Graduation Party Part 2!

This weekend, we had my second graduation party at home for the rest of my family that lives on the east side as well as some family friends. Both sets of grandparents were there, as well as my aunt and uncle, my parents, my sister and her best friend Sterling, my godparents, and some of my mom's friends from work (who have become close family friends over the years). It was really wonderful to have everyone together, all in one place, all at the same time. 

I was really excited that everyone is so supportive and excited for my big move. It's a huge life change for me and I know I'm leaving behind a lot of people that love and care for me for a brand new place with a smaller support system. Knowing that everyone in Michigan is so happy and supportive of me makes it easier to leave. 

We partied at Mitchell's Seafood Market in downtown Birmingham. Let me tell you, the food was amazing! It always is! If you live in Metro Detroit and haven't gone to Mitchell's, you're missing out! The staff was wonderful, the food was divine, and the company was perfection. My mom got my graduation cake from a bakery in West Bloomfield. It was the same place that did my high school graduation cake and I think it was the same cake on the inside too! It was wonderful (keeping with the wonderful theme that seemed to define the day!) and the entire thing was eaten by the time we left! 

It was sad realizing that my time in Michigan is almost up but I am so excited for what's to come. I can't wait to get my new adventure started! 

And, while we're here, enjoy some pictures courtesy of my photographer mother (and one by the budding photographer Sterling!) 

Sterling, me, and Kelly

My cool cake. 

I loved the pink and the polka dots!

My gorgeous family. I love you both so much! 

Challenge part 10

 Another picture of you and your friends

Okay. I know the prompt says friends, but Amanda  deserves an entire pose to herself. (Check out her blog, it's super cute and I adore her so much) Plus, I think this is the only photo we have together and it's probably 3 years old. :( 

Anyway, Amanda and I have been friends since high school and she lives in Connecticut right now and before that she lived in Idaho. I've seen her once since I graduated, but she's still one of my very best friends. I don't get to talk to her as much as I'd like, but it's my own fault :( 

Hopefully I'll get to see her once more before I go to Utah! The train to NYC is super cheap and right by where she lives! yay! 

It's All Falling Into Place

If you told me a year ago that I'd be prepping to move out to Utah in July I would have probably laughed in your face. But, here I am. The apartment lease is signed, move-in date set, and even a little bit of a social life already. 

If you would have told me a year ago how happy I would be at this moment, I would have laughed at you again. I didn't think this happiness was in the cards for me. But, here I am. Happy as can be. 

I spent the day apartment hunting. I went to 5 or 6 properties and each one was nice and had their pluses and minuses. I just wasn't in love with one yet. I was beginning to kind of panic but in the back of my head, I knew it would work out. I had faith in Heavenly Father. I knew he'd provide for me. 

And provide for me He did! My new apartment is simply gorgeous. The grounds are so pretty, it's literally at the base of a mountain, and there are DUCKS (and baby ducks!) on the property! (the ducks were a huge selling point for me. Don't judge.)  It was also the last property that I had been planning on looking at. In the back of my mind, I knew that this place was going to be it even before I got there. I kept telling myself "You still have that one property to look at!" My gut was right. I had planned on sleeping on it tonight and singing  a lease somewhere tomorrow. This didn't happen though. I decided the second I walked into the model I was home. It was this amazing feeling. 

It has a dog park ON SITE (!!!) and a pool, sauna, work out room and A CAR WASH! (what kind of apartment complex has a car wash?!?) 

This is what I get to look at every day! 

The gold kitchen is so retro. I'm  in love with it. 

ALL of my appliances are GOLD! It's so vintagey! :) 

I stink at these. Day 10.

Day 10- Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Hyped, Mad

Happy: Anything Darren Criss, Glee, Taylor Swift related. 

Sad: Depends on the degree of sadness. Or what it's related to. Boy sadness is T. Swift. Life sadness is anything mellow like Jack Johnson, Michael Buble, or Frank Sinatra. I also listen to "Tears in Heaven" a lot when I go into a 'missing someone that's gone' mode. 

Bored: Glee. Anything Glee

Hyped: Weezy F Baybay. Or Journey. Or Queen. Rihanna is always a good choice too. Anything that allows me to turn the bass up in my car and jam out. 

Mad: The Jay Z/Linkin Park collaboration album. Seriously so good. 

