neighborhood BBQ

6.9.12

We had a little neighborhood bbq for the families we home/visit teach. 

Jacob manned the grill and cooked up some delish dogs and burgers.

These little girls had a fun time playing on the trampoline with "Brother Robinson." 

They were constantly yelling at him to jump HIGHER!

mackenzie and alyssa tackle jacob

These photos just warm my heart. 

I love our neighborhood, our ward, 

and the families that have become our friends.

Captain EO: dance-fighting

Last night's dream involved Captain EO and zombie-wolves—very reminiscent of the "muttations" from Hunger Games. Anyway, things got pretty scary since Captain EO decided to disappear right when the zombie-wolves showed up to wreak havoc.

Heaven knows I don't have the skills to fight evil with song and dance like he does!

You don't wanna know how it ended up with me and the zombie-wolves.
But I think if I had perfected my moonwalk, things would've gone a lot smoother. 

Magic Song: PERSUASION

Stacy Dupree of Sucré said she wrote this song when she and her husband were beginning to fall in love. 

I love the dreamy accompaniment and sweeping melodies.  

So romantic both lyrically and musically.

THE PEAKS!

Holli's first Peaks...

I can't believe I have been living in Provo this long, and I have only BARELY discovered Seven Peaks. 

For the longest time, I didn't even know that a water park existed right down the street from where I lived!

Same thing with Utah Lake. What?! There's a body of water over THERE?!? shoot.

Yeah. Kinda embarrassing.

Anyway, it was as though a magical world unfolded before my eyes. 

And with my Pass of all Passes, you'll know where to find me every Saturday for the rest of summer.

Where are all my other pass holders?

 Let's hit the Peaks!!

I think my only disappointments were as follows:

1.  All the coolest/scariest-looking slides were not in operation.

2.  WAAAYYY too many prego ladies wearing bikinis. YIPES. Seriously ladies. You are totally traumatizing any desire I had for motherhood. 

3.  Jacob beat me down the Avalanche every time, even though he CHEATED!!

 

Waffle Love

So we have some friends. And they make pretty dang good waffles. So good that they are starting a business called "Waffle Love." So good that there is going to be a "waffle truck" driving around town spreading the Waffle Love goodness.

They are still getting things started—but for now, you can find them at the Provo Farmer's Market in Pioneer Park. On Saturday, we went there in pursuit of the BEST WAFFLE in Provo. Yes...even better than the Awful Waffle.

Like nothing you've ever tasted.


Adam, the chef.  He's a skilled wafflesmith.


We were so stoked when we found their waffle stand! I had been craving them for sooo long. A few weeks back, I had a sample of their waffles, and really—I couldn't stop fantasizing about them. Like, salivating just at the thought of another waffle... and I don't even like waffles that much. They are that good.


Jacob getting his Waffle Love.


Jacob and I got a liege waffle topped with raspberries, biscoff (which was some kind of miracle sauce that tasted like Teddy Grahams), and cream. Sooo DELICIOUS, you guys. I think we will be back this Saturday morning for some more. Come hang with us, and we can all taste the Waffle Love.

p.s.

Don't you love Jacob's Captain EO shirt?

Kimbra//Mayer Hawthorne//Foster the People

I't's official. Got my tickets yesterday. I don't think I have been so stoked for a show since I saw Janelle Monae last year. I can't wait for all my dreams to turn into REAL LIFE in just two weeks.

Here's the line-up:

love this song.

i haven't heard a lot of Mayer Hawthorne, but i'm liking this song. 

and i'm really stoked for this collaboration...
 

IT'S GONNA BE RAD.

Tutu's Photographer: A Dad Story

This photo always evokes warm feelings about my dad.

I've had it since I was a little girl, and I think it will forever be one of my favorites.

Here's the story behind the photo:

When we were kids, we used to spend extended amounts of time with our grandparents in California every summer. Looking back, those summers were some of my favorite childhood adventures that I treasure—trips to the beach, Disneyland, camping in Yosemite,  Mexico. Yeah, I have awesome grandparents.

Well anyway, when I was just five years old, I was finally old enough to go on these trips with the older kids. I would be leaving to go to California and San Felipe for the first time. I was excited for a summer adventure with the big kids, but I was heartbroken that I was going to be away from my beloved golden retriever, Tutu, for so long. I cried and cried as we were getting ready to leave—“I’m going to miss Tutu!!!” I know, right? I wasn't sad about missing my parents, younger siblings, or neighborhood friends. Just the family dog.

A week or so later, my grandma showed me a peculiar letter that had arrived in the mail in California. It was a letter from Tutu with a hilarious picture of her lounging by the poolside with sunglasses and a walkman. I can’t remember exactly what the letter said, but I remember exactly how I felt. I was thrilled with such a funny picture of my dog, but I was even more pleased with somehow understanding that my dad had done this. He had set up the dog in the chair, donned sunglasses on her little canine head, plugged headphones over her furry ears, and captured this priceless photo—for me. To make me happy. 

With my childlike understanding and love of anthropomorphized golden retrievers, it worked.

