like they use it in that song.. never mind.

together we are three dancing, movie watching, nail painting, supportive, got each other backs 100%, most hilarious people, partying, Justin Beiber loving, Ellen watching, Facebook stalking, freestyle rapping into my new app. "I am Tpain", super late night walks to the gas station for Coke, animal loving (except Leslie. spider murderer), laughing together, crying together, and just doing nothing all day together on our days off, RADICAL peeps.

don't be jealous if you are not part of our trifecta, because you're in luck!!!

we are holding tryouts this month on the 17th! so come on out!

(bring current ID, favorite candy bar, and preferably a t-shirt so we can make sure we all three fit in it so we can continue our "open closet" policy.)

;)

love them.

update

2011-08-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, i am getting worse and worse at updating my blog.

here is a little update of my life the past few months:

signed up and ready to start school at UVU in September setting out to get my BSW.
i love neon. what is more fun than neon? add in dancing in neon and you have got yourself the time of your life!
working at Heritage is one of the best things that I have done. i LOVE it and i leave everyday feeling like a better person because i feel like i can really make a difference in these kids lives. they are loving me and i am loving them. doesn't mean i don't have my days when i come home pissed off and wanting to lock them all up in their rooms. but boy oh boy do i love it. i can't wait to be a therapist!
i am LOVING my new friends that i made this summer. they are pretty much the coolest, best friends ever. We sho love going to Karaoke night at Applebee's. and doing pretty much anything and everything else.
My days off of work, i have been hanging with my little niece Kate and my sister Ju. they have been in town for a few weeks and they make me so happy. Kate is learning the body roll, drop it like it's hot, pop it like it's hot, and the shuffle thanks to her freaking rad aunt ;)
Lucy is still alive and swimming. love that little beta.
my little bro Nate leaves on his mission in about 15 days! ugh... i'm happy for him, i'm happy for him, i'm happy for him.... psh ugh blah. Salta, Argentina won't know what hit em'.
I have developed a slight fear of certain types of doctors. it's a problem.
I sill want a dog SO bad!!!!! I go over to Tori's house to see her... and to snuggle with her little dog Nixon while my friends watch the Bachlorette. Nixon licks me to death and sticks his tongue in my nostrils and mouth at times... gross.
I no longer work at Archivers. It was just way too much with both that AND Heritage. so i finished up there so i could have a little less on my plate.
My girls at Heritage favorite thing that i do is sing to them while i am staffing the bathroom. they can't all be in there at the same time, so i have to sit on a chair and just chill in there while they doll themselves up. so now, i sing to entertain them and myself. and they love it :) (not really, but they tolerate it and it makes them laugh, so win-win situation.)
LOVE my haircut.
best movie i've seen this summer (besides Harry Potter obviously) is Crazy, Stupid, Love. it's adorable.
I love my bed. i wasn't loving it until a few weeks ago i decided to put my head down where my feet are supposed to go. so i just flipped around and now i have been sleeping great! isn't that funny?
My bro and his wife leave to Med School in Texas this week D: i am very sad about that. they are my besties.
I got a few cavities filled the other day and i got totally and completely high on laughing gas. wowzah. no wonder peeps do drugs. you feel invincible and not a care in the world. also I opened my eyes and i had my hand on my dentist's face... while he was drilling in my mouth. he just slowly put my hand down and back in my lap. SO don't do drugs. it can get awkward. for everyone.
welp, that's all i can think of for now. there is a brief 411 on my life! for those who are dying to know. which is everyone. off to go swimming. peace!

A whole new world

2011-06-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

do you ever just want to close your eyes and be instantly transported to a completely different world? one that only exists in your mind, that you painted from the ground up with your imagination and then further decorated it with your passions, hope and dreams. A world all to yourself and no one else can enter without your mind's permission. Everything around you is exactly as you want it, you are in control and there is no one around to tell you what to do, what to think, who to be, what not to do, how to dress, what not to say. No judgements, no problems, no stress, no guard up, no mortal body shielding your soul from complete exposure.

I am on a giant wooden swing, in the middle of the jungle on Avatar. I don't have to pump, and no one has to push me. it swings all on its own as it securely cradles me swinging back and forth, back and forth. Everything lights up every time I swish past it with the wind following at my back. and each time just as I reach the very top climax hight of the swing EVERYTHING is radiating blazing neon colored lights that fill the night sky with a tie-dye combination of colors that remind you that just because it's dark outside, does not mean there is no light. and then wooosh in an instant, i swing right back into reality and I keep calm and carry on with a smile on my face because of the secret magical place I have discovered that is mine all mine.

Job #2

2011-06-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

I started training at Heritage School today. it was nuts! I want to be a therapist so it is so good for me to be able to start in my career field so early. but man oh man, it is some crazy stuff that psychiatric world. The brain is SO fascinating! HUMANS are so fascinating. the things we do to get by and cope with the hard things in life and to feel good about ourselves. That is exactly what these kids were trying to do in their life as well, and they probably went about trying to in the best way they knew how, but what was meant to help them feel better in anyway turned into addictions of all colors, shapes and sizes. I learned so much today in only my first training. One i thought very interesting was this: Mentally healthy, "normal", people do a behaviors to FEEL BETTER. Addicts do a behavior to feel DIFFERENT. when they hate feeling whatever it is inside they are feeling, when they don't want to feel that twisting pain buried so deep down, they do an ineffective or harmful behavior simply to feel something different than what they feel in the current moment.

Interesting eh?

I think i am going to love this job. Being a therapist is my dream job. i want to help people, especially the youth. everyone hurts inside, some more than others. and everyone just wants to be heard, to be listened to and have someone actually very much care what they have to say.

Have you ever...

2011-06-13T11:10:00.001-07:00

Tried a thing called Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

It will change your life.

okay, maybe not. but it very well could.

If you have an iTunes account, search for Progressive Relaxation and there is a podcast channel with a guided session. I've been doing it every night before bed and sometimes in the morning and it really helps me stay relaxed all day and not so anxious.

Try it out.

Arson?

2011-06-13T11:07:00.000-07:00

Okay so Lemmon gets this great idea today that i should do something "effectively rebellious." So i decide i should rip up a few books of mine that need to die and finish off the job by burning them. great idea no? i am full of brilliant ideas. So i rip them up, feel empowered and rebellious for tearing up nice books, and i take them out on my apartment porch to burn them. before i light them on fire though i thought to myself, "hmm, what would a non impulsive person do to prevent something bad from happening by lighting this fire on a tiny apartment porch? maybe it would not be wise to light a plastic grocery bag full of paper." I go in my apartment and get my roommates little metal garbage can and dump all the paper in there. I light ONE match people, and a little fire starts... then a bigger fire... and within SECONDS the entire basket was up in FLAMES!!! Smoke everywhere, flames 3 or 4 feet high, me freaking out. i run in to my place and yell to my roommates, "um... Katie? could you come here? i light a fire and its kind of getting big." Katie runs out with bowls of water without even pausing to ask me why the hell would a trash can on fire be on our porch. While she is throwing water on the fire the smoke increased naturally, and i instinctively dropped to the ground to avoid the toxic smoke that was making us both gag. she keeps running back and forth with water (obviously don't expect much out of me in emergency situations.) The fire finally gets put out after about 8 bowls of water, and now Katie has time to look down at me laying on the ground to ask me "what did you DO!?" oops... i told her Lemmon told me to do something therapeutically rebellious, and i thought burning the "past" would be a good idea, but i just got so excited to burn it that i didn't really think. She started laughing, then crying because she was laughing so hard. it probably wouldn't have been funny if the fire department had shown up furiously asking me how my "therapeutic emotional release" went...