"I Am Me" Monday and a little bit of Utah

 Ashley introduced me to a little thing called "I am me" Monday. Basically, you make a list every Monday of things you like about yourself. Call it shameless patting yourself on the back or self-esteem boosting or whatever you'd like, but I think it's a wonderful idea. 
I love my eyelashes. They're long as it is but when I put mascara on, they get even longer and prettier. I love my faith in Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost. I love that I am hyper-responsible to the point of obnoxiousness.I love that I'm chronically early to everything. I love that I cry really easily. I love that I have an ability to love nearly everyone I meet within a matter of seconds. I love that I'm developing my mom's (and grandmother's) habit of talking to anyone and everyone about anything. I love that I've decided to move to Utah. I love myself. 

Oh! And while I'm here, I wanted to share some Utah pictures from today! The 530am wake up call to catch my 815 flight was completely and 100% worth it. The trip went really smoothly (even if I did have the obnoxious middle seat) 
My first stop was Temple Square (of course) and after my stupid in car navigation system lead me in the wrong direction about 10,000 times (I swear I'm not exaggerating. 10,000 times) I finally found it. I spent 3 hours wandering around, getting lunch, and wandering around Deseret Book. I picked up "Jesus the Christ" while I was there. I also got the chance to see an organ recital at the Tabernacle. It was gorgeous and I started to cry the second the organ started (I'm a softie that cries at the most random times). The one thing that kept coming to my mind was that I belong here. I could feel the Spirit so strongly the entire time I was there. 

I ventured down to Provo and Orem after and got lost. But it was a good kind of lost. I ended up finding my way to the Provo Temple completely by accident and got out to walk around the grounds. Seeing two Temples in one day made me so happy. I was struck at the beauty of the Provo Temple. Ever since I had first seen pictures, I thought it was boring and kind of ugly. The moment I saw it from about 5 miles away I knew I was wrong. It's gorgeous. I couldn't snap enough pictures to sear the image into my mind. 

Today was literally perfection.

Day 9

Something you're proud of in the past few days

My decision to move to Utah by myself. This hasn't really been made in the past few days, but I haven't chickened out and I'm actually feeling really really excited. The farthest I've ever lived from my mom and sister is 2 hours, so moving 1,600 miles away is slightly really terrifying. 


I thought I would chicken out and end up staying home but I feel excited, anxious (in a good way), and ready to get this new adventure started. 


I'm proud of my decision to go through with this move. 


Utah: here I come!   

Back To The Challenge: Day 8

Day 8: short term goals for this month and why.

• Find a cute and affordable apartment in Utah - well, self explanatory. I kinda need a place to live for when I move in June...
• Sign a lease for said apartment - Still need a place to live. 
• Clean up my room at my mom's house - Its a disaster area. Seriously. You should see it. I should do a before and after post about it. I came home on Monday and just dropped a bunch of boxes and clothing into my teenie tiny room. 
• Tell my Grandma that I'm moving to Utah - I'm nervy about this one. She's going to have a cow. Oy. 

Happy Momma's Day!

This gorgeous woman right hurrr is the best mom in the entire world (and she just happens to be holding the cutest baby in the entire world.)

I know everyone says that. But seriously, I have the best mom ever. She's put up with me for over 22 years and let's just say most of those years were so not walks in the park. She managed to keep our world as normal as possible as her world was falling apart. I honestly don't know how she managed to shield Kelly and I from the divorce like she did. But, she did an amazing job. 

She raised 2 kids on her own. For the first 13-ish years of my life, my dad was always at work and rarely at home. As a result, my mom was a single parent even when she was married. Then they got divorced and she kept on truckin'. She put one kid through (hella expensive) private school on her own (my dad didn't see the value of a private education. Yet he was totally cool with going to the parents meetings, hockey games, and school functions. Okay. Enough with the dad bashing.) 

She watched as her oldest daughter was torn apart by 'friends' and her first love. She was there to pick up the pieces time and time again after I had foolishly gone back to the source of my pain. 

She encouraged both of her daughters to chase their dreams, no matter how far from home it takes us. What would you expect from the first woman accountant at her huge world wide accouting firm to return after she had a child? (yeah, that's right, my mom was a total bad ass and trail blazer.) "You can't do it" is simply not in her dictionary. 

She would yell at me when I would get down on myself and tell me to "not talk about her daughter that way." 

She supported me when I chose to convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints even if she was scared and didn't know what it meant for me. She drove 2 hours to be there for my baptism. She welcomed the Missionaries into her home, cooked for them, and talked with them, even though she doesn't share the same beliefs. 

She was the one that suggested I move to Utah. Even if it meant having one daughter 6 hours away in Chicago and the other 1,600 miles away in a state she'd never even been too. (I'm still nervous that she thinks I'm going to become a sister wife. MOM! I really just love the show, I swear no sister wives!)

