I act like I am so busy... really I have just been lazy.

Almost daily I think to my self, 'oh that was funny, remember that for the blog'... yeah, do you think I really remember any of it? Nope, none of it.

Since being back in provo my life is fabulously drab.

I wake up, turn on the travel channel, either make some chicken or find some cookie dough and eat it in my underwear alone on the floor. All while holding back tears. I miss London. The excitement it brought to my life everyday.

Life has been bliss though. Spending a few more days in the AZ heat with the family was splendid.

I was able to go to Carlsbad, California for a few days for the traditional family get together. Not just my entire extended family but also my 'adopted' family as some would say. Our groovy family friends of many years are also there to make this trip better than the Disney Cruise.

Though some may find it a bit interesting the Fourth of July is my all time favorite holiday.

(This is at the hotel we stayed at for a few days before the condo, this guy brought his bet bird with him on vacation...what the crap whips)

Yes, christmas and my birthday are two very spectacular days but there is just something so amazing about sunburnt kids dressed for the occasion, holding sparklers as far away from their face as their little chubby arms will reach.

Surrounded by adoring family members eating watermelon and hotdogs is as close to perfect as it can get.

It is one of my favorite things we do as a family. As we sat on the hill watching fireworks go off from Lego Land I had an overwhelming feeling of love come over me for my family. They are such amazing people who bless my life everyday. I am the crazy person I am because of all their loving and beautiful personalities.

Although the weather was a little bit less than ideal this year there is no way I could ever complain about eating burritos the size of a full grown bears while drinking my weight in diet coke and reading infinite trashy magazines for hours a day.

On the fifth of July, the day after hotdogs and watermelon my sweet mother asked us what sounded good for dinner, no one was really giving any input so she suggested hotdogs. That got a big whopping no from one and all. We just ate hotdogs, and they aren't exactly a food you can afford to eat all that often, especially not two days in a row. Well, it turns out that once again Robino has the finally say in this household because she returned from the store with hotdogs.

They were actually really great, and it was such a fun night. My cousin Morgan and my father played a magnificent game of Scrabble with me. It is hard for people to appreciate a good game of Scrabble, and my personal take on that is because they're skills are a little shoddy. I have never laughed so hard playing an intense game of Scrabble. Morgan and I thought everything we said was so funny, and everything my mom said.

For my mothers sake I won't tell the "cheesy toast" story because I am pretty sure she is sick of us making fun of her for it. But, if I get some request, I will gladly share it.

Shelley was so nice and let me play with her and her friends while we were there. I love them.

I bought a one-piece swimsuit while I was in Ireland. So proud of my self for being all modest. I knew the bum looked a little small but that didn't scare me to much since my bum isn't all that big. But, what I didn't realize is that it is actually what the call brazilian cut. A more polite name for thong. Kay it wasn't a straight up thong but it was pretty dang close... Good thing I surround myself with loving people and knew I wouldn't be judged. I flaunted what little of a bum I had in my modest one-piece swimsuit.

California was perfect. Brittany was able to come out for a few days, and although her hard working husband Brady couldn't come I was still so happy to have Brit and Shell. After over 12 years of the same vacation I don't think my parents realize how much I appreciate that trip each year, or if they understand the love I have for it. If they ever decide to forgo the trip one year there will be blood.

Brandin is selling in LA for the summer and made the trek down to see me for a few hours. It was so amusing for me to show him around this quant little town that I have called 'love' for so many summers in a row. For years, 6 to be exact, Brandin has had to listen to story after story of my weeks in Carlsbad. So, for him to finally be there in the flesh just made me giddy. I was way to excited to show him Cese's and Linda's and the painted fire hydrants. Way to thrilled to have him listen to the 'Carlsbad Village walk now' voice that plays when the hand flashes go across the street. I couldn't hardly stand the joy I felt when he was able walk down the wind tunnel stairs out to the beach so that I could then watch him eat a messy burrito in a reclining chair while blocking the sandy wind. Oh the joy, I get a little flutter in my heart thinking back on this incredible week and a half of magic I get to experience each year.