My other roommate came home... (she already thinks i'm kind of an idiot because i tend to do really randomly dumb things around our apartment. it's never dull living with me.) and she says, "um, Lauren... i hate to have this talk with you but, do you think maybe you could start respecting my property a little more? you move my couch outside to watch a movie, you paint and get paint on the table, and now you set my trash can on fire..."

She has a point.. i take full responsibility for all of those things. I gave her my trash can from my room to make up for her melted one (seriously i didn't think it would melt). and called Lemmon to get an ear full of laughter. its all fun and games until you set your brand new apartment on fire and then get disciplined by your roommate who thinks you are psychotic. Just trying to cope people, just trying to cope. :)

completely twisted

2011-05-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

Are you FLIPPING kidding me!!!??? this is a legit website that i went to today to find a hoodie vest and THIS young lady is the model! she looks absolutely on her death bed and they are having her model an everyday cloth item. they are saying to look like this is NORMAL. it's NOT normal and it is outrageous to me that our world is this sick and twisted. they should be sending this girl to get immediate help, not giving her a flipping pay check! I am passionate about women and their bodies and how the world has destroyed what is realistic and what the definition of HAPPY is. it is NOT this! it is not. I have friends fighting for their lives with deadly eating disorders, and while they are in treatment holding on everyday with what strength they have left, what functioning body parts and brain they have left that has been starved and tortured. People actually have the audacity to display these women as models, who are dying with every picture taken. they are not selling clothes, they are selling death robes. it makes me absolutely FURIOUS! it is so incredibly terrible, and i pray for this woman, that someone in the pathetic, disgusting world of modeling will open their eyes and step in and actually help her before it's too late. the people who use her as a model to sell their clothes are complete scum bag monsters and women every where are killing themselves because of people like them. It is NOT a game, or a woman to look at who wears designers clothes, it is not just a picture or an advertisement.. it is a LIFE, it is a SOUL, a Human Being! And America's fashion industry and pop culture are murderers.

Facebook ruined my blog

2011-05-30T12:50:00.001-07:00

Lets be honest, i used to be an avid, up to date blogger... but i didn't have a facebook during all that time. i caved and i decided to get one about a month ago and.... now as you can see, my blog is failing miserably. so let me give you a little update on my life this past month or so.

First off: my little brother Nate got his mission call! to Salta, Argentina!

I got a tattoo...

just kidding :) it's Henna.

I bought lavender seeds and am determined to grow them the traditional way. WJ says "plant, then puppy, then baby."

Got into a fight with my new friend Amanda... a flour fight that is. obviously I lost.

I have been working on this drawing, its got a ways to go, but after i am finished drawing it i am going to transfer it onto a large canvas and paint it. I LOVE art! it has become my guilty pleasure that i will hide away all day long in my apartment and just paint and draw and paint.

My sweet Grandma is preparing to go to heaven... then she will be able to be free from her tired, frail, bed ridden body, and she will be able to dance and talk and smile again. I love her so much.

I got a new pet. his name is Henry and he loves me.

Drank me some Pina Coladas in St. George with my girls

Had many many long conversations, laughs, cries, picture messages and text messages shared between my Bestie Kate and I. I don't know what i'd do without her. She is a one of a kind friend who reminds me of my potential and strength anytime i ever forget it.

I got stitches in my back! OUCH! the Dermatologist removed a cyst (he thinks, but now they want to know if i have been traveling anywhere foreign or slept outside recently. uh? what are they implying? i don't really want to know.. gross) good news is it's not cancer :) phew!!!!

Shout Out

And, if a certain person is reading this, as i know she does from time to time... a person with red hair who is one of the 3 people I love and look up to the most in this world. If the woman who taught me that i have infinite worth, courage, and potential is reading this. She who taught me to never ever quit or blame circumstances around me for my quality and happiness in life. Who loves me exactly as i am and helped me to finally start to believe that I am enough, and enough is everything. who let me cry to her and she would just listen with eyes so full of compassion, charity and sympathy. The woman who was one of my angels that allowed God to not have to worry about me, because He knew i would meet this SNOW one day and that I would be in good hands and that all would be alright because of her influence. If she is reading this, know that I love you. and I miss you every single day, sometimes so much that it is a physical pain in my chest. But that i always remember what you said to me, how you are with me always even if your physical body is not. You make me happy L.S. and you are a face I see standing over me with an outstretched hand to pick me back up whenever i get knocked to the ground. The spirit of the law L.S... you never leave my heart. I am greatness because you showed me how just by loving me. You know who you are you tall red headed soccer playing, sweet voice, loving, late night talks in your dwelling place in the basement, dog lover person. if you ever wonder if by doing what you do, you have ever made a difference in someone else's life, a very real difference, know that you have very much so in at least one life. You da bomb and I am grateful for you every single day.

not smart

2011-05-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my beef with smart cars. first off, look at the size of them. enough said. second off, i am terribly nervous for the poor soul who gets rear ended in one... it will be like someone kicking you in the back of your movie theater chair with the force of a Viking. and third, and my least favorite characteristic of these children's toys is when you pull into a parking lot, and you spot the golden parking spot. you are almost giddy with excitement because every spot seems full, but no, not the beauty you have spotted near the entrance. You smile up at Zeus and thank him for your luck. You go to make the wide angled turn to pull in and.......psych! slam on your brakes pal because you aint getting this parking spot. you were deceived by the midget who clearly does not belong with the big boys. and now you have to reverse in frustration while the toy just puts it's rear end in your face with smug pride.

I obviously have had frequent bad experiences with this poor excuse for a car.

(nothing against the people who are inside, just the car itself- we don't quite see eye to eye. pun.)

My Besties

2011-04-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Can i just quickly give a shout out to some of my very best friends. it is much needed.

Seriously i have some of the most amazing friends in the world. Examples:

M dropped everything the other day, and hundreds of times before that, to come rushing to the rescue at 12:45am to my appt. nothing needs to ever be said between us because we already know everything just by being in the same room together. She just held me tight in her arms until i stopped crying. and then we sang disney songs at the top of our lungs until 3am. (i'm sure the roomies loved that) but we laughed our heads off. tears of sadness turned to tears of laughter. M and I can laugh together for hours and hours. It scares us sometimes because we are so alike. We have the same brain. M cries whenever i cry, long before she even has a clue as to why i am crying. being with M reminds me of the goodness and joy of life. M is my sister.

Other bestie E, My person, goes above and beyond the call of a best friend's duty, every day. With only hearing a sentence come out of my mouth, she knows exactly how i am feeling. it is not possible to lie to her, and also there is no point, because she loves me exactly the way i am... flaws and mistakes and all. I have called her several times when i need a friend and by me saying ,"Hey E..." when she answers her reply is, "i will be right there." E would literally do anything in the world for me, and I for her. she and I have no secrets, no walls, and no filters. Our relationship is raw and vulnerable, and that is what makes us sisters. E reminds me what the most important things in this life really are, and how powerful love truly is.

Palm, she is my adventurous buddy. Anything extreme or ridiculous that i come up with, she is there by my side in a heart beat. this gets us into trouble sometimes, because we both just do things often without thinking. Impulsivity + Guts = Palm and I. Over the past summer, she let ME hold her in my arms until she stopped crying. and i only loved her more and more with every tear drop or snot stain that was left on my shoulder. She and I have been through hard things together, but never once did we give up on each other. She is always on time to my place whenever there is a new episode of Grey's. she is also my only friend that love sushi as much as I, so we often take each other on dates. Palm reminds me that I am stronger than i think i am, and to push past my limits and out of my comfort zone always.

