My Best Friend's Wedding

Last weekend I flew down to Utah for Caitlin's wedding. Me and Kaitlyn Pruitt (KK) arrived at the airport about the same time Friday afternoon, Caitlin picked us up, and we went to Whole Foods to eat. We got a fabulous vegetarian salad, organic pizza with spinach and tomatoes, and an interesting sort of juice... which upon further examination had tons of health benefits, but also had a tendency to ferment (we referred to this drink as the "wine" the rest of the time :)). After we ate we decided to go shopping! We ended up at The Gateway (which is a beautiful outdoor mall in Salt Lake) and hit Anthropologie (which all three of us loved to death... KK suggested we just move in), Victoria's Secret to outfit Cait with a few extra goodies, and we did a little window shopping. The weather was great, the sun was out, we had an awesome time.

The three of us were staying together in an awesome hotel/timeshare up at snowbird that Cait's parents own for the night before the wedding, and so we decided to go and touch base about when we'd be heading up, etc. We met them at Caitlin's aunt's house in Salt Lake, and I FINALLY met Cait's family, whom I've been hearing about forever, but I've never actually met, and we headed up to the resort.

It was absolutely beautiful, with mountain views, a spa, an outdoor pool and hot tub, not to mention our room which had a king sized bed, a fold out sofa, laundry, and big bathroom and extra vanity. We stayed in the same room Cait and Tim had plans to stay in the night after their wedding, so we got to reap the benefits of their celebration and christen the room before they had a chance to enjoy it. We had an awesome time, all three of us in the king bed, goofing off, making jokes, and giving last minute advice. In the morning we all woke up around 7:30am and hit the outdoor hot tub. We had just barely gotten in when we noticed big ugly storm clouds closing in on us, so we took a few pictures, lingered for a bit, and then we started hearing thunder and seeing lightning we decided that electrocution on the wedding day probably wasn't the best idea and we excused ourselves and went inside.

Getting ready for the wedding was a huge blur. Cait is hilariously low maintenance and so we were rushing around trying to make sure she didn't forget to do anything important... because honestly, she could've cared less! We convinced her to at least get her hair straightened at the local supercuts, and KK helped her with her makeup while I took the chipped red toenail polish off her toes. She took off for the temple with her parents while KK and I finished getting ready, only to call us and ask us to bring her her toothbrush and toothpaste (only Caitlin would forget to brush her teeth on her wedding day :)).

Anyway after a little waiting on the part of the bridesmaids and some swapping bridesmaid dresses, Cait and Tim came out the temple doors just as it started to downpour. We all huddled in the crevices of the temple, and waited for cloud breaks to take pictures... it was actually fun. I enjoyed mingling with all the family and friends during picture time, and Caitlin was just glowing. The reception was great too... at a park in Sugarhouse (just south of Salt Lake). The turn out was good but thankfully small, and the food was unlimited ice cream sundaes! I made sure I had two... with extra hot fudge. Cait's sister Lauren played the guitar while the bridesmaids sang "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson for the couples first dance, and when we ran out of people to talk to, we had a little bridesmaid game of four square and volleyball.

I loved it, Cait and Tim loved it. We all had an awesome time!

*note: while we were in Anthropologie I found bottles of lotion with whimsical sort of quotes on the backs of the bottles. Here's one that I particularly liked:

"Every morning she rose with the sun--a ritual punctually followed by peach-blossom tea and grapefruit. For refreshment she walked through the woods. There was life to be lived."

Eat, Pray, Love

I just recently read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it is officially one of the most difficult-to-put-down books I have ever read. I just finished it today, and after reading the last page I had no qualms whatsoever about flipping back to the first page and beginning again. I folded down the corners of so many pages and underlined so many sections... because they applied very accurately to my life presently. All I could think about was sharing the wonder with all of you! Here is one that I'm really enjoying today.

"I walked home to my apartment and soft-boiled a pair of fresh brown eggs for my lunch. I peeled the eggs and arranged them on a plate beside the seven stalks of asparagus... I put some olives on the plate, too, and the four knobs of goat cheese I'd picked up yesterday from the formaggeria down the street, and two slices of pink, oily salmon. For dessert--a lovely peach, which the woman at the market had given to me for free and which was still warm from the Roman sunlight. For the longest time I couldn't even touch this food because it was such a masterpiece of lunch, a true expression of the art of making something out of nothing. Finally, when I had fully absorbed the prettiness of my meal, I went and sat in a patch of sunbeam on my clean wooden floor and ate every bite of it, with my fingers, while reading my daily newspaper article in Italian. Happiness inhabited my every molecule."

Doesn't that sound absolutely exquisite? At this very moment, I tend toward feelings of guilt when I have little moments like that. BUT... I am trying with all my might to smother them! There is no need to feel guilty taking pleasure in simple things. Especially when I LOVE them so much. I would be happy to just have a simple life... I wouldn't need to be famous, or rich, or beautiful if I could just have a life filled with moments such as that.

by the way: this is a book you will need to purchase. i considered checking it out from the library, but I'm so glad I bought it... otherwise marking and dog-earing the pages would yield obviously negative consequences :)

ps. i've been quite busy lately and have participated in several blogworthy events which I have not yet blogged about! I'm going to make a note here so I don't forget to record them. So... these events are: Two nights at dad's (Pike Place and Shrek the Musical), the Puyallup Fair, Cait's wedding (lotion bottle quote).