She deals with me calling her a bajillion times a day (I counted once. That bajillion number is legit) and talks with me at night when I'm letting the dog out so I don't get kidnapped. She's driving 1,600 miles across the country with me to help me get settled in my new home. She's encouraging me to follow my dreams and listen to my heart even though it's scary and she doesn't know where I'll end up. 

She bought me an iPhone for graduation. I mean, that right there is 'Mom of the Year' Award material. Am I right or am I right?! ;) 

So when I say she's the best mom ever, I mean it. She's sacrificed so much for us. Even though we but heads once in a while , she is still my biggest cheerleader and would give her life for me or my sister. She is the most caring, funny, ridiculous, light hearted, selfless person I have ever met and when I have kids one day, I pray that I can be half the mother to my kids as she is to me. 

Mommah, I love you more than words can express. And I'm usually really good with words. I hope you know how much you mean to Kelly and I. We'd be completely lost without you. Thank you for all that you do. 

Dear Grand Rapids,

We've had our ups and downs. There have been times I sat in my car sobbing because I don't want to come back to you. There have been times when all I wanted was to be in the city. I'm leaving you in three days and I'm going to miss you. Four years have come and gone in what feels like a blink of an eye. 


You watched me fall in love. 
You watched me get my heart broken. 3 times. 
You watched me experience the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. 
You watched as I sat, lonely, in my freshman year dorm room without one single friend. 
You watched me discover my passion for public relations. 
You watched me as I welcomed the Missionaries into my apartment and embark on a life changing journey. 
You watched as I sat in my car that first Sunday morning, praying for the strength to just go. 
You watched as one of my best friends changed right in front of my eyes. 
You watched as I discovered my love for politics.
You watched as my love for politics was tarnished and you watched my dreams change in the blink of an eye.  
You watched as my father told me he was getting remarried and that I wasn't invited to the wedding. 
You watched as I sobbed into my pillow so many nights, wanting the pain to stop. 
You watched me laugh and never wanting to my time with you end. 
You watched me grow into the woman I am today. 

I'm going to miss walking up and down the banks of the River with the pup, just staring at the water rushing by. 

I'm going to miss driving over the bridges, straining to see how high the river was that day. 

I'm going to miss walking down the hill. 

I'm going to miss Justin, Paul, Sammy, and Mandy.
I'm going to miss having Lake Michigan so close to me. 
I'm going to miss Saugatuck, Grand Haven, and Douglas. 
I'm going to miss being 3 short hours away from Chicago. 
I'm going to miss the Sushi Yama, Marado Sushi, Yesterdog, Wealthy Street Bakery (even if it IS owned by a Dem ;) ), Marie Catribes, and The Electric Cheetah. 
I'm going to miss Wealthy Street, East Grand Rapids, Heritage Hill, and Allendale (okay, so I won't miss Allendale all that much but I tried.) 
I'm going to miss East Town, even though sometimes it's super shady. 

I'm going to miss driving past a Presidential Museum every morning on my way to work. 

I'm going to miss driving east on I-196 and coming to the hight of the hill on the west side of the city and seeing your lights blazing brightly. 

I'm going to miss The Amway Grand Hotel and its gorgeous interior. 


Oh Grand Rapids, you've always been there for me. Despite all of the complaints, the tears, the whining, and the bad times please know that I cherish my 4 years with you more than I ever realized. 


Grand Rapids, I'm going to miss you but it's time for me to move on. I'll come back one day. I'll bring my children and husband here and proudly show them the amazing city that changed me and watched me grow into the person they know. 


I love you Grand Rapids. I really do and I always will. 

iBelieve

Being done with school and unemployed has given me a whole lot of extra time in my day. A few days ago through Ashley, I was introduced to the wonders of link parties! I clicked on the newest button on her blog tonight and was taken to The Mrs. She's doing a great linky party focused on faith (read about it HERE!) 

 I'm a recent convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and have finally found the place where I belog. I was raised Lutherean but after my parents got divorced, we kind of just stopped going. Fast forward to about 6 months ago when I found myself chatting with a Missionary online at like, 10 p.m. One thing led to another and on November 6, 2010 I was baptised and was confirmed a member of the Church the very next day. 

It isn't always easy. There are great misconceptions about my Church, but that's okay. It's why members are encouraged to be open about their faith. We want to bring people to Christ and help them fulfill Heavenly Father's plan of happiness for them. 

I believe the Restored Gospel is perfect. 

I believe there is a Prophet on the Earth today and his name is Thomas S. Monson. 

I believe Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God. 

I believe in the Atonement .

I believe in eternity. 

I believe that after being sealed in the Temple, I can spend that eternity with my husband, children and family.   

I believe in the power of prayer. 