These 3 girls are my sisters. the title "friend" no longer applies when you have charity for a person. I just had to write about these girls because they are the reason why i know everything will be okay, no matter how hard things ever get or how hopeless it seems. the kind of relationship that we have is rare and precious. And i love them more than the word love could ever explain.

Sisters for life.

How's the weather in Utah?

2011-04-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Don't be jealous,

But I am here right now.

And I am with Katie Lynn Nixon,

and I have never been happier. :)

p.s. I taught her how to drop it, pop it, and park it like it's hot.. and also how to body roll.

we are best buddies, inseparable.

I am a psychic

2011-04-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

My sister Julia is prego with her 2nd baby! and guess who has known it was a boy from the moment i heard she was pregnant?

yours truly.

people doubted me... i had opposition and skepticism headed my way. but i was unwavering in my prediction. Also, i picked out a name for him as well.

wait is this my baby or hers?

;) I AM SO EXCITED FOR YOU JU!

and for myself... worlds coolest aunt without a doubt.

I love Lucy

2011-04-03T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last night, Rachel and I were just a tiny bit bored. After an exhausting yet fulfilling round of interpretive dance to Rachel's various piano songs, we got this great idea to teach my fish Lucy to swim through a hoop! :) We built the hoop out of straws and basically we should work for the circus now because we totally did it! tap three times, click of the tongue, and a some loving and encouraging words to my little lady and...

VUALLA!

Perfect

2011-04-03T10:16:00.001-07:00

You know you are getting old when...

you get motion sick from swinging on a swing.

I could have died

2011-03-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

So I was driving today, DRIVING, and I was paying attention to the road... and fixing my hanging air freshener. as soon as i adjust it, a flipping SPIDER decides to use my rear view mirror as an anchor for his repelling entertainment! I started screaming my head off! I swerved into the other lane! and i came to a screeching halt on the side of the road and jumped out of my car like it was on fire! people actually probably thought it WAS on fire haha. (mind you: this is the SECOND time a spider has came to say hello to me in my car. the first time i was not driving yet.) but literally I, like many, have a massive fear of spiders. I have never even killed one on my own (thanks dad). I have this fear that as soon as my hand gets close to kill it, it is going to dodge it and jump onto my hand and bite me and then i will die because i had an unknown allergy to its venom... that or i will turn into a super hero, and i am just not prepared for that milestone in my life.

I looked all around for some man to come kill it for me, but for some reason there are only mom's out during sunlight hours. I didn't want to ask a mom. So i just sucked it up (not the spider) and looked in my car to find something to kill it with. object found: snow scraper. I was freaking out, saying only up lifting words, and I quickly just smashed him. actually i cut him in half... gross. I hope he forgives me by the time i get to heaven and i have to meet him and apologize for murdering him...

but i could have died!

p.s. I get told by various different people at least every other week that i am a tiny bit dramatic... i tell them i am not dramatic, i am animated and passionate!
animated + passionate + a lot of energy = dramatic.
darn.

best day ever

2011-03-24T21:04:00.000-07:00

let me tell you about my best day ever...

today I:

called into work, and other various responsibilities and told them i was sick

(don't judge me, you know you have done it)

Then i ate breakfast, went back to bed until 12:00

then I walked out to the couch and... took another 2 hour nap. then I woke up and got out my paints and canvas and engaged in my new favorite hobby, oil painting.

I painted for hours, listening to Ingrid Michaelson Pandora radio.

Then I watched the Modern Family episode from last night.

Went and watched the BYU game :(

got my heart broken and went through 1/2 a box of tissues,

watched Grey's Anatomy with my bestie: made up for the cougars loss. epic episode!

came home, ate cottage cheese with peaches, got in sweats, and watched The Office.

(and held my roommate in my arms as she cried over the breakup with her boyfriend...

Jimmer. poor thing. she is devastated)

Can't deny it- best day ever.

Not at my house

2011-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

I was looking for the remote control to the TV in our couch today, because for some reason couches favorite food is remotes.

but apparently at my house, their other favorite delicacy is PULLEYS!

what!? this is what i found deep down in the couch.

seriously?

I might as well have found a sharks tooth.

There is only ONE animal that I am scared of...

2011-03-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

I went and fed horses with my friend Whitney the other day. Okay, i am an animal guru. a dog whisperer and a furry lover. but I have NEVER been around horses and they are HUGE! and I had this fear that while i was feeding them, one would bite off my hand and i couldn't play the piano or do art anymore. legit fear right? right.

So I 1/2 faced my fear and 1/2 attempted to feed them out of my hand :)

(sorry for the bad quality videos)

duly noted.

2011-03-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

I discovered something about myself a little while back... I cannot take Excedrin.

I had never taken it before and i had a headache the size of Texas and Tylenol was not helping, so my friend suggested this.

Well I rarely drink caffeine, i am already a pretty anxious person, and i am extremely sensitive to medications (get that from my dad). So i took this and i went CRAZY! i was pacing quickly up and down the hallway, sweating like crazy, talking 100 mph, crying then laughing then mostly crying, shaking and jittery, felt like i was in a land of fairies and unicorns whose horns were made of gold and rubies, and i was sure that i would prove all my friends wrong and show them that i COULD actually fly.

Never... Never will i take this medicine again.

(p.s. if you are wondering what my friends were doing during all of this: they were egging me on and laughing their heads off at my insanity. jerks.)

I will take that as a compliment

2011-03-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

I took the Modern Family personality quiz and this is who i guess I am :)

One more funny clip for your entertainment

My new best friends

2011-03-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about my new little besties.

Names: the Lewis girls

These two monkeys are Lexi and Jane (2 out of the 4)

and they are my little buddies! maybe i hung out with them Friday and Saturday night last weekend. maybe i ditched a class to go play with them in the warm sun. Perhaps they call me just to say hi, and ask when i am coming to be with them again. And possibly they are the most snuggly, adorable little munch kins ever.

best part is, they just think I am the world's coolest person. They discovered this was a concrete fact after we went laser tagging and i was doing barrel rolls, army crawls, and spin moves. all with these little ones in tow. Yeah, i am awesome.

and I ADORE these girls.

(they live across the street from my cousins. that is how i met them. And if i am not with the Lewis girls, i am with my 15 year old cuz Riley. So much more fun that college kids :)

~Life is oh so Good~

I dare you...

2011-03-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

My bestie is NUTS! and that is why i love her. gross Ed, you're so dang cool. :)

Thanks guys ( edward scissorhands cullen the III ) *inside joke: you know who you are.

2011-03-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

Psssshhhh, i don't even know what they are talking about...

my friends say this video reminds them of me and so they emailed it to me.

THIS VIDEO

ok, maybe something i would possibly, maybe, eh... contemplate doing.

haha :)

Thank you ABC

2011-03-04T08:03:00.001-08:00

Lately I have had trouble sleeping and so when i am up at oh 5:00am and can't fall back asleep, i watch this show on line until it is a decent hour to actually get out of bed. seriously, i woke my roommates up because i was laughing so hysterically. it is the funniest laugh out loud show i have ever seen. and thats saying a lot coming from and Office, Community, and 30 Rock fan. It is on Wednesday nights, but i have been catching up by watching them online. seriously beware because you might start setting your alarm 3 hours earlier so you can watch episodes before you have to go to work... or whatever it is you do.

watch this clip from it to just get a taste of the flippin funniness.

I know it's a problem

2011-03-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

Ok so I have a little problem that i am fully aware of and i KNOW my limits with...

Because I am not the woman in this picture

Because I will never win a date with Tad Hamilton

and because I am not a candidate in the Make A Wish Foundation...

