bleh

 

what's another foot of snow anyway??

i swear utah has never had a winter like this! it makes me wish i was still good at snowboarding so i could actually go take advantage of the fluffy stuff.

still, we're trying to have a positive attitude round these parts.

i can't help but chuckle every time it snows cuz i think of the first time it snowed when luke & i lived together. 

we went outside to see it & i slowly grabbed a handful of snow & packed it up into a huge snowball. i threw it full force, aiming for his legs, so of course i hit him right in the side of the face (my aim is about as good as my math skills).

to this day he still makes fun of me & how evil i was.. it got in his ears & down his shirt.. of course right after hit him i screamed "OH MY I'M SO SORRY!" but then i laughed so of course he didn't believe me.

as if he needed any more proof that i am NOT a sporty person. ;)

 

he got revenge later when he made us do donuts in my car in a church parking lot.

i screamed then, too.

we're slowly counting down the days until spring.

we usually bring spring in pretty hardcore round these parts, by celebrating this & this. super excited for holi 2013! 

my cat is satan.

 

i sadly took these photos to prove to my coworkers that my cat is an "exception" to the "cats suck" rule.

we'd had a debate all day friday over it... "CATS RULE" "NO THEY DONT THEY'RE GROSS" & I kept trying to convince them that nesta was totally cool.

so on friday night luke & i noticed her being cute, watching us watch tv.

these pics are the result..

& just like that i realized, cats are the devil.

:D

unplugging.

 

i've had a super bad attitude lately, & i think i may have finally come to terms with WHAT is causing my negativity.

everyone knows how addicting social media can be, especially facebook, & i've realized in the past few months it somewhat consumes my life.

the other day i was walking to school with my nose in my phone, & something someone posted ticked me off, like it tends to happen every day.

i looked up & realized there were blue skies out.. & it was a beautiful day. but i'd hardly realized that because i was so consumed in what was going on online.

so with that i've decided to take a much needed sabbatical from facebook.

i'm sure i'll be back... it's so addicting, you know. but for now i'm just sticking to school, work, sleeping & hanging out with luke.

you can still find me on twitter cuz i have to have it for my job: @laurgardner13

you can also find me on instagram: @laurgardner because i'm still way too addicted to that to give it up.

but i'm hoping the lack of facebook in my life will bring about a more positive attitude.

i have to say so far it's been mostly funny. people think deleting your facebook is some "cry for help" or something. i've gotten several text messages along the lines of: "lauren! your facebook is gone! are you ok?" or "noticed you nixed your facebook. just wanted to check in with you."

i giggled so much! it really is crazy how much social media is used to measure other's behaviors. like, deleting someone off your list is the ultimate middle finger to your relationship.. & corny vague statuses are all you use to describe your life.

giggle, giggle, giggle.

anyways. 

i'll keep you posted on how my much needed "sabbatical" goes.

i do miss photos of my family, so hey family! if you're ever bored, you could always send me some picture messages :) or we can facetime! i am all about that form of technology, especially with my brothers living so far away.

 

monday mantra.

jose gonzalez - hints

monday mantra - a song, quote or photo to help you start your week off on the right foot :)

i like to do this on mondays on my commute home from work.

listen to calming music (or pump up music.. depending on what kind of week i have ahead of me).

we have one more week until spring break up here... so we're just going to try to make it to friday in one piece.

happy monday!

chicken noodle soup.

last weekend both luke & i came down with colds.

we've been slowly recovering this week but it has not been easy, let me tell ya.

your life does not slow down when you are sniffing & sneezing all over everything
(although one professor in my class DID hand me a box of sanitizer wipes & said 'stay far far away..') 

anyway, i wanted to make something warm & yummy for us while we were dying,

& something that luke could just eat when he got home.

he's always cooking for me & i suck at doing the same for him, so this was

my chance to try.. i think it turned out pretty good, too!

 here's the recipe for you crockpot lovers:

 

CROCKPOT CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

ingredients

 3 large chicken breasts (fresh or frozen)
1 -49 oz can Swanson Chicken Broth or Stock
1/2 can (of the broth) water
4 Chicken bullion cubes
One package (about 6) large carrots peeled & sliced

One onion diced
One bunch celery washed and sliced

 1/4 bunch parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir.  Cook for about 6 hours on low.  Shred or dice chicken.

1/2 package small egg noodles, cooked separately before you are ready to serve.  Add to the soup when ready to eat! (this keeps the noodles from getting soggy!)

 

 

after trying it luke & i both agreed that one whole onion is WAY too much. so next time

we'll probably only do 1/2. 

other than that.. it was the most delicious ever! & seriously helped our sickness, i think..

 

quote of the week.

weekend.

 

the highlight of my weekend was facetiming with my texas family.

 

omelettes for breakfast.

