Him.

Welp. Last week kicked my butt, people. In so many ways, it really, truly, undeniably and undoubtedly KICKED my BUTT. I've been sick. I've been emotional. I've been blah blah blah blah. YOU know. It was just one of those weeks! Everything that could possibly go wrong - right up to standing on the edge of the pool fully dressed watching my phone plummet helplessly to the bottom of the deep end - went wrong. EVERYTHING. Well, everything mostly. Everything except...

You know there was that one time. That time Levi made me Split Pea soup at stupid-o-clock in the morning just to see if it might make me feel a little better. And I guess there was the time he walked me around the pool on his shoulders because I was a little too sick to get in but was dying to be out there with him. That was so much fun. And of course the time that he let me lay on the floor in his office with him while he did some bill-paying and email-answering and whatnot. Oh, and we can't forget all the times he asked me what I needed or took me out somewhere he thought might sound good and assured me I wasn't allowed to feel the least bit bad about anything because I was sick and deserved some good ol' fashioned TLC. Then there was that morning. Just yesterday morning. Everything came to a head and I was just about to breaking point. It was either early or late or who knows what but I had spent hours and hours laying in bed tossing and turning and wishing I could just pop my head right off so that it wouldn't ache any more. I knew I couldn't make it to work but my phone was dead and I didn't have the number written anywhere else. I felt like someone had punched me in the gut and I started to cry. I stumbled upstairs head between my hands and mumbled something that I'm sure didn't make a whole lot of sense. I know he was in the middle of something work-important but that boy just knows when I need him most and he is always there when I do. He grabbed my hand in one of his and his phone in the other and downstairs we went with a plan. He confirmed to me that I was not to go to work today and that we would find that number if our very lives depended on it [which makes sense - because I'm pretty sure mine did]. He checked the phone book, he checked his phone, he checked my past work emails and told me to check my phone records online - a simple solution I suppose but I wasn't coming up with anything in the state I was in. Sure enough, there it was. I called in sick, threw up a little bit, took some recovery time and when I laid down again this time the boy made sure it was with him next to me. I woke up later feeling better than I had all week long. Refreshed and ready for anything that came my way.

In retrospect Levi says he didn't actually even do much. He says he wasn't sure what to do either, just felt bad and wanted to help. Something about his presence though. It was just knowing that in my worstest moment [because I'm pretty sure that WAS my worstest moment] I could run to him. It was knowing that he'd come running back. It was knowing that he'd have held my hair while I puked if I hadn't locked him out of the bathroom [because come on, we're just not quite there yet]. He's just this object of safety and stability that I never want to lose. It's really just him. Him in all his glory. Him holding me when I'm small. Him applauding me when I'm on the other side. Him lifting me up and filling my heart and plastering my face with smiles. Just him, being him, perfect him.

I love him.

And really, since I was with him.  Maybe it wasn't such a bad week after all.

Something obnoxious.

Picture this [IF you're one of the fortunate-must-be-one-with-God human beings who have yet to experience it for themselves, that is.].

Exhibit A: You push down the head of the lotion but it sticks for a minute, you naturally push a little harder and all the sudden a little dried up piece of lotion shoots itself out at you [Faster than a speeding bullet - and possibly even faster than Bullseye himself.] followed by a quick thin stream of lotion aimed right at your face and there goes your make up for the evening [and quite possibly your eyesight]! Even if it's your lucky day, that thin stream of lotion probably still gets you right dead center of that favorite hand-wash-only shirt of yours that you only put on for special occasions like tonight. Evening: Spoiled. Thanks lotion.

Exhibit B: You push down the head of the lotion and all seems normal as you smooth it over your arms or legs, getting all moistened up as you head out the door for your hot date tonight [Hopefully with that super cute boy you live with.]. The nights going well. Until you head to the restroom after dinner and notice that big glob of white goop stuck humiliatingly on your chest. Or arm. Or leg. Or all of the above. The little dried up piece of lotion strikes again! [This is where you really hope your date is with the cute boy you live with so that your response instead of avoiding eye contact and conversation for the rest of the night can be to quickly move the unwanted attention over to him for not telling you about the glob before you got all the way out of the house with it!]