I am left with a medium sized empty space in my heart, and i fall asleep knowing that if these men could just MEET me, maybe they would ditch their hollywood lives and wives and run away with me. yes, i just know, they also feel this same emptiness in their hearts; and if only i could run across the beach and into their arms to tell them that the emptiness is is because they are missing ME in their lives! but since i sadly cannot do this (unless Oprah or Ellen or someone famous stumbles upon my humble little blog and decides to surprise me!!!!???) I will NOT go see this cutie on screen.

So THIS little movie going on, with this little dude, i absolutely refuse to see.

Why you ask? WHY? my friends all ask...

because i know my limits. and rumor on the street is that you fall madly in love with Justin after seeing this movie. people, obviously i have some issues with the three men above, and we are sorting things out. I CANNOT add another heart break, never going to have, trying to email Oprah to tell her why i deserve to meet them, head over heels crush on yet another celebrity.

I can't do it... I just can't. It only leads to heartache.

so good luck with everything little Bieber.

know that it is not personal, but i just have no more room for you in my, as you can see, complicated life.

Same goes with you Jimmer...

don't look at me that way,

I truly wish it could be different. it really is not you, it's me.

This is my new Roomie

2011-02-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

This is my roommate Katie, We get along GREAT.

Harry Potter club for life.

She thinks that THIS is the real entrance to Hogwarts express,

little does she know that it is actually in SLC not London

One day I will trans-wizard and then finally my life will be complete. I always have felt i was born in the wrong human race.

2011-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Because I am indeed.... "sigh", a muggle, the portal was of course blocked.

while up at the SLC conference center, i may or may not have stumbled across the entrance to the Hogwarts Express. Platform 5 and 6 quarters (that somehow translates into the London metric system as 9 and 3 quarters I am pretty sure. yes that is correct)

who do they think they are!?

2011-02-23T18:34:00.000-08:00

Is this a JOKE!?

I am very serious about my Dr. Pepper people, and when i tagged along to Dairy Queen with my sis-in-law, to get ice cream, i also wanted a DP.

THIS is what I got! for 1.59$

what is that like 1.3 oz!? i took one sip and it was gone.

lame.

My American pride was offended.

have they no decency? i mean, Mcdonalds gives you ANY SIZE drink for 99 cents.

psh, American Drive through, my eye.

Thank you Mcdonalds, for reminding me why I live in this great land.

I had to do it.

2011-02-22T16:28:00.000-08:00

ok ok, I have been blogging a lot about the random and miscellaneous brouhahas of life, but this is a long past need post. I know its cheesy and everyone does it, but i couldn't not express my love for my favorite man around.

He loves me way more than i deserve.

He is always there for me and if I can't find him his call finds me.

When ever I am sad or feeling blue, he always knows exactly what song to play for me to cheer me up.

when ever i need any information about ANYTHING he will look it up for me no matter where we are located.

He hates to leave me and I hate leaving him.

he sleeps next to me, takes naps in my arms, and loves to have game nights with me.

He is patient with me while driving, no matter how lost i get.

He surprised me today and ordered me a new pair of TOMS!

I learn from him, and he loves to cuddle up against my cheek.

I really am so lucky to be in love with my BEST FRIEND! girls, don't settle for anything less than that because it is awesome and makes life so much more fun!

Thank you Iphone for choosing me! I look forward to the many memories to come and for our love to grow over the years!

Love, Lauren

2011-02-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Oh yes I did

2011-02-17T08:20:00.000-08:00

Sorry such a tiny picture, but incase you can't tell... that is my hair.

and yes that is purple.

pimples 101

2011-02-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

Ok this is serious business. I can't know this magical secret that has changed my life, and not share it with those around me.

no it's not the gospel.

it's how to PROPERLY POP A ZIT!

This Video will change your life.

I used this technique 2 days ago on a 3rd eye/little planet and there was no scab, no pain, and it was completely gone after oh just a little over a full day!

also, if you do it this way, a zit won't return in that same spot. where as if you pop it with your fingernails, you force some puss down deeper into the skin and that will eventually build itself back up and a zit will return in that exact spot over and over.

try it out.

honest mistake... not.

2011-02-13T16:47:00.000-08:00

me, my brother, his wife, and we shall call the 4th person La-a (pronounced La-Dash-A).

We are all walking in the park and La-a says,

"I don't get why everyone is SO obsessed with Jimmer. I mean, no one around here is even Lakers fans so i just don't get it."

the 3 of us stopped and turned around to look at La-a with the same look on our face as someone who just saw that their Grandpa had gotten eyelash extensions.

She thought that Jimmer was on the LAKERS!

she must have been so confused these past few months.

poor thing, that must have been really hard :(

no more high fives from me for at least a month

2011-02-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

do you see this? you can't understand the throb in my hand unless you actually heard the explosive SLAP of two hands coming together for a mega high five because 2 people agreed on getting ice cream that night.

My bestie's husband... who shall remain anonymous, or else no one would want to give him high fives anymore, is stronger than he thinks and also apparently loves ice cream just as much as me. put the two together- and it equals one throbbing with a heart beat, skin on fire, hand.

Ice Cream was so worth all that pain though

yum :)

2011-02-06T18:01:00.000-08:00

http://lricksphotos.blogspot.com

I started a photo blog! i love photography and my cousin told me i should start a blog and post the pictures i take, so here it is! i have only uploaded the category "KIDS" so far. more to come.

CHECK IT OUT!

Love this

2011-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

"BE the person you want to remember,
don't just remember the person you want to be."
-Leigh Snow

I love this quote. There are so many people i meet in this life that I think to myself, "wow this person is so amazing, i want to be just like them." But then often times, the natural man kicks in, and I forget. So then i heard this quote yesterday from one of my friends and it hit me; Don't sit there wishing you could be more like someone you greatly admire, BE that person now. Take on their admirable qualities that you love so much NOW. don't let time slip away from you till you are only left with a memory of a person who touched your life in a more powerful way than they could ever know. ADD to your greatness today, and honor the gift you have been given and learn from those amazing people, don't just remember- DO.

ignorance is bliss

2011-02-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

The other day I was driving and my little cousin was in the car with me. we were just jamming to music on the radio, bobbing our heads, doing the snake, you know the usual car dancing moves. well a song comes on the radio that contains the following horrifying lyrics when you have a little girl in your car:

"I want your body on me. I want your body all over me. I want you now."

ok... it was dark in the car so thank goodness she couldn't see my wide eyed red face as I very casually stretched my finger out and pressed power button, simultaneously praying she didn't notice the provocative lyrics. I think perhaps there is a special place in hell for people who purposefully, or ACCIDENTALLY pollute children's minds with information years beyond them on never need to know.

but my worries of damnation were put to rest when she replied with this statement,

"hmmm, those were funny words, why would you ever want to switch heads with someone and have a different body on you? weird! or maybe they are talking about switching brains with someone! cool!"

uh......alright....

yes lets go with that.

Oh the innocent mind of a child.

Be there or Be square!

2011-01-29T17:37:00.000-08:00

Her name: Cristina Taddonio

Her game: well it's not really a game, she is a musician and she is UNBELIEVABLE!

She is from Italy, and moved to Nashville to become a singer and went to school out there.

How do I know her you ask? i don't really, she is a friend of a friend of a wife's cousin or something like that. She performed a private concert at our house a week ago, and we were all so amazed and entertained, we invited her back to perform again on Monday 31st at my Parents house.

7:00pm

come one come ALL!!!!

anyone who reads this blog, and is not a stalker or a serial killer, IS WELCOME TO COME!

seriously, you will NOT be disappointed! we are trying to get as many people as we can so bring your family and friends.

See you there!

Here is her web site:

http://cristinataddonio.com/

that's weird.

