the best day of my life. part two.

As a refresher. Part one was this day. 

However I think my Saturday night easily easily took over as the #1 best day. 

I went to the Dodger game, which usually isnt a surprise, but this game I got to sit in the Dugout Club. 

Now for you non Angelenos or Dodger fans, you might not know what that means. 

They are the seats RIGHT behind home plate. You have access to the Dugout Restaurant and any food that the workers bring to you in your seat. And its all free! Technically its included in the $500 ticket price, however if you get an invite (like most people do) its free! 

Not just anyone gets to sit here, and an opportunity doesnt come very often. So when I got invited by my new friend Lacey, I couldnt turn it down. {Thanks again Lacey!!}

It was awesome. To say the least. 

 I definitely hyperventilated walking up those stairs to the seats.  

Dream come true right there. 

My philosophy on the game/ eating at the game was to try and eat as much as possible without actually eating very much at all. Which translates into eating small portions of everything so that you can literally eat everything. I gave a disclaimer that I was going to eat a lot and had no shaming in gaining weight that night. 

We started off in the restaurant and had steak, veggies, fruit and chips. then on to the dessert table. 

candy apples at a game.  no big deal!

i then ate half of that cheesecake right there.

then during the rest of the game:

a hot dog. 

chicken strips and fries. 

fro yo. 

and I took a bag of jelly bellys from the cute little stand. 

The best thing is just being so close to the field and the players. You can hearing them talking, the crack of the bat is so loud and you finally realize how huge some of these guys really are. 

Now this was after Ethier hit his home run. View from my angle. Then the next day I found this gem of a photo. LOVE it.

I tried to spot some celebs but also wanted to pay attention to the game. Towards the end I found out that Paul Lo Duca was sitting directly behind me the WHOLE game. My heart still hurts on that one that I didnt realize. By the ninth inning I moved down to the second row.

 Which sadly gave me front row seats to the worst loss in the ninth inning in like ever. Two steals home to give the Padres a go ahead run. 

{Rudy showed me this vid. If you skip to minutes 2:00 and 2:38 you can see me in the left side freaking out over these steals. It really was awful. http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23044863&topic_id=&c_id=la&tcid=vpp_copy_23044863&v=3}

Luckily what happened next made up for it. My new homies, Art and Tony, told me that after the game when you exit you can wait outside the clubhouse for the players to leave the game. Sometimes you can get lucky and see some big stars walk out and they will stop for signings and pictures. 

I knew this might be my only chance with these tickets. I wasnt gonna pass up this opportunity. 

So I waited, however I was giving myself a 20 minute time limit. 

I didnt want to sit there for an hour, who knows how long these guys take! 

But before I knew it, out walks Dee Gordon, Juan Uribe, Ronnie Belasario, Clayton Kershaw and then....Matt Kemp.

I started snapping lots of pics. Then remembered that during the game, a Dodger employee brought us girls a bag of game balls. And I took one home. I dug through my huge bag, find the ball, asked the guy next to me for his pen, stuck out my arm and all of a sudden my hand is being touched by Matt Kemps. 

 HUGE grin holding that signed ball. 

I walked out of that stadium more happy than ever.

it's time to begin.

We all have our ups and downs.

We all have our trials. 

and often have to experience this roller coaster that we call life. 

No one is immune no matter what our circumstance we find ourselves in. 

This is something I have been thinking about lately.

So far 2012 has not been all that awesome. 

Perhaps because the end of 2011 was so fun and busy with so many trips and fun happenings, that 2012 just knew it had to give me a few boring and low moments. 

(ugh. i hate complaining about life on my blog. deal with it i suppose) 

And its not even that its been insanely hard or sad{sometimes} but I havent even done anything picture worthy lately to post on my blog! 

{So, YES, Kelly...my life has finally gotten boring. Happy!? ha}

But what has really been hitting me lately, is enjoying the now and the today and not hoping for what is to come. 

One of my most favorite friends M'Kynzi summed it up perfectly in her blog from a few weeks back.

Which led us into a great discussion about not focusing on the someday, but on the today. Because the 'someday' will come and I dont want to miss out on the fun and the happiness that 'today' can give me. 