 

aaaand homework.

that's pretty much what my weekend consisted of.

we did get out to see MAMA which was terrifying.. i have a love-hate relationship with scary movies. :/

and now it appears my flu bug has turned into the stomach flu.. so.. stay away!

this week is horrible timing to get sick.

but.. that's how it seems to go, right? happy tuesday! 

nailed it!

please ignore our disgusting living room.. as we both can't wait to move out.

but luke ROCKED valentines day (for the second year in a row.)

i woke up around 8 pm to him saying, "can i show you what i did??"

hehe, so cute.

i walked into the living room to see he'd brought our cute little breakfast table

to the middle of the room.

he had made chicken parmesan, and had some delicious drinks set up for us.

he also got me a SUNFLOWER GROW KIT! i am so excited about this!

he knows me very well.. my favorite flower will always be the sunflower & i am so excited

 to grow some indoors this spring!

of course he gave me chocolate too, because what would v day be without chocolate?

it was perfect. hope your love day was amazing!

quote of the week.

happy valentines day!

 

happy valentines day everyone!

i hope it's filled with love & happiness for each & every one of you.

unfortunately i have class, work, homework & more to do today

(seriously, why don't they recognize today as a holiday!?)

however, luke asked me on a date this weekend, so we're celebrating then.

enjoy the day! i love celebrating love. 

i espeically love this boy. in fact, i love him 

to the moon & back.

i've been stuck all day on what to get him, but i think i've finally

figured it out.

not that matters he treats me like an angel, & is the first boy i've

ever dated that my dad approved of! (true story! my dad texted me after general

conference one day & said "he treats you well?" i said "like a princess" to which he responded "you make sure you tell him you know how lucky you are"

so, yeah. dad-approved status = perfect.

uncle kenny

my sweet family has been through a lot the past couple months.

we lost our aunt geneal in december, & shortly after found out

my uncle kenny has heart failure. last week, he underwent a scary

surgery for an LVAD. basically he is now half iron-man. he has a
metal implant in his heart that helps his heart pump, since it is too
weak to work on its own.

the upside? he's alive, & well on his way to recovery.. & closer to getting a heart transplant.

the downside? he requires 24/7 care. my poor cousins were pretty

overwhelmed when they learned that. he needs a low sodium diet as well as
constant monitoring in case something goes wrong with his LVAD.

luckily we have an amazing family that has jumped on board to help!

here is some of us on saturday at our training.

we learned how to replace the batteries to his LVAD, & what to do

in case of emergency (in which his LVAD beeps & beeps & i feel

like i will have a panic attack). since someone has to be there all the time,

we've signed up for shifts to be at mary's (his ex-wife, who is the sweetest

woman in the whole world & offered her entire house to kenny & his family)

to take care of him.

now tuesdays after i get off work, i'll head over to mary's to "babysit" kenny.

i don't really consider it that though.

i'm looking at it as a way to bond with kenny & anyone else who may be there

while i'm there.

it's going to be fun! & hopefully it won't last long.. hopefully soon

he'll have a brand new heart!

i love my family. their support is overwhelming & i am so glad to know they are here when times get tough. i am so grateful my parents are in such good health!!
speaking of good health, i'm not sure if you can tell in this picture but both
of my parents have lost a ton of weight! they are looking so good!

ash wednesday.

 

as most of you know, i don't really consider myself any relgion

in particular.

however, i do like to embrace certain parts of certain religions

that i like, or that i feel will better myself & the world around me.

i've taken part in lent for several years now. i started it in 2009 when

i lived in logan & one of my best friends, adam, was catholic.

we both gave up meat for lent that year & then went to easter mass

at the end of the 40 days.

since then i've participated almost every year... i've given up

candy/sweets, alcohol & fast food.

one thing i've always been too afraid to give up for 40 days is caffeine.

but i think i'm going to do it this year.

so today at work i basically bathed in coffee as a "last hurrah." i get

to spend the next 40 days working overnights & going to school

full time with no help from caffeine... i'm a little scared.

so if you cross me in the next couple months & i'm a grumpy

grumpy girl.. you'll know why. it will be a struggle but that's sort

of the point of lent. so... here's to my last cup o joe & my last day

of having a diet pepsi for lunch.

ash wednesday is tomorrow, & my sabbatical begins!

anyone else doing lent this year? what are you giving up?

hi.

 

i dyed my hair purple this weekend.

that is all.

:) 

IT'S FEBRUARY!!!!

IT'S FEBRUARY!

this is me in february of 2010, literally jumping for joy that 

january was over.

really... i hate the month of january. it's cold, smoggy, & snowy.

& i always feel like spring will never come.

then feb 1st rolls around & suddenly i feel HOPEFUL again.

such a good feeling. happy day everyone!

quote of the week.