2011-01-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

you ready for this story:

*names have been changed to protect my friends from total embarrassment

My friend's sister, Juno, baked a cake and set it on her counter the other day. Her mom came in and saw that the cake had not been frosted yet, so she kindly offered to frost it for her. Juno left the house for a little while, and when she returned, her cake was beautifully frosted sitting on the counter. She got a fork and took a slice and as she bit into it she exclaimed, "Mom! this frosting is unbelievable! what's in it? it is so good!" her mother, Martha, replied, "it is a secret ingredient i can't tell you." Juno now of course HAD to know. She begged her mom to tell her, "let me just guess" she said. "is it extra sugar? buttermilk? cream cheese or sour cream? just tell me." Martha replied, "ok i will tell you, but don't tell anyone else...

"I used some of your sister's left over breast milk that had gone sour in the refrigerator."

did you just vomit?

I almost laughed my head off,

after my gag reflux stopped going off of course.

good Gandhi woman

Also: I had the pleasure of being present when my other good friend made this comment...

stranger: "my family is driving here from Alaska. i am so excited."

My friend: "Alaska?! wow. are they going to have to take a fairy? is there a fairy boat that will take their car?"

awkward silence... stranger and I eye each other confused.

"um... what? Alaska is not an island?"

24 years old, and you still learn something new every day.

The legacy continues

2011-01-22T17:06:00.000-08:00

My brother Cameron has followed mine and Christopher's foot steps and headed off to study abroad in Jerusalem! We have all 3 now signed our names in a tunnel underneath the Center. how cool is that? check out his blog! www.cameronmark.blogspot.com

Go coug..... i mean UTES!

2011-01-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

some would call me a traitor,

others, maybe someone whose seen the light.

This will be my new school starting in the Fall,

Life is funny, I am thrilled. To SLC- my decision feels right..

2011-01-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

Priceless Words to Live by.

my new Motto for life.

easy entertainment

2011-01-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

My dad found a Lazer pen that we used to use on our Dog. The dog would chase it all around the house trying to catch it. exercise for him, not moving an inch and a whole bunch of laughter for us. win win.

We decided we'd try out the experiment on Kate...

FYI

2010-12-27T14:03:00.000-08:00

Just so you know,

I am STILL alive....

prepare for me to re-enter the world in T minus...

sometime soon.

meet Lucy

2010-09-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

This is Lucy my new Betta Fish.

I was feeling a little spontaneous and I was about to buy a 400$ puppy,

but instead i went with a fish.

I bought a super cute plant to go in her bowl filled with aqua blue marbles.

She is great. I think we will be the best of friends.

Oh and maybe i thought she deserved the best,

so i filled her tank with bottled water :)

don't tell my mom, but it took about 6 to fill her bowl up.

every woman needs her bottled water right? (i'm talking about Lucy, not my mom)

*if you are noticing the time of this post, and i don't know why you would notice that, but if you did... can't sleep.

2010-09-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Guess who is coming to town today!!!!??

for a WHOLE MONTH!!!!!

pure delight

2010-09-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

my bestie took me to get Sushi for my birthday Saturday night;

I would sell my soul for Sushi if that's was what was necessary to keep it in my life forever.

2010-09-04T19:30:00.000-07:00

19 days until my life can finally begin again....

Season Premiere.

bummer

2010-09-02T20:51:00.001-07:00

stupidity

unlucky

adrenaline

karma

accident

"ugh"

21 years old

2010-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 25th, was my 21st birthday.

So weird how time FLIES!

It was a great day.

I got an Iphone! so I can be cool now.

No but seriously, i feel like i have the world at my fingertips constantly.

LOVE IT.

And then that night I went and got drunk with my other cool 21 year old friends.

Ok, fine, no i didn't.

but maybe secretly i wanted to ;)

you only turn 21 once right!?

Oh and this is me practicing for my hair cut that i am going to get for my 65th birthday. Rat tail included.

Layovers

2010-08-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

Layovers are the WORST!!!!

3 hours and counting in the Phoenix airport.

kill me.

Changed my Life

2010-08-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

If you have not read this book

READ IT!!!!

best book ever!!!!

If you have read it, you will very much appreciate this story:

My sweet little sister (bless her heart)

is just beginning the first book and she came up stairs after reading for awhile the other day and said,

"does PANAMA really do the hunger games? that is so horrible."

first off... its PANEM and it is future America

therefore clearly fiction.

and...

its just clearly fiction.

we sure got a great laugh out if though.

Que Bueno

2010-08-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

I am here for 10 days

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Life is Bueno.

seriously!?

2010-08-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

So because I have been through many medical classes now as i journey toward my final destination of a Nurse Practitioner, I frequently have friends ask me medical questions.

just call me Lauren Ricks M.D. (oooh i like the look of that. classy)

Yesterday a friend asked me what it meant if she was peeing about 3x as much as she usually does. I asked her questions thinking maybe it was a UTI.
no, that diagnosis was ruled out quickly.
So i told her the other possibility is that she could be a diabetic. Urinating unusually frequently is a sign of type I diabetes. I told her an easy way to check without going to the doctor.
taste your urine.
if it is sweet, you are diabetic.
if not, then you are fine.

That is seriously how they tested for diabetes about 50 years ago.
urine is sterile so it wouldn't hurt you.

ok if i told YOU this,
WOULD YOU TAKE ME SERIOUSLY!?

well she did.
She called me today and told me she tasted her urine... and she had no idea if it was sweet or normal because she had nothing to compare it too. so she is still confused what the diagnosis is.
I covered my mouth and with very wide eyes, screamed into the phone

.............................................
OH MY......................
barf............

I am not a licensed doctor people, do not take my medical advice to run your own labs at home.

mmmmmazing.

2010-07-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

This is so DELICIOUS! trust me! Everyone makes a "grossed out" face but i have never had someone try it and NOT like it.
Strawberry
dipped in sour cream
dipped in brown sugar.
yum!!!!

Taylor My Girl

2010-07-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Taylor Swift is probably my favorite artist.

But her song "Picture to Burn" just became real life in the world of Lauren Ricks the other day.

oops, yep it is what you think.

Felt good :)

Oh getting a pedicure

2010-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

this past weekend was my little sister's 16th birthday so she and I went and got pedicures together. Got to love getting a pedicure, my favorite. I always feel bad though because the oriental people are always asking me questions and i can't understand them!

I only caught a few things he said to me like,

"how old you?"

"wow really? college? freshman right?"

"oh you look like 16 year old to me."

"Is this you sister?" pointing to Megan.

I nod and smile saying, "yep."

"you real sister?"

"sure is," i answer back.

"why you not so skinny as her?"

oof...

Mindy Robins Sagers

2010-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

My best friend in the whole world got married June 26th and it was absolutely amazing.

She looked stunning and I could not be happier for her. The day we dreamed of since we were little girls came for her and she chose a great guy.

I wish her all the happiness in the whole world!

she deserves it.

I love you Mindy!!!!

Rachel and Chris Ricks

2010-07-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rachel Ricks.

Doesn't that sound good? :)

My brother is engaged to the worlds coolest girl and getting married October 8th! and I am so excited to have her be part of our family! I feel like she is my long lost sister, and I am so happy for them!

what is better than 3 sisters?

FOUR!!!

the secret life of bees

2010-07-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

My dad is cooler than your dad.

He is an official bee keeper.

He wanted a beehive for his birthday, so that is exactly what we got him.

On sale at Target.

Just kidding.

This incident occurred before he got his totally radical bee suit. he made a homemade bee suit and went out to tend to his little buddies and apparently they have not warmed up to him being all up in their bid-ness. 3 bees flew up his "suit" and stung him on his face!

I asked if he cried and he said "no."