Shout Out

Since moving back home beginning of July in preparation for my mission, I've been thinking about my years as a college student, and how they're over, and how I'm sad about it. As stressful and crazy and unhealthy as those years were, I can't forget about the relationships I had with the girls who were there living through all of it with me. Living at home is great, but there's no way I could ever forget all the drama and boyfriends and all-nighters and weird food and wearing only underwear around the apartment and screaming because someone just got engaged or kissed that boy she'd been dreaming about for months. I can't forget about going on runs with Katie while belting Kelly Clarksen at the top of our lungs. There were the times we took showers all together in our swimsuits like 5 year olds, and laughed until our stomach's hurt and ate cookie dough or ice cream or cake until our stomach's rebelled. We built forts, snuggled two to a twin bed because someone had a bad dream or a bad day, had late night talks laying in blankets on the floor in the hallway, numerous movie marathons, did ballet in the living room at midnight, and shared everything from drinks to dinner to makeup to clothes to maybe somethings that shouldn't be shared. It was a time of just plain being 18 or 19 or 20, and loving everything about life.

So shout out to all 26 of my roommates (once a roommate, always a roommate) for putting up with me, and helping me make loads of unforgettable memories.
Heather and Austin

When you don't have time to actually do the dishes...

Never too old for dress up

The famous quote wall (and -er list, to the right)

"Random" date night

nothing's better than a cake fight

Caitlin and me

5 girls, 5 spoons, 1/2 gallon cookie dough ice cream...

...gone in less than 10 minutes :)

Don't try to do recipes from memory... unless you want to eat your weight in cookie dough

Dog pile on the closest bed you can find! which happens to be none of ours... love you Rachel!

Glamour shots in the early a.m.

Best fort ever! (sorry to those who had places to be in the morning and couldn't get out...)

fighting over the car bed

Why we're all standing on the same chair together? Couldn't tell you.

Al (right), one of my only roommates who understood the plight of a teacher

Lauri, Anna and I out supporting our ballerinas :)

Those who weren't exactly roommates but we were in and out of each other's rooms so much it should have counted:

Becca and Andrea

Those I had so many classes with they became like sisters:

Ashley, Sheri, Natalia

Group Eureka (minus our Natalia of course)

We're all growing up and moving on to do all sorts of good in the world (my girls wouldn't ever do any less), but I want you to know that I'll never forget you, my lovely ladies <3

[cue cheesy reminiscent music]

Small towns

I've been watching so much Gilmore Girls lately, I can't help but think about how much I would like to try living in a small town. I grew up on Anderson Island (which definitely fits in the small town category... if there was a teeny tiny town category, it'd fit there), and loved it as a kid, so I'd hope that I'd still love it as an adult (of course minus the whole "you can only get off the island when the ferry's running" deal).

I've thought about doing an internet search for small towns, but had ignored the idea since obviously deciding where I'm going to live for the rest of my life isn't exactly in the near future for me. But oddly enough, when I logged onto my Yahoo account, this article on small towns was up as a news story for the night.

America's 10 Coolest Small Towns

I'd seriously consider checking out the New York, Maine or California locations, but they all sound great!

What I'm In For...

I've been keeping up a little on the Hurricane Ike situation, and according to the weather reports I've seen and this picture (below) it appears that it's headed straight for Houston. Oh how I'm excited to experience my first hurricane! :) Hopefully the gulf can get all of its super hurricane energy out of its system before next summer when I'll be there :)

Favorite Quote and an Interesting Discovery!

I ran into this quote from one of my last year's students today, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Miss Hollenbaugh just told you to be quiet... with her eyes..."

Oh and guess what I discovered! Alexis Bledel (aka Rory Gilmore from the show The Gilmore Girls... one of my guilty pleasures of late) is originally from Houston, Texas, and her first language was spanish! Her parents are mexican and argentinian. Who knows... maybe I'll convert those Bledels :)

And i'm going to...

Texas Houston, spanish speaking.

Provo MTC, November 19th.

Pretty temple huh?

on the edge of my seat

Right now, at this very second, as I type this, lies my life for the next 18 months.

Yes, my mission call is in my lap.

After a rollercoaster of a week, it finally arrived. On Sunday I called my bishop to get the status on it (I'm really hoping to take my endowments out before Caitlin and Tim's sealing so that I can attend), and he told me that it was put in the mail on Friday. I figure it usually takes things about 3 days to get from Utah to here, so including the holiday that put me at Wednesday (possibly Tuesday if I got lucky). Everyone started school on Tuesday, so I've had the house to myself during the day all week, which has been absolute torture because the mail doesn't come til around 11am, and the last person to leave is about 8:30. So I doddle around the house until about 10:45, then go and read scriptures out on the lawn watching for the mailman to come (I know I'm pathetic... but it's been driving me nuts!). Tuesday, Wednesday passed... still no call. Depression began settling over me... typical doubts... maybe the address was wrong? what if they lost it? did he really check the status of MY call???? on and on and on ridiculously. Then when it didn't come Thursday it just got worse! We're going to Canada to visit my grandma this weekend again, so I was worried it might not come today and then I'd have to wait all weekend. My little sis Mckenzie told me this morning as she was walking out the door, "I KNOW your mission call is coming today Austin. I said a prayer last night that it would." How can you deny that?? My whole family has been hoping every single day that it would be here too. Finally I'll have good news for them when they come home!!! ah!

I will be sure to post something after I open it! Last chance for guesses!

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

My call is in the mail!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

Who wants to guess where i'm going?!?!?!

ohmanohmanohman.