I realized today that there are just a little over eight weeks until I am 23-years-old and my baby brother, Brad, and sister, Lexi, are 17-years-old.  They can't be that old.  That means that in just a year they will be moving out and being big kids.  Although this is exciting, because I know that both of them will be absolutely amazing at ANYTHING and EVERYTHING they do, the thought of it is a little heartbreaking, just knowing that they won't be there whenever I go to Napa.  BUT, that just means I get to visit them at college, or write them letters.  Both awesome things to do.

Pretty soon they get to wear the very stylish cap and gown

Enough nostalgia.  I do get to see my beautiful roomie all through college, Katelyn, in two weeks!  I have not seen her since June, which is a long time when you are used to seeing someone everyday for the past four years.  I am also excited for the first day of spring in a week.  It will probably be snowing, like it is today, but it is the idea that, according to the calendar, spring has officially arrived that makes all the dreary days worth it because they will soon be replaced with SPRING!

 Beautiful Katelyn

While reading up on current events, I was shocked/confused/excited/worried (yes, it is possible to feel all these emotions at once) to see that President Obama is wanting to do away with the current No Child Left Behind act.  Ask any good teacher and they will cringe at the mention of this act.  Now, California needs to, as Grandma D says, "get their act together before they loose all their good teachers."  Love that woman! 

I also came across this happy little number while searching for the video of Fabio getting hit in the face with a goose on a rollercoaster.  My Bishop told me to look it up after mooing on a message he left me and calling Dallin my "improted hunk of burning love."  He is an amazing Bishop (click that and you will see what I mean, he is Dan Clark!).  Turns out, there is no actual footage of the goose hitting Fabio, but there are some pretty amusing interviews of the incident (this is not one of them).

Dallin got a job!  A guy I met back in November works for this company called Clearlink.  Courtney and I had him put on our activities committee, he met Dallin the first night Dallin was here, and the rest is history; well up to now when Dallin got the job because of the reference Darin put in.  Goes to show that networking is the key in finding a job in the economy these days.  He starts Monday and is excited to get to work and make money to pay for his schooling that starts in June, and take me on dates. Jokes, jokes! 

I decided to get creative this week, as well as money-smart.  Grandma D would be proud.   I have been wanting a flower headband for quite some time now.  Every time I see someone wearing them, I think to myself, "Those are so stinkin' cute!"  However, they are pretty expensive, starting at about $15 and going up from there for the extra cute ones.  So, I decided to make some of my own!  Turns out, they are pretty easy to make, and I made six for $25.  Dallin thinks I should sale them at, as he says, a bake sale-type thing...hahahahaha

My creations

After a day at work, which drains me beyond belief, emotionally and physically, there are a few things that perk me up.  These include: 

Good songs

This week included:

"I Shall Believe" by Sheryl Crow

"Learning How to Bend" by Gary Allen

"Our Kind of Love" by Lady Antebellum

"Have a Little Faith in Me" by John Hiatt 

Affordable, quality merchandise

E.L.F. (thank you aunt Terri!)

$3 Papizan chair at a garage sale 

Baking/Cooking

 Won't be Single for Long Pasta

Cream Cheese Coffe Cake from Cook's Illustrated

Thinking about dreams I had the night before

Always a good laugh somewhere in there

Running/yoga/anything to get my body moving

Nothing like running the stress of the day away 

Talking to good friends

Just remember that Spring is almost here!  Life is good.  Take time to really enjoy the beauty that is everywhere around you.  I promise it will brighten any day you may be having.

I

In case you need a little help finding beauty in the world,
just click on this little number so it is HUGE.
Look at how gorgeous the dew is!