I may be exaggerating just a little bit but only a little. That dumb DUPOL has gotten me more times than I can count. Two shirts and thirty plus face shots later I'm about ready to switch over to body butter so I can just rub it out of a tub instead of dealing with the stupid stuck pump.

Forgive the vent and never fear, friends. I won't leave you wont for some positive inspiration this afternoon. I know there's a couple faces that you're just dying to see.

Today we woke up around two thirty, ran to the post office, ran a couple different errands, stopped by Subway, came home, jumped in the pool and stayed in until just about an hour ago. I tell you what - that water is perfect for these 110 degree days. I snapped a couple pictures, boy got lost in the umbrella...

and we played a couple rounds of Who-Can-Land-The-Most-Diving-Rings-On-Top-Of-The-Raft-Without-Them-Bouncing-Back-Into-The-Water-From-The-Other-Side-Of-The-Pool [Official Name.] which I of course won every round of. [Except for that one where we tied but I'm pretty sure we should have called that one on account of wind interference or something.]

Now he's upstairs getting some work done and I'm getting ready to make a batch of peanut butter cookies for him. Because he's been working so hard. And because he's got a lot going on right now. And because he's so good at making time for me. And because he's just plain sexy.

Today I Love

Today I love scrolling through months and months of pictures of the boy and I and finding "I love you." notes strewn throughout all of them. I love the look the boy gave me when I woke up coughing last night and realized I was coughing straight onto his back [Oops... I'll just go ahead and roll over and bury my head in a pillow for the rest of the night...]. I love looking back and realizing that we've been together long enough to have gone through "phases". You know, like our Poker Phase [not to be confused with poker FACE], or our Orange TicTac Phase, or our Football Phase or our I'm-gonna-yell-BABE-at-the-top-of-my-lungs-just-to-get-your-attention Phase. I love that he remembers things that I don't and that I remember things that he doesn't. [Although sometimes I'm pretty sure he "remembers" things just to make me laugh. Like that one time he "remembers" me putting some of his pajama pants in the dryer and making them way too short for him. Psshhhh. You're so funny, honey. Like I would actually ever do anything like that. By the way your gray V was already tighter than all your other ones, too. I swear.] I also love cloudy days. I also love the really good mood that cloudy days put Levi in. Honestly? Today I just love today!

He IS perfect.

Here's a question. I was putting my niece and nephew in bed last night and they asked me to read them Little Red Riding Hood. Anyone want to explain to me WHY on earth we read this story to our children?? I started worrying about the dreams I was going to have about the time I got to the part where the hunter slices open the wolfs stomach. Let alone the tiny humans I was reading it to. Not so sure them brothers Grimm thought that one through.

Anyways. I'm sick today. It hit me last night and today my nose is running and my throat is swollen so tight I can barely even get water to slip past it. Can I hear a big DISLIKE for summer colds? Then again, in this new life I'm living with this cute boy sick days mean only one thing...

Sick presents!

In this case, a whole entire Sick Day Date. He took me to fancy shmancy Wendy's where we both got spicy chicken sandwiches and doused them in ranch. Then we went and got Jamba. Then we went to Starbucks and sat outside under the misters to drink it. We talked about life and dreams and living in Seattle someday. Then he told me I was pretty. I told him I must be pretty lucky to have gotten a boy who likes the puffy-eyed-red-nosed look. He rolled his eyes. Then I laughed.

Honestly I think that that boy is better at healing me than that free immunity boost in my Razmatazz.

This life I live.

White shorts plus summer tans? Winning.

I ride Levi's bike to work now days. [Good for you + no gas? Yes please.] Last week though I realized the tire in the front could probably have used a little air and I just barely remembered yesterday. I asked him if he'd show me how to pump them up, and he of course told me he would, but we fell asleep [I thought] before either of us thought about it again. Then this morning, as I took off? Air in the tires! I must have fallen asleep long before him again, because he somehow did it without me even realizing. Today I love how he thinks outside of himself.