Liar.

Slightly Obsessed

2010-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Ok I may have a problem.

More like an addiction.

Lately all i want for every single meal of the day is CEREAL!

That is the only thing that ever sounds good to me right now.

I went shopping the other day to buy some new varieties, i came home with:

Blue Berry Muffin Top

Reeses Puffs

Honey Shredded Wheat

Honey Comb

Lucky Charms

Raisin Bran Crunch

Frosted Mini Wheats

and

Yogurt and fruit Special K

Can you die from too much cereal? I have no idea where it has been all my life!

But boy does it make me happy!

See how easy I am to please? ;)

NOT engaged.

2010-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Dear future fiance:

No need to worry about ring shopping because I already found it when I went ring shopping with my future sister-in-law. Don't try and talk me out of it, i made up my mind. And I am so very excited. But don't give it to me too soon, I am only 20 years old.

Love your future wife,

not crazy, just practical.

benefit of the doubt

2010-07-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a great "giving someone the benefit of the doubt" experience.

My mom was out of town to Vegas for a week, and for her birthday my dad wanted to get new lighting for the house, before she got back.

Well the guy who was supposed to come never showed up. My dad called the guy to come over every single day but never heard back.

So my mom got home and the surprise lighting didn't work out.

the next week the guy finally shows up and while he is in the other room, my brother says to my mom, "just so you know, we are really annoyed at him because he said he would come and he never showed up. So I don't know if we should still use him."

My mom replies, "Oh, he apologized for not showing up or returning dad's phone calls. He got diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer last week."

boy did we feel dumb.

Benefit of the doubt people...

caution: gross post

2010-07-10T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is what I got to stand in on yesterday at work.

a cleaning and scraping of a Dry Gangrene foot.

By far the sickest thing i have ever seen in my life. I was about 17% away from passing out.

but i shoved a Snickers in my mouth, and continued to watch.

I am your Father?

2010-07-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

I had a dream the other night that Alec Baldwin was my DAD.

We lived in a huge mansion and i was his only very spoiled daughter.

He was sad at one part in my dream because he had put on a big production for a lot of people and they did not like it at all. In my dream I grabbed him in the biggest most genuine hug i've ever given someone and told him everything would be alright.

I loved him and he loved me.

***Please do not attempt to interpret this dream. If i am in love with any celebrity it is Patrick Dempsey, not Alec.

a freezer for a grave

2010-07-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

I am... an animal lover.

always have been, always will be.

I am always telling my family what the animals around our house need because I have an extraordinary gift of being able to interpret what animals are thinking and feeling.

through out my childhood years i owned pretty much every type of animal that you can buy at the pet store.

ferrets, lizards, birds, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, gerbils

you name it.

well when my little niece Kate was here, i went and bought her some goldfish because "fish" is the only word she could say. we bought 5 of them and slowly week after week, one would die

then another

and another

until i was left with just 2 that i was absolutely determined to keep alive!

But tragedy struck we when 2 nights ago while i was turning off all the lights to go to bed, i saw Betty laying on the bottom of the bowl breathing very heavily.

the next day, after nightmares of Betty suffering, i ran down stairs and she was still in her same position, with a look of shear agony in her very round eyes. I could not just let her suffer to death... so i turned to the most reliable source on this planet...

Google.

and asked how i put my dying gold fish out of its misery pain free.

This is what it said:

"The less expensive way and easiest way is to put the fish in a plastic bag with enough water to make it comfortable, then, put the plastic bag in the freezer. As the water turns cold, the fish will drift off to sleep, and he will pass peacefully long before the water freezes. It's a very sad thing and of course one always feels bad, but I myself would rather euthanize then watch them suffer when I KNOW in my heart that there is nothing more that can be done. The fish does not feel any pain by doing it this way, and it's much better then just taking them out of the water and letting them suffocate, OR flushing them"

So, I did exactly that. And that is the first animal i have intentionally, but had no other choice, killed in my entire life. and i do not plan on ever doing that again.

side note: please do not judge us by the contents of our freezer. (chickens, gold fish, ********, unmentionable, etc...

what a week

2010-07-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

this is what I have done this past week:

went ring shopping with my brother's girl friend, soon to be fiance.
while ring shopping, picked out my own wedding ring as well. now it will be really easy for my fiance. (nope, he does not exist yet)
made a change in my life that will help me for the better
played in 2 soccer games (lost both)
made someone laugh so hard they wet their pants... not a joke :D
went on an awesome date (hope he calls again)
sincerely talked someone out of getting a tattoo
saw the premiere of Eclipse.
assisted on an epic medical procedure (scissors inside an old woman's chest... RAD) don't think i am sick and twisted people, i am a medical junkie that is all. can't WAIT to start practicing medicine.
ate sushi
got over a sinus infection
almost got in a head on collision (swerved about 10 feet before head on impact- I was not the driver thank you very much)
followed an ambulance on my rollerblades
found one of my new most favorite songs ever
had to show my ID to prove i was over 18.
saved a family of baby ducks from my dog.
helped plan a proposal
supported a BFF while she signed annulment papers after only 5 months
cried
got chased by a hive a bees (my dad knocked over our beehive on accident while we were out there!!!)
laughed

s'mmmmmmmores!

2010-06-28T23:03:00.000-07:00

have you ever seen a better looking s'more in your life!?

My sister brought home MEGA MARSHMALLOWS

from the store while she was here

and I have never been happier :)

Ruby's Diner

2010-06-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner at Ruby's last night out on the Pier.

We thought it was pretty good food, until on our way out of the little hamburger dive we encountered this sign...

Looks like my childbearing days in the future are over...

This is the LIFE...

2010-06-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

This is what I do all day in Newport Beach.

most excellent.

ticket for 2 please

2010-06-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

I promise I am a very nice person and I mean no offense by this post,

but I just have to share my story.

I flew to California yesterday on Southwest Airlines. This particular airline lets you choose your own seats. So i walk in the plane and choose a good window seat near the back with 2 empty seats next to me. As i watch people come down the aisle, I am choosing in my mind who i want to sit by me and who i would rather just kept walking.

Scary looking people covered in tattoo's pass me. phew. then nice looking males pass me. darn. then suddenly a lady stops in front of my row and says in an extremely heavy Alabama southern accent, "these seats taken?".

"um, no they are not," i reply kindly.

I watch as she shuffles in the row swaying side to side inching her way toward the middle seat next to me. I had my arm rest down as she sat down in the middle seat, and just as her bum touches the seat i hear a big, "OOOF! darling, could you help me out."

I looked down and saw the arm rest had completely disappeared, and was engulfed tightly into her side. I quickly lifted the arm rest and as i do, i am immediately smashed against the side of the airplane with the other half of her body that was being held back behind the arm rest previously, but had now been freed.

All over my seat.

She then looks at me and says, "sorry honey, i hope I am not smashing you too much. and are you hot? because I sure am hot. but then again i am very overweight so that adds to the heat. Truly hunny, Im sorry if i am squashing you"

"haha, you are fine," i chuckle as i smile awkwardly at her.

what are you supposed to say to that!?

Also, I never knew that you could ask the stewardess for a seat belt extension.

Nice lady though truly.

Very talkative and kind. we had a great conversation... that is until I told her I was a Mormon.

she scooted her "more to love" self a little away from me after that.

I caved to society

2010-06-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

ugh. I'm weak.

I deactivated my FB account because i just didn't care to have one anymore

and I held strong for almost 3 weeks.

and then... i caved.

and reactivated.

so sue me if I have basically become totally out of the loop in the past

3 weeks and don't want to be a hermit anymore.

also, sue me if I might have possibly maybe reactivated my account because a cute boy i met the other night got my number and told me he would look me up on FB.