I believe in the strength reading the Scriptures gives me. 

I believe that it may be easier to be mean to someone, but being nice is better for your soul. 

I believe that my duty as a mother and a wife is to raise my children and run a household. 

I believe that forgiveness is one of the hardest and most powerful things a human being has to do. 

I believe that I am a daughter of God and Heavenly Father knows my name. 

I believe the Book of Mormon is true. 

I believe in love, faith, hope and being kind to whomever you may meet in your life. 

I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior.

Standing Up For Myself

I've had a weird night. I have another (private) blog that I post very personal things on. I have also come to have some very close relationships through that blog that I've been writing since I began the discussions with the Missionaries in October. 

Literally 10 minutes after I posted about the "Kind Hearted Blogger Challenge" I was faced with a dilemma. Long story short, someone on my blog made a very callous and rude comment about something that happend a few nights ago. He accused me of not being a good LDS. I responded last night and he responded with a short, curt apology. 

I decided to respond to his apology because it made me angry. I wrote him a long response and tried to keep it as civil as possible. I think I did a very good job but something was bothering me. I had just pledged to be a nicer blogger and here I was not being very nice. 

Or was I? Is there a difference between being nice and polite to someone and standing up for yourself? 

Kind Hearted Blogger Campaign

Through a series of blog stalking, I came across a blog about an amazing woman named Ashley. I've spent some time reading through her blog and she's been such an inspiration. She's even doing this thing called 'I Am Me' Monday's where you focus on things that you love about yourself. (read the post here. It's majorly inspirational) 

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Her latest entry introduced me to The Kind Hearted Blogger Pledge. Long story short, the girl who blogs from em jay & me decided to take a stand against the hateful and bullying behavior often seen in the blogosphere. 

I've been the center of some not so nice blog comments/behavior (not on here but elsewhere) and I think this pledge is so great. I know I only have a few followers (aka 2), but if I can make a difference in one person's life, the pledge has worked it's magic. 

So go, check out these two amazing women and take the "I Am Me" Monday's challenge & The Kind Hearted Blogger Pledge. Kay? 

The Trouble With Graduation

On Saturday 1,300 of my closest friends and I walked across a stage in a sports arena and completed a journey. 

We graduated. 

The day was stressful though. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. My mom, sister and dad were driving across the state that day to see me graduate. At 1:45 they still weren't in town and I was annoyed. I had to leave to get down to the arena and didn't want to go alone, but they were late. I was so annoyed that they couldn't have been bothered to show up to my graduation. I stomped. I pouted. I whined. I was a brat. (I'm totally not proud of my behavior either.) 

3:00 rolls around and I get a text from my sister. They were there and sitting in one of the farthest seats away. It didn't really matter because they had made it on time though. I then received a text that went something like this: "We got a flat tire. That's why we were late. Mom didn't wan't you to worry so we fibbed a little." Two things crossed my mind: 1. THEY LIED TO ME. and then 2. They were totally right in lying to me. I would have flipped. (clearly, I have a flair for the dramatic. But I would have lost it. I hate with things don't go the way I plan them. I'm working on it.) I felt bad for being such a brat to my mom and dad when they were dealing with this crisis and tried their hardest. I should have been patient with them and trusted that Heavenly Father would get them there on time. And he did, didn't he? 

A friend came and picked them up. Her husband took the car to the dealership while the friend drove everyone to the arena just in the nick of time. After the car was fixed, the friend drove the car to the restaurant that we were celebrating at and gave the keys to my mom. How cool is that?

It took a little while to find my family afterwards, because the streets looked like this:

Basically a mad house. But find them I did and we slowly made our way up a few blocks towards the restaurant where we were meeting everyone else. 

I got to celebrate with my family, my best friend, and two families from Church. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was amazing. The company I was in was amazing. I kept thinking to myself, "This is all for me. I am so lucky." 

Despite the hiccups, the day was perfection. It might not have felt like it at the time but looking back, I will always remember this night as the night my real life began. 

Hi. I hate moving.

Really, I do. It's just so. . .tedious. 

This is the first time I've had to pack an entire apartment by myself and it's overwhelming me to the max. I probably have about half of the apartment packed, maybe 1/3 packed. But I feel like I've barely made a dent. My room is basically done and so is the kitchen and the living room. But it's all torn apart at the same time! AH! 

My bedroom looks like this: 

My living room like this: 

My kitchen looks like this: 

GAH. I feel so scattered, messy, and displaced. This is why I hate moving! But looking on the bright side, I'm just that much closer to moving home. And when I move home, I'm just that much closer to UTAH! eee! 

I'm officially a college graduate!

and it feels so good.