So, I took pictures of Brandin and I at the beach and can not find them anywhere...

I woke up one morning and couldn't figure out where I was. Seriously, I laid in this cozy bed all snuggled up with a furry blanket and silky pillow and as rays of sun beamed down through the open blinds I closed burning my eyes trying to remember where I was and what was going on. The braver side of me reluctantly sat up and opened my eyes, even though I kept telling mr. brave it was a bad idea. What I saw was interesting. Not as horrifying as I had anticipated but still quite frightful It was... reality.

What a let-down.

No, it really wasn't that awful. After a few single tears streamed down my sun-kissed cheeks I embraced my simple happy valley life.

I have thus been back to reality. Working long days and playing hard nights.

I love work. I have such a great job. Very few college students are able to say they have such a fabulous job as mine. I have great managers, amazing coworkers, hours that don't make me cry and on top of it I get payed to do what I love. Which is making people cry.

No, not really that would be horrible. I have just had a lot of people asking me what I do lately and when I square my shoulders and tilt my chin and say all poised and sophisticated that I am a 'Master Aesthetician' they look at me like I just said I am a 'acllakdllkjskljdlkj'...

Let me help out one and all, I do skin care, a term I like, and think is kind of funny is skin care therapist. Really though please don't make me be your therapist. Why do people feel like sharing so much personal information with me as I rip hair from their body? Anyway, anything that you can think of that would be done at a spa I do. Facials (which is such a very broad word and includes so much more than me applying grape seed oil on your face and moving my skilled little fingers in such a way you wish to fall asleep), waxing, make-up, manicures, pedicures (not as horrid as you think) and so much more.

I'm Beautiful Website!!

Come in and see me for a treatment of your choice and I will give you a sweet little deal. I am at I'm Beautiful in Lehi, UT (we are right behind the new Texas Road House, exit 279) it is such an amazing company. They have more than just skin care too. It is a full service salon and spa. We are fortunate to have a fabulous nail tech and an incredible massage therapist as well. We have Bumble and Bumble product which I know a lot of you love as well as Bare Minerals!

We are hosting an amazing fashion show September 24th to kick of breast cancer awareness month which is October, for more information on this incredible event you can visit us here

I love my sister. Since shelley has been up here we have had so much fun together. Way to much fun actually, I am always tired because she is just a young spring chicken and keeps me up way to late. We go on quite a few double dates together and people always with out fail think she is at least two years older than me. What happened to me? When I was 14 people used to think I was 22 and now that I am almost 21 people honesty think I am barely 18... not something I should be complaining about. Our dates are always a ton of exuberance. They usually consist of Shelley and I laughing at each other and making fools of our selves. Seriously fantastic.

Man I need to blog more often so I can remember these funny one liners that happen all the time. Because, as we all know everyday with me is a comedy show...

Shelley and my gorgeous roommate Megan Miller joined me in the Twilight Series concert. It is was insanity at its best. We were high from all the second hand marijuana floating around. We will most definitely be returning next Thursday.

Random road trips make me feel alive. There is no better feeling than jumping in the car late at night and just going. Laughing, dancing, singing and gorging your face with calorie filled treats. We took a road trip up to West Yellowstone to see my friend Amos who is selling up in Rexburg for the summer. It qualifies for one of the shortest trips with the longest drives. We left late Saturday night and got to Yellowstone Sunday morning around 2 am. We started the drive home late Sunday night and returned Monday morning at 6:30 AM so that Shelley could make it to her 8:00 AM class.

The stories from Yellowstone are simply endless. We were so tired the entire trip it was like being slap happy for 2 days straight. Trying to type out funny stories just isn't the same as me acting them out, because even that sometimes doesn't get the job done. I will attempt to tell one story most find humorous when I act out...