Coming to this realization made me think of President Uchtdorf's talk from the Relief Society Broadcast, entitled "Forget Me Not" and his third point of "Forget not to be happy now"

It is a great reminder.

We can not wait for our "Golden Tickets" to make us happy, we have to find our happiness in what is going on right now, today. 

We all have different "golden tickets"

mine may or may not be marriage, a stellar career and children. 

But that shouldnt make me {or anyone else} not enjoy our today. 

I have friends that love me

a Family that puts up with me

a good job 

easy access to the Temple 

and the upcoming Dodger season on the horizon 

{ok kinda kidding, but you catch my drift..}

"The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. They are they who are truly happy."

{arent we so glad for modern and inspired prophets and apostles}

Some other things that have hit me and follow along with this perfectly, of enjoying everything now...

-- my new book The Five People You Meet in Heaven, right before the main character dies it says: "he went about his dull routine as if all the days in the world were still to come"

yes, perhaps its dull and mundane, but if those days are limited. enjoy them while we can.

--one of my best friends dad has recently been in the hospital. scary. makes you want to hold on to those family members a little bit tighter. 

{sorry to go all death creepy on you}

And lastly, I just need to remember that

Tonight. 

We are young. 

So let's set the world on fire. 

Thanks Fun. 

a new baby girl.

Laura and Matt are the proud parents of this beautiful little girl.

And the rest of us couldnt be more excited to welcome her into our family.

didnt know babies come out purple...

Lyla Robyn

Born September 26.

7:06 PM. 5 lbs 15oz. 17 3/4 inches.

She is just a little thing.

Months ago I asked Laura if I could be in the delivery room on the big day. So when she called me Monday afternoon on the way to the hospital, I was pretty dang excited and antsy to join her in her hospital room. 

We did have to wait around for a couple of hours for Lyla to finally arrive but I couldnt have been more thrilled to be there during the whole process and witness Lyla coming into this world. 

I was on photography duty and did a pretty grand job of documenting the whole labor process. 

My sister just pushed out a BABY. and she looks GORGEOUS. 

As soon as that baby came out, I started crying. I turned to my mom and she was crying. 

And the spirit in that room was strong! 

Im still on the fence if the whole experience made me excited or terrified to have children someday. 

(even after Laura apparently had a real easy labor experience)

But I am so glad I was able to be there for the whole thing. I seriously loved it. And I love being able to say Ive known baby Lyla since the minute she was born! 

She is seriously so tiny 

we all just love her lots. 

reunions make me happy.

one (of the many) things my mother loves about me is how I can easily get excited about the little things in life.

Usually this excitement is displayed in some of the following:

jumping up and down.

hyperventilating.

sometimes crying.

These emotions were displayed over the past two weekends as I was super excited at the chance to be reunited with just some of my bestest friends from my Lanai days.

I already blogged about my reunion with Bardi at Ragnar, but the night before the race we were able to meet up for dinner with Amy and Chanel!

I literally cried in the streets of San Francisco at the sight of these two beautiful blondes.

At Lanai I always aspired to be friends with THE Amy Wiseman as she was one of the classiest and funniest gals. And so happy that those dreams came true many years ago.

As far as Chanel--I always thought she was crazy and we didnt talk much in our Lanai days (and she may or may not have thought I was not funny and not down for dance parties. both not true). Then we bonded in DC and have best friends ever since.

So happy to be with these two and Nick in SF.

After not seeing Nick in over a year, we were able to hang out two weekends in a row as he took a quick trip to CA last weekend.

This time around we were able to also be reunited with Taylor Hoyt.

Tay and I have been able to hang out often this summer. But I probably havent been around the two of them together in two years since the Lanai Summer of Dreams.

we look so little! Party at Bardi's in Vegas. Feb 2009

I seriously do not have a memory of my BYU days that does not involve these two handsome guys.

these reunions made me so happy! They are some of my closests and favorite friends from college and Im so grateful that our friendships continue post Prove life.
 Keep these reunions coming!!

family time makes me happy.

My sister Kelly and her cute kids came to visit us last week. 