The Beehive State.

Hey blogging world! How ya been? Good? So glad to hear it!

As usual I do so apologize for the blogging delay. I almost punched out a couple in the last few weeks, but alas. My heart just wasn't in it. And really, who wants to read blogs with no heart to em?

Anyway, we just got back from a beautiful trip to Utah and have stories to share and pictures to run alongside em! We went for Levi's sisters wedding and might I just say...it was BEAUTIFUL. We're talkin' drop dead, out of this world beautiful, and no, I'm not JUST talking about the bride even though she DID completely light up the room with her jittery excitement and gorgeous smile and stunning dress. Oh that dress. Wanna hear the story? Basically, she thought it up and a friend of hers said, "I'll make it for you!" Bam. Done. She whipped it up and sewed Lindsey into it with time to spare. See ya in SINGER101 because I SO need to learn me some skill like that. This is clearly before they were all actually ready for the picture...but it's [unfortunately and stupidly] the only picture I got that shows past their waistlines.

PS: Take your eyes off the blushing bride for just a [super duper quick] sec and check out that boy to her right. Isn't he dreamy? They all looked so good dressed up together. He has such a good-lookin' family, really.

SO. We stayed at this amazinggg lodge in Deer Valley that her fiancee-now-husband has some [serious] hook-ups to. The view was breath taking.

I won't lie, the photo ops were my favorite part.

The boy pretty much just loved going to sleep and waking up to a nice warm hot tub. Typical.

The next day we hiked up to Doughnut Falls which was also a TON of fun. We couldn't see the actual doughnut unfortunately, since there was so much water, it was all covered up. We didn't let that stop of us from enjoying the beauty around us.

This is what we somehow ended up hiking down. Also known as rock climbing. Only with no gear. We're brilliant. The boy looks SO good in this element. He loves water. I swear we're gonna end up by the beach someday.

Unfortunately most of the pictures the other way around look like this.

Thanks boyfrreeeen. He says he was just being "artsy". So that's what we'll go with. My favorite shot of the day?

The path this water built was just plain gorgeous. We really had a blast and only almost slipped to our death a couple times. Mostly what I'll remember about the day was how completely content I was. Hanging out with my best friend, in the middle of nowhere, it was hard to even want to come back to reality. It was kind of our own little world. And I was kind of okay with it.

Food, however, is always a perfect wake up call. About the time people started mistaking our tummies for bears and running the other direction at the sound of us rounding the corners, we decided it was time to head back. We tried to get by on our road trip snacks. [Veggie crisps from Fresh and Easy, Kettle Cooked Salt and Vinegar Chips, Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews, Triscuits and squirt cheese...] but in the end we needed some real food after a hike like that. We stopped in at a place called Arellas Pizzeria, in Centerville. It was a good call. We ordered our favorite pizza [artichoke hearts, black olives, gorgonzola and pepperonis] and they had it out to us in five minutes.YUM.

We stuffed ourselves and fell into a very sound sleep back at his moms house. When we woke up it was time to head home. However, on the drive - thirty minutes or so before Kanab - we saw a cute little sign on the road advertising "The Mystic River Zipline!" Tell me YOU wouldn't pull off to find out more about something like that! Turns out the zipline wasn't open yet, but fortunately the guy that ran the place also has a couple fish ponds and it was feeding time! He let us help.

We definitely told him we'd be back next year for the zipline. The 750 foot zipline, might I add.

It was a perfect trip, really. I LOVED having time with the boy, to just chat. We talked a little on the way there about how we'll never have "Seattle" again. That first trip, when we just talked, and talked, and talked, and never ran out of new things to say. I was a little sad thinking about how it was once in a lifetime. Then on the way home, about the time he was telling me how a pretty standard day went for him in college, I realized I was wrong. However unrealistic it may seem, I'm pretty sure he and I will never run out of things to say. I'm so glad he's my best friend. I'm so glad we got to spend some time together the last few days. I will never get sick of having him by my side. Thanks for a great vacaaaayyy babaaaayy! Love you more than tornado-powered-hand-dryers and dead tarantulas.