We had just left Old Faithful (which was a check mark off the to-do list of life) and were headed to the Lake District of Yellowstone. While walking along the boardwalk Aubrey and I were able to have some alone time. Just the two of us walking, digesting the day and talking about our wonderful lives. On one side of the boardwalk was the dazzling lake, on the other was numerous small boiling hot pots. The lady that gave us a superb walking tour at Old Faithful explained to us why the air around the pots didn't feel hot and also that Old Faithful wasn't the hottest of the geysers. So, here is where the great part of the story begins. Somewhere in my head I think it would be a really good idea to touch the water and see how hot it actually is. Aubrey and I discuss this thought of mine and come to a conclusion that it is a good idea. It is probably just warm water. The boardwalk has a railing/fence like lining so in order for me to reach the water I have to sit down and stick my leg through the slot, I shimmy up as close as I can and then take the plunge. I was planning on dipping my toe in to test the water but because my body was awkwardly pushed against the guard rail the control I had over my foot was limited

... this was a big mistake. It was hot. Really, tremendously hot. I pull my foot out as speedy as I can but my leg has a hard time coming out of the slot, it was unfortunately banged and bruised through the pull. As Aubrey laid on the ground laughing in tears taking pictures I jump up and down while cursing words I have never said. I repeat this naughty phrase of inappropriate words over and over again in a voice slightly louder than a whisper. Of there is an abundance of people around and sings with warnings of thermal hot spots all over. I thought my death was sure to come though. My foot wasn't even blistered, it skipped that stepped, it was just shredded. My toe was bright red and raw, with flesh falling off. A good life lesson to be learned; Don't stick your foot in water chalk-full of sulfuric acid that is boiling and producing steam. I have no idea how how the water actually was but I did learn through some raw data on the back of the map that it was hotter than good Old Faithful which is 280 degrees.

Shelley really wanted to get in the water. She must have forgot that we weren't in Arizona though. Montana creek water isn't as warm as AZ creek water. We wouldn't let her back down though and she impressed us all when she stripped down to her little undies and got in.

I loved Yellowstone so much. It made me feel cultured again. I had no idea it was going to be so gorgeous, or that I could get so excited by the sight of man killing bison on the side of the road. I adored their faces, they are so strong and unique.

Although I screamed and jumped for joy at everything we saw, including ducks and logs in the river one of the things I feel I was justified to freak out about was seeing a momma grizzly bear with her 2 miniature cubs. Oh they were just so cute and fluffy as they waddled there tiny behinds across the road fallowing so closely behind there cumbersome protective mother.

I was sure that scouring my foot in acid water was enough trouble to get myself in for a while. How could I have ever thought that though, this is me we are talking about. Not a day goes by without my mother saying 'Oh my gosh Emily, are you serious, you need to be careful...'

I have become quite addicted to happy hour. Such a bad addiction, but such a true love. Diet Coke with cherry or Diet DP with vanilla... Sonic never fails to quench my thirst and brighten my hours from 2-4. A few days ago, as in 2 and a half weeks ago, I spilled an entire route 44 in the nail tech room at work. It was a mess. Two short days later I was trying to be such a cute best friend and stopped to get Aubrey and I happy drinks. I couldn't wait to drink mine till I got to her house, excited to feel the burn I picked up that glowing styrofoam cup. It failed me once again as it broke and doused me in ice cold cherry coke. Driving my options were limited. Again a string of words came out of my mouth. As I rolled the window down and began to throw handfuls of beautiful crunchy ice out the window I realized my phone was between my legs. Horror. I quickly use the shirt I was planning on returning to Nordstrom as a rag. I had to save my baby. Sadly, she had already passed. My route 44 that was once such a hero and joyous part of my life was now the devil. The enemy that killed my baby and forced me to drive all the way to Orem with dangerously cold coke all over my crotch and a broken phone. A very distraught time in my life.

The week gets better though. I reluctantly bought a new phone, do you know how much just a phone is!! Without a plan, or upgrade? The cheapest phone sprint had to offer me was a bright pink, slider, touch screen phone with swirly little flowers on it for a cool $250. I felt like a 14 year old barbie with this phone. I was bitter about the entire situation but really didn't have a ton of options.