I came home... and reactivated ;)

Iphone = cheater

2010-06-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

the other night at the dinner table my dad decided to bring

up his favorite topic to discuss

politics.

He started asking us all what we thought of the candidates running for office right now (Mike Lee, Tim Bridgewater, etc.) We all just nodded and smiled and looked real excited about our fellow Utahan's running for senate.

Then my dad started asking us real tough questions like:

who are the house representatives for Utah?

Who are the two people in senate right now?

who is the supreme court blah blah blah...

I am sad to report that no one in the entire family could answer one of his questions. Everyone's answer to all of his questions was either Obama, or Harry Reid (don't ask me why)

But suddenly, one red headed boy who is younger than me, but not smaller, was getting all my dad's questions right! My dad was so impressed with Nate! he would bust out another tough question about names and such and miraculously Nate was getting them right!

my dad told all of us we could learn a little from our younger brother who actually paid attention in school.

About 20 minutes later Nathan has this big mischievous

grin on his face as he says to me,

"I was using my Iphone."

punk! only our generation... only our generation.

Thanksgiving Point Outing

2010-06-18T21:43:00.000-07:00

We took cute little Kate to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point the other day and she LOVED it! These are some pictures. my favorite is the first one, so funny!

unqualified Jamba Juice

2010-06-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last night after coming home from a very exhausting soccer game, Kelsea and I thought it sounded like a great idea to go home and make a delicious and healthy smoothie.

we wanted it to be super healthy, so we got a little crazy...

Ingredients:

Papaya

Blueberries

apple

grapefruit

cantaloupe

Spinach

carrot

flax seed

chia seed

Blend together for about 60 seconds.

pour into glasses very excitedly

taste...

and then gag, spew, and throw it up.

Yeah, it was that bad.

My Dog

2010-06-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

oh yes, and she also lays out with us.

Sleeps on a very warm water bed.

Our hot tub.

2010-06-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Bluetooth Users,

I totally get that using a bluetooth while talking on the phone definitely allows both hands to be free therefore multitasking becomes a more plausible task. Also, it is much safer to drive while both hands are available. But you should know, that when you walk around town, sit on a park bench, shop, or stand in line while having a conversation with yourself... you look like you should be admitted immediately to the psych ward.

that's all.

Love,

The one who always answers back only to find they are not actually talking to me, or to themselves, but talking on an nearly invisible phone.

AWKWARD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE EDDINGTON!

2010-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

Today in Israel, Tomorrow in Utah, my best friend in the whole world turned 21 years old!

We would be out on the town doing crazy things and eating lots of chocolate cake if she were here with us, but we can't do all that because she is half way around the world living in Jerusalem.

So my other bestie, Katie Cox and I put our heads together

and decided to wish her a

H-A-P-P-Y B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y

by going around town and getting pictures of her favorite places, people, and things back here in good Ol' P-town.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

WE LOVE YOU WAY MORE AND MISS YOU WAY MORE THAN YOU POSSIBLY KNOW!

enjoy...

girls only

2010-06-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

While the men in my family are currently spread out all over the North American Continent (Chris=Mexico, Cam & Dad= Ohio, Nate=Florida) the women of the household have been living it up. Red Lobster friday night, Rumbi's Saturday night, eating fried foods, planting flowers, lounging by the pool for hours, movies, watching So You Think You Can Dance, and getting a little tipsy.

Totally joking, but we really did find this HUGE bottle of Vodka in our backyard yesterday! It was hidden in our plants out by the river and it was brand new! We are thinking someone hid it there hoping to come back later and retrieve it. So my mom dumped out the entire bottle and filled it back up with water and then put it back where we found it. HA! someone is going to be very upset.

11 dresses

2010-06-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

Going to the chapel and they're, gonna get married.

These are 11 out of about 13 GOOD/BEST friends who are getting married this summer!

1/3 of them are my speed dials for pete's sake! (who even is Pete?)

So, I am on the hunt for some new friends, not that the married ones are no fun anymore but...

lets be honest here.

I feel like Katherine Heigl on "27 Dresses".

Amy Ellertson

Lauren Magleby

Shelley Smith

Emily Dunn

Mindy Robins

Adri Browning

Jessica Saliby

Chelsie Osborn

Jessica Hauser

Audra Blanc

Jane Nelson

Sunday at the Ricks

2010-06-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday's at my house are always an adventure.

Not because of the games we play, the naps we take, or even the fabulous pedicures my sister and I give each other.

but because of things like this:

These are Quail eggs that my uncle found out in our backyard and because he and the men in my family all have some obsession with Bear Grillz that is slightly greater than a minor obsession, they decided to cook them and eat them.

Last Sunday our poor chickens got murdered by a Mink or a Raccoon, and do you want to guess what I found in the freezer yesterday while innocently searching for a popsicle to cool me off on a warm day?

2 frozen chickens... LITERAL chickens. feathers, feet and all.

It is hard to see animals you feed, named and slightly cared for...

headless and abandoned, frozen in your freezer.

My dad's motto: nothing should ever be wasted.

cut off the mold

cook out the smell

mix it or blend it with something else

but throw it away? how dare you.

Last summer my lovely dog who is sweet and lovable on the outside, but a murderer hunting dog at heart, killed and proudly brought us 4 or 5 rabbits. She even lined them up perfectly presentable with her tongue hanging out and something closely resembling a smile on her face.

The next day (Sunday) we sit down for family dinner and what is on the menu?

Rabbit Soup.

I wish i were joking people, i wish i were joking.

This past week my dog jumped in the river and chased after an entire family of ducks.

Mother, Father, and 3 babies

and one by one plucked them out of the river and put an end to their blissful river dwelling family life.

every

single

member

of their

family.

Anyone want to come over for Sunday dinner next week???

When the cat is away, the mice will play

2010-05-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

Mindy, my BFF for life, got a whole two weeks with her Fiance gone to Italy.

Sad for her... great for me!!!

So we found some seriously awesome ways to entertain ourselves while I had her for these short few weeks:

We went to an adorable chick flick
we did mud masks
we had a sleep over
we made dinner and ate chocolate
we talked and laughed our heads off
we went on scooter rides
we played at the worlds best toy store, Blickinstaffs (in Riverwoods) for "cough"... two hours.
we took my niece on walks
watched Justin Bieber music videos
AND experienced the famous "Mentos and Coke" phenomenon for our first time.

*watch VERY closely to what happens to me right when i drop the Mentos in...

I got a powerful Diet Coke shot straight to the face.

sweet serenading lullabies

2010-05-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

Last night it was my turn to rock baby Kate to sleep and she loves to be sung to.

So I started rocking her and thinking of lullabies to sing to her...

but I realized sadly I DIDN'T KNOW ANY!

no wonder I am the way I am... explains so much.

So I started out with a classic: Backstreet Boys, "I want it that way"

then moved on to Celine Dion and R.Kelly "I'm your angel."

then worked my way through practically the entire Taylor Swift CD

and ended with a round of love songs.

She fell asleep.

I am the world's best aunt...

or at least the worlds best radio station.

first taste of my journey in becoming a nurse.

2010-05-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

First i want you to take a good look at the picture above.

This is a catheter insertion into the chest and up through the carotid artery. it is for Dialysis access for kidney failure patients.

figured out what is going on? ok good. now here is my story...

Today at work (vascular surgeon office) it was a slow day. only two patients were scheduled. I am becoming really good friends with all the nurses and doctors and so while we were just casually going about our office duties, i asked the nurse (*remember names) Stacy what my chances were of ever standing in on a surgery?