I kept this photo in my possession ever since. On the back you can even see where I inscribed "22." Yep. That's what I thought the dog's name was. I took this framed picture with me to college, and even now, it still sits in mine and Jacob's home. I can never seem to part with it because I love the picture and the memory—but mostly because I love my dad.

Happy belated Father's Day, Dad. 

I love you lots!

Magic Song: MAMA SAID

I love it when friends develop a keen sense for my taste in music, and consequently do a better job at finding songs that I like than I do. My friend Jimmy re-introduced me to this classic because he thought it seemed like "my style." And its probably been in my head ever since. Right on the button, Jimmy.

p.s.

i badly want to make a summer mix just so i can put this song on it.

still obsessed

Why do i have to choose between her and Beach House on July 5th??

so uncool.

I hate being in a pickle, but this obsession is still so new and it's HUNGRY.

i'm kinda leaning towards my girl kimbra.

Magic Song: LAND OF 1000 DANCES

Been so obsessed lately...

This is one of those songs that I know I used to hear millions of times over and over as a kid—my sisters are both dancers. Plus, I am pretty sure it is on the FernGully soundtrack. So yeah. Duh.

Anyway. One day I was thinking, gosh, what is that song that goes Naaa-na-na-na-Naaa-na-na-na-Naaa-na-na-Naaa-na-na-Naaa! Na-na-na-Naaa!?? Then I thought of FernGully—had some visual of a tiny blonde dude and some fairies rocking out—and it all came back. And I realized—wow, that was a pretty good song, I think. Looked it up on Spotify. Still good.

I love revisiting songs like this one.

til we meet again

Sky's last song before entering the MTC...

Just warms my heart.

bye-bye sky

Jacob and I had the privilege of picking up Sky from the Salt Lake airport and dropping him off at the MTC the next day. We did some shopping for some last-minute missionary supplies, went out to dinner at Station 22 (amazing new place in downtown Provo), bought some graham canyon ice cream and watched a disney movie at our house, and most of all let Elder Hale relax before his big debut as a missionary.

Sky LOVED this place. He was freaking out over how each of our sandwiches tasted like something completely unique and unexpected. The fries were pretty dang good too.  "Is this like the only Station 22 in the world?" Yes Sky.

 

For lunch the next day, we took him to one of our favorite places in Provo—Slab Pizza. A giant bbq pizza topped with a fried egg was his last meal before entering the MTC.

of course he chose Mountain Dew for his last beverage. Not gonna get that in the MTC!

Everything seemed pretty normal. We were hanging out. Eating great food. Talking. Joking. And then it suddenly happened. We drove down the street, and suddenly we were at the MTC saying goodbye for the next two years. 

Sky puts on his missionary jacket like a smooth criminal.

Sky's missionary guide asks him some questions and waits for us as we give our final goodbyes.

Jacob gives some final words of advice. "Believe in yourself!" lol. no, that's not what he said.

final photo before Elder Hale entered the MTC.

And this is where I got a taste of what it's gonna be like doing this as a mom someday. It was a lot harder than I expected. My little baby brother is all grown up! I didn't think it was going to be a big deal—because hey—he is just literally down the street from my house! But giving that last hug and goodbye—I just lost it. I tried to hold in the emotions because I knew he already had to go through the whole tearful goodbye thing with the family in Arizona, but I failed. He just laughed and scolded me, "Now don't start that!"

Jacob and I waved him farewell as we turned and entered the MTC with the rest of the new missionaries. I'm gonna miss that kid like crazy. He really has been one of my best friends these past few years. But I am so proud of him for becoming a missionary. He made the right choice. And I really can't wait to hear about all his experiences in the West Indies.

LOVE YOU SKY!

Elder Hale's Mission Blog

So I just started a mission blog for my little brother, Sky, who entered the MTC yesterday...

Check it out HERE.

Magic Song: THAT'S WHAT'S UP

My little bro just introduced me to this song



What? Ed Sharpe has a new album!? I guess I've been a little behind with the music world, but my summer playlist couldn't be happier. This band just has a magic ability to create the happiest, most joyful, love songs I've ever heard.

And shouldn't love songs be the most joyful?

Excellent new single, and THAT'S WHAT'S UP!

jacob + kittens

One of the best parts about visiting home was playing with the kittens. Apparently, my teenage brother's friend left his cat, "Princess Babies," at our house—and can you guess what happened? a few months later they found kittens in the attic. Yep. In the ATTIC! Of all places. The ultimate kitty surprise.

I suddenly wish I had an attic to find surprise kittens in. 

These kittens loved jacob.

  

I think at one point, all four of us (jacob + oreo + black magic + me) were all napping on the couch together.

Or at least the kittens and I were napping while jacob kept us comfy. He was a good sport.

"black magic"—adorably named by my nephew, Noah.

We were sooo close to taking Black Magic back home with us! Oreo was cute, but this kitten was a fighter with an attitude. I like those qualities in a kitten—especially if you wanna keep the mice away. But besides the fact that I'm mildly allergic to cats, I'm not sure my nephews would forgive me if we took one of "gramma's kitties."