The next day I am still detesting this flippy, touchy, maddening phone. I was walking down the hill to my house, there is a path but it takes about 1 minute longer and I am usually oaky just hopping down the hill, this time however was different. I was on my barbie phone ranting and raving to my mother when all of a sudden I was overcome with such a great and unusual pain I thought I was going to pass out.

I had fallen in a hole. Not like a giant man hole. A small, grass covered, sneaky little demon hole. My foot, minus my second toe, went into the hole. When I went to take another step my foot went down in the hole while my one toe that was stuck out of the hole took the beating. It was pulled completely back and received al the pressure and weight of my body. Poor little guy. It looked like one of those little sausage things people dip in barbeque sauce. sick.

These pictures are from just hours after I fell. It got way worse over the next couple days before I went into the doctor. And I didn't eave realize the top of my foot was also bruised so there aren't any photos of that. Now my toe is about twice that size with minimal bruising.

For sure it was broke. I tend to self diagnose myself more than I probably should. I didn't do anything but ice and nearly OD on ibuprofen for about two days. On the third day I decided to actually go to the doctor. Only because my toe was completely crooked and really unusually cold. Dr. Short at the Insta Care took some X-rays and come back with the news... it wasn't actually broken. Though a break might have been less painful and healed faster. I had dislocated the joints in my toe and pulled all the ligaments and muscles in that toe going down to my foot. Explaining the bruising overtaking my entire foot. After he did a little pushing and popping he sent me on my merry little way. Almost instantly after his magic hands fiddled with my toe it was feeling better. The blood started flowing again and my toe wasn't so cold. The bruising healed really fast. It is still the size of a sausage and hurts even worse than it did the first few days. Not sure why that is? Quite possibly because I still jump and play on it and just endure the pain.

I have found the perfect Icing tool though. You know how if you put a bag of ice on your toe the ice kind of just rolls to the edges of the bag? So annoying. I came up with a solution, thanks to my lovely roommates eating habits! Frozen GOGURTS! they are fat, long and just perfect. I just rubber band it on to my toe and life is great :)

So pretty much my life just can't get better. Everyday is so great. Last night I went to the Tim Mcgraw concert with Lady A. Absolutely amazing. Everyone thought we were so drunk.. Why anyone would ever think Shelley and I were drunk is unclear to me. We are just fun people and people aren't used to that.

I know these pictures are of Shell and Meg but it is only because the pictures of me are still on Aubrey's camera and she is in NYC now :)

We laughed and cried, sang off key and danced like crazies the entire duration of the concert. Never a dull moment. We mostly laughed and danced but when Tim started singing the song 'live like you were dying' I turned to Shelley to see her fighting big tears, I couldn't help but reach out and hug her, we just held on to each other. I knew exactly why she was crying. We cried together and laughed through the tears at the thought of us crying.

We are so proud of Tara for being so strong and enduring so much, she is constantly in our prayers and thoughts. We love her so much, we have faith she will be healed and become whole and strong again. This song is usually upbeat and so fun to sing to but it just hit really close to home with Shell and I. We belted out the rest of the song so loud. It was a really good time. To fallow Tara's story, which is an incredible miracle just click here

After the AMAZING concert Aub and I did something kind of sort of maybe a little bit dumb. There was a drunk guy (I say guy but he was actually a cute boy, not like a creepy man) walking in the crowded parking lot. He was so incredibly funny and so incredibly lost. Aub and I just had a soft spot for him in our hearts and like rescuing a puppy we told him to get in the car. What an entertaining trip to his house that was. I have been around my fair share of drunks and he was by far the funniest, nicest one there was. We drove him home, he bought us Arby's we feel like it was a good trade off. Man he was funny. I wonder if he remembers us, or if he is like how the heck did I get home last night and where is my car...

I promise I will blog more often so my post aren't so dang long and they can actually have more funny stories.

xo

em