She said, "mmm not good. but i bet you could assist in a procedure we are doing today. Jason (the doctor) is going to be removing a ladies chest vascular tube. would you want to do that?"

"YES YES YES!!!" i about screamed!

"do you mind blood because it is kind of bloody?" she asked me.

"nope! I am totally good." i replied with confidence.

So she shows me exactly what to do during the procedure, what to hand Jason and what my responsibilities are. I was a little nervous, but I was so excited to actually assist on a procedure like this!

The lady comes into the back room and we begin.

I have gloves and a surgical mask on and i start handing Jason tools as he asks.

FIRST: i hold a large vile of clear liquid while he inserts one VERY large needle into it and fills a syringe with the liquid.

SECOND: i watch as he gently shoves this needle into the woman's chest (numbing it), and listen to her SCREAM in agony.

THIRD: the lady grabs my hand tightly and is screaming while i hold her body still and talk softly to her trying to calm her down.

FORTH: watch as blood starts oozing out of a hole in her chest and Jason slowly pulling a tube out of this woman's body.

FIFTH: (we are going to go from Stacy's memory now because i was CHECKED OUT from this point on in the story) Jason says to Stacy ever so calmly as she walks in the room to check on us, "Stacy, can you do me a favor? can you catch Lauren real quick?"

SIXTH: I am dragged out of the procedure room by my arms.

*now back to my memory*

SEVENTH: I woke up in the hallway with 2 nurses surrounding me, trying to muffle their mouths full of laughter, and handing me juice.

Yes sir, this is the truth. I totally passed out while holding the ladies hand.

was thankfully caught in the arms of Stacy the nurse.

and has now become the office joke because for some reason all the doctors just found it absolutely hilarious.

I kept my gloves so i could scrapbook them :)

*p.s. no i was not grossed out at all by the blood or anything, but yet for some reason i still fainted. but no worries, this will NOT stop me from still becoming a nurse.

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Guess who is staying with us for TWO WEEKS while her parents take a vacation to THAILAND!? (Mike won FREE tickets in a golf tournament! lucky ducks!)

KATE!

we went from a house full of young adults,

to a 17 month old baby!

busy busy busy

but so stinking ADORABLE

I LOVE IT

2010-05-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

I ask you: what is better than spring time flowers bursting with color all over town?

nothing.

2010-05-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

Pictures from the Mother's Day performance...

My mom is number 1

2010-05-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's day Momma!

She got an adorable baby blue beach cruiser bike and I think she might like it just a little bit too much ;) she did about 20 laps around the pool in the backyard.

and if you are wondering what the BIG surprise was that i got her... well

for the past 5 months I have been taking violin lessons and my mom and dad had NO idea.

I got a violin from my friend who doesn't play anymore

practiced every day for a half hour the past 4 months

got good enough to play "I stand all amazed" for my mom,

and "Come Thou Fount" for my dad (his bday was yesterday as well).

coolest gift i have ever given to them before,

they were SHOCKED, with tears in their eyes.

It made me really happy. I have been so excited for Mother's day forever! So awesome.

I LOVE the violin. I could play it all day long... but my shoulder burns after awhile from holding my arm up so high haha. It is the best instrument and while i was in Jerusalem i decided i wanted to learn to play it and eventually master it...

so that is exactly what I am doing.

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

My friend Steph Jensen and I threw a Cinco de Mayo party last wednesday!

It was mucho bueno.

We had tortilla soup, crazy mexican nasty things we got from the mexican market that gave everyone a stomach ache (think they were fried pork skin), homemade pinata stuffed with both mexican suckers (mango covered in chili pepper- not a joke) and of course some good candy, and we even got a big huge chili pepper to play "pass the pepper" with your chin... but no one was really up for that one for some reason.

Oh yes, and i was the ONLY one who dressed up :)

wasn't embarrassed a bit.

2010-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day

one of the greatest days of the year!

and boy do I have a surprise for my momma :)

20 going on 45

2010-05-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Since being home, I have found a new exercise partner-

My Mother! I love it.

The activity we do to burn those cals and get those endorphins flowing?

POWER walking.

Today we went with all the moms in the neighborhood. I can't add much to the conversation, mostly I hang in the back, with a smile on my face the whole time.

It actually is a really good workout, my buttox is killing me today. I have to jog a lot of the time to keep up with my momma long legs and her huge stride. (I am now officially the SHORTEST in the family at 5''6')

College student yesterday

Mother in a power walking group today.

2010-05-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am medium to a little more than mildly obsessed with "The Biggest Loser."

tonights episode is MAKEOVERS! I pumped! All the contestants remaining get a full on image change! and lets be honest, who doesn't like watching a "before" and "after" change for the better for someone?

My favorite contestant?

Ashely.

2010-04-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Some times I scare myself...

Last night a few of my friends and I were playing a game of pool, winner plays on. It was my turn and I was playing one of my good guy friends. He started telling me how i was going down and how good he is.

you know that whole deal.

Then i say to him, "well YOU are going down because my middle name is billboard."

He just kind of looks at me very confused and replies, "alright... i am not sure how that makes you better than me but..."

"you know, billboard? like my middle names is.... (i suddenly have an epiphany and the light in my brain turns back on).. Billiard i mean." I say real slowly with my face turning quite red.

we couldn't begin the game for about 3 minutes after that because he couldn't stop laughing.

My other half

2010-04-26T15:12:00.000-07:00

I feel like a surgeon cut open my chest and broke off a piece of my heart and then stitched me back up, leaving me wih a gapping hole.

My best friend in the entire world just left to follow my footsteps and do a semster abroad in the one and only Jerusalem. I am SO excited for her! she is going to LOVE LOVE LOVE it.

But I, myself, am NOT going to love love love it.

because I am selfish and I want her all to myself

She is my other half, the one I can tell anything and everything to, the one who cheers me up when I am sad, makes me laugh, goes on stupid ridiculous crazy adventures with me and actually likes them. She asks me every single day, "how was your day today? what was the best part?" She camps out in the living room with me, lays out in the sun for hours doing nothing and then always braggs about how she got tanner than me. She goes on bike rides, paints, watches movies, makes brownies, eats ice cream, talks about which retirement center we want to be put in together when we are old and have out-lived our husbands, and stays up till the early hours of the morning just staring at the ceiling and talking with me. She is my buddy, my best friend. A friend like her is rare. She has my back, and I have hers. She is as good of a friend

as you could ever even dream of.

Summer with out her...

"sigh"

ugh

hmmph

blah

It is hard to breath without the whole right side of me.

death by cookie

2010-04-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Remember how I told you that I got a job? ok well the doctor who hired me is my neighbor, and such a great guy/family. Well I wanted to thank him for hiring me, so I wrote a thank you note and took their family a big batch of these delicious cookies (pizza factory chocolate chip cookie recipe)

A few hours later I got a call from my mom and she said to me, "Lauren, is there peanut butter in those cookies you gave to them?"

"yes?" i hesitantly answered because it sounded like I was in trouble.

"oh my word! Their mom just called and asked, because I guess their daughter is very ALLERGIC!"

...My heart just dropped...

My mom called me back about 10 minutes later and told me that the daughter had taken only two bites, and obviously reacted strongly, and they were on their way to the hospital to get her a shot!

ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

I FELT SO BAD/DUMB/OOPS/WAAH!/EMBARRASSED

She didn't die don't worry.

and i didn't get fired.

I almost killed my bosses daughter before my first day of work

2010-04-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

IM GOING TO UGANDA, AFRICA THIS SUMMER FOR SIX WEEKS! I JUST GOT MY LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE TO THE HELP-INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM!

this is going to be an adventure of a lifetime and I am

so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so

EXCITED!!!

(June 9th- July 21st)