We had such a jammed packed fun week with her and the kids. The week was filled with some favorite moments. I realized during the week that I caught myself thinking "this makes me so happy" as I loved so many family moments throughout the week.

my entire family decked out in Dodger blue makes me extremely happy.

pool time makes me happy.

these two boys planning adventures makes me happy.

sister time makes me happy.

hiking to the Hollywood sign makes me happy.

jumping photos makes me happy too.

the cute baby girls finally playing together makes me happy.

beach time makes me happy.

mia not wanting to take pictures with me...does not make me happy.

family dinners makes me happy.

seeing the kids excitement at the zoo makes me happy.

forcing seth to take pictures with me makes me happy.

laughing with drewbie makes me happy.

the larson kids makes me happy.

the anderson kids makes me happy.

I wish these happy moments with my family all together could happen more often.
We miss the Larsons!
Please come back and visit soon.

my own anniversary.

Next week Im coming up on a big milestone in my life.
This time last year I was living in Provo, about to be unemployed at the end of the month, my Lanai Crew had broken up, my two best friends had moved away, and my at the time boyfriend was moving to California.
I found myself more and more annoyed with Provo post-grad life. And seemed to cry more and more about my life plan. My mom suggested moving back home but that seemed totally out of the picture.
However, the more I thought about it, the more I talked to the boy about it, the more I prayed about it, the more I wanted it.
So I sold my contract, packed up my things and made the journey home.
I didnt think I would stay long.
I didnt think I could last long.
But next week marks me,
living the LA life
for one year!!
Its crazy how fast that time has flown by.

I have to admit the one thing I dreaded THE most about moving home was attending the Northridge III Singles Ward.
I literally cried about how much I did not want to attend the ward. Its a tiny ward and I may or may not have been a little prideful about wards coming from BYU and Lanai.
When me and the previous mentioned boy didnt work out, I realized that I was gonna have to suck up my pride and make friends here if I was going to be happy.
And I am so glad that I did.
I love my NR3 Crew.


I feel like I have always been so lucky in making the most amazing friends wherever I go, and my luck did not run out here.

I have been able to grow closer to friends I already had, rekindle old friendships and start more friendships than I thought possible.

Beach Trips.
Karaoke.

Dance Parties.
Movie Nights.
Volleyball Games.

Batting Cages.

Dance Parties.
Girls Nights.

Game Nights.
WHAT IF. 
Hanging out at the Boys house.
and did I mention Dancing?
we love impromptu dance parties. 

One friendship that I have made has been the most important. 

It all started with our bond over the Dodgers. 

And our stealing and sharing someone else's garlic fries.

When I told Rudy Herrera that night that he was gonna be my new best friend, I was partly being sarcastic.

I didnt even know the kid yet. 

But thats exactly what happened. 

Becoming friends, and best friends at that, was one of the greatest things that happened to me moving back to the valley.

He is THE person to know in the ward. 

Once I was in with Rudy, I was in with the greatest group of friends I could ever ask for.
I love our long chats in my car, bugging him when he doesnt text me back fast enough, calling him 98234 times in a row when he doesnt answer my phone calls, "she hates her laugh, but I think its so sexy", literally running to Dodger games, "why do I put up with you?" getting out of the car to push the cross buttons, honking my car horn way too often.

Sometimes I dont even understand how we are best friends,

most of the time we drive each other absolutely crazy. 

and fight like we are some sort of old married couple.

on the brink of divorce.
where we have to make a pact to be nice to each other. 

and I think our friends enjoy watching us bicker. 

I hear too often "dont touch me" when I start poking his face.

I give him laser eyes as he flicks me. 

He blames me for spilling hot chocolate and ruining his shirt.

I cant stand it when he wipes his sweat all over my arm or on my car.

But in the end he is my BFF.  Sometimes its crazy to think that we have only been friends for a year cause it seems like so much longer.

He is leaving us here in GH and moving to Burbank. Which will SUCK. But at least it is closer than Rancho Cucamonga. 

He is one of the closest friends I have ever had and I am ever so grateful for the amazing friendship we have.
Even if we fight all the time and sometimes struggle being nice to each other.

Its interesting that what I dreading the most about  moving home has turned out to be the greatest blessing in my life and brought me the most happiness.
Other than my family of course. 

I left Utah a year ago with no plan.

And well, a year later, I still might not have the greatest life plan, BUT I am happy. And I know that Im suppose to be in California,
living this LA life.