dripping with passion

i discovered these gems on kristi's computer tonight, and i laughed myself to tears. i want to be them when i grow up. i guess this is what they do after the kids go to bed? or, they choreograph a dance to chris brown. this baby made a stunning (and spontaneous) public debut at the family reunion in july. the pregnancy announcement video we never saw... the best part about this one is kristi just chilling in the background. totally normal day. and this was take five . another reason i love noah and kristi is because they have made some stellar kids. i have had so much fun babysitting mckay, lyla and cubby here in sunny orange county this week - they crack me up! i sincerely am grateful to this eyre family for showing me what i want and who i want to become.

"a sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life." ~isadora james golden threads spun this weekend: -being with my sister-friends and my angel mom -strolling on the beach in the sunshine -hugs of reunion -meeting new baby poem -excellent conversation (the best!) -a wide circle of pool chairs -giggling like little girls -being enchanted by fantastic contemporary ballet -chinese fire drills on rodeo drive -endless ripe raspberries at the resort's breakfast buffet -the colors and textures in the gardens at the getty -pearls of advice - spoken and unspoken four sisters, four-sisters-in-law, one mum. every year we have a "mothers and future mothers" conference. i can't get over how blessed i am to have these women to look up to. and - all the talk of breastfeeding, childbirth, etc. is really going to pay off one day. p.s. speaking of my sisters - check this out. i have watched it 15 times and tear up every time! ...

i came home a mission ago. today marks 18 months; i've been back as long as i was out. isn't that super weird? yep - a whole year and a half (plus some) since this picture was taken on my last pday. and 3 years, plus some (3 years - that's like basically all of college!), since i posed for the obligatory (but i loved it) mtc map photo. still, 547 days later, everyday i marvel at the miracle of the mission. everyday i thank heaven that it was right for me. everyday i pray for those people i met and taught. everyday i use the lessons i learned. everyday i try to live like i was empowered to then. every single day a bit of me misses being a missionary! i loved the mission an abnormal amount. i think i loved it so much because before i left i made a promise with god that i would not waste a second or an ounce of energy. and i did not. it is the one thing in my life that i have zero regrets about. i gave every tiny sliver of myself. in my farewell talk, i spoke about sacrifice. ...

janer and chare at misty tennessee beach – mlk day hike i have always idealized the concept of a childhood, then lifelong, best friend. so lucky for me, jane has been mine all through the years. we are so different, we’ve had a few falling-outs, we’ve both made other really great and close friends, but we have always maintained a completely unshakable and unique relationship that has been an outrageous blessing in my life. we’ve been through a lot together and, in many ways, with each other we found ourselves. growing up we played in jane’s playhouse in her back yard, boogied to spice girls in her bedroom, took tennis lessons together, had countless sleepovers staying up late talking, danced and cheered together at good old east high and cruised past crushes’ houses in my car. we went to high school graduation together, and a few months later i moved away. i remember so many nights sitting on the carpet in the hallway outside my dorm room talking with jane on the phone. no matter...

after being away for the holidays, i’ve felt pleasantly bewildered back in san francisco. it’s fun to remember that i have a life here. i was thinking while i fell asleep the other night how i will always have such a gleaming place for this city in my heart - because one day i will tell my children and grandchildren that it was in san fran that i once grew into myself. “life is either a daring adventure, or nothing” –helen keller

i think maybe at least 30% of why i like living away from home is that i love the experience of coming home. there's nothing like it, and no matter how many times i do it, it never gets old. every time, i enjoy finding that sliver of my heart that i perpetually leave in utah.   as i spent the first few days of 2011 in home sweet home, i had several moments where i felt ENTIRELY OVERWHELMED with thankfulness for outrageously good friends and an unspeakably great family. do you know that almost-kind-of-painful gratitude where your heart just literally might burst open at the seams? woah, i am a lucky girl.     sheesh i love watching basketball with my brothers, and especially my mom. we both have big crushes on gordon hayward. and there is no better sunday dinner host than my oldest sister saren (who is seriously wonder woman). love her family's new house in ogden.   i ran around like crazy to see many of my most beloved friends, even if it was just for a few...

it was 4:30pm on new year’s eve in new york city, and every conceivable entrance to times square was barricaded and heavily patrolled by dozens and dozens of cops. we made friends with one officer, who (bless his heart) let us through the first row of barricades with a “good luck” and a wry smile that said “you’ll never make it into the square.” we tried several tactics at the next gate, to no avail. as we stood there musing what to do next, and determined to keep trying, a new policeman came out of nowhere and started chatting with us. i showed him this list that i had made in my phone a few weeks back (but that has been in my head for years, and certainly isn’t complete): life goals: times square ball drop kiss a stranger boy haircut write a book have a home of my own round the world trip be fluent in another language feel an earthquake i told him the top two simply must be completed that very night. and we told him interesting facts about oursel...

we feel alive. the post-christmas blizzard in boston was terrific. included: an enchanting moonlit walk in the cemetery, and then another in the morning chill, lots of hot coco and cozy fires, sledding and snow angels, a potentially treacherous trip to wagamama’s (yum) in harvard square, a cruise around favorite spots in cambridge and back bay, eli’s famous chicken katsu curry, a trip to the boston museum of science, getting sick, late night talks, lots of saydi’s fantastic culinary creations, playing with christmas presents, movie night, and … a visit to wellesley! fun to go to all my old stomping grounds, and made me feel so grateful for my alma matter. truly, it is swellesley. wellesley girls, sisters and friends. saydi has always been and will always be my hero. perfect christmastime. thanks for everything sayds!