birthday hangs.

Last Saturday my youngest little sister, Chloe, turned seven years old. Seven! (This really does make me feel kind of old.)

So, yesterday I decided I would take her out for a birthday lunch. I told her we could go anywhere. And guess what? All the kid wanted was a cheeseburger and some french fries.


My kinda gal.


We ate.
We talked.
She played in the play-plex.
She made a new friend. (How the heck do kids do that?)
We sang Ingrid Michaelson together on the car ride home.


I had the best time with her, and I'm pretty sure we need to have another lunch date real soon.

Chloe is honestly the coolest little kid I know. I'm so excited that Tatum gets to have her as not only an aunt, but a friend. I know T will learn so much neat stuff, and have so much fun, with her Aunt Chlo. I can't wait to witness all of the adventures they will share. <3

Happy Birthday, Chloe Beth! And thanks for being so wonderful. I love you!

BFFL + a surprise!

(ignore daniel.)

This is my best friend.

She's wonderful.

We've been best friends since our freshman year of high school.

And we'll be best friends forever.

Yesterday I met her in Cape to run some errands and have some girl time.

We stopped at a local cafe/winery, owned by my friend Haley's family, called Cup 'N Cork and had some really yummy Iced Tea Lemonades.

We walked around downtown and stopped in at one of the many antique malls.

I found about a thousand things that I need.

Yes, need.

We went to this super great sushi placed, Saffron, that Leah really likes.

I'd never eaten there before, but it's safe to say that it's probably my favorite now.

We tried five different kinds:

1. Salmon Skin roll

2. Philadelphia roll

3. Spicy Tuna

4. really big word roll

5. St. Louis roll

They were all very, very good. And I highly recommend you visit if you ever happen to be in this area. 

It was a really nice day.

I love when I spend quality time with her.

And I'm making sure it happens more often.

------

I mentioned that we ran some errands...

I was going to make a separate post for this, but I'll just come out and say it...

i'mababyandwe'renolongermovingtoVegasbecauseI'mscaredrightnow.

Did you get that?

Good.

So, anyways, those "errands" were hunting for job applications.

Leah and our other friend, Hannah, are moving to Cape.

Basically out of nowhere, Josh and I had a discussion, and now we're also moving to Cape.

I honestly do feel that it's the best decision for us right now, though.

I don't think I'm ready for such a big, crazy move. 

In fact, I know I'm not.

And I think we're going to be really happy in this area for awhile. (At least 6 months.)

I'll have my friends.

Things to do.

Family nearby.

And I'm not afraid I'll hate it.

Maybe once Josh and I are more stable we'll be able to make a big commitment like that.

But for now...this is what's good for us.

And I'm glad that's off my chest.

xo.

two whales in a pod.

so, as most of you probably know...i hate my job.

one of my "resolutions" for this year was to find a new one, asap.

i've just felt very under appreciated for a long time there.

and i also hate all of the drama that goes along with this job.

i hate sounding really whiny and complaining, but there's just some stuff i have to get off my chest.

(then, onto happy things!)

at the beginning of this year, i took my two weeks of vacation.

after i got back to work, i found out that they didn't count my second week, because i can't take it til after my anniversary.

but apparently no one decided to tell me this the multiple times i asked about it.

thanks, guys!

also upon my return, i find that i have been kicked out my position in the office and demoted to cashier.

it has been about 3 weeks that i've been back and no one talks to me about it. at all.

until two days ago.

my manager comes and talks to me and tells me that because i was out for a week, i was kicked out.

so on top of the fact that i was so sick i could barely walk or even move,

or that i was seeing multiple doctors everyday...

i lost my job.

it's just very hard to accept and deal with.

i want to get out of there as fast as i possibly can.

ANYWAYS.

yesterday started out as a pretty rough day in paradise.

i won't lie...josh and i aren't perfect always.

he had his moment yesterday afternoon, and i had mine later that night.

and honestly, i can't even care that there are occasionally moments like these.

i love seeing how josh and i work through things and every time we do i feel closer to him.

i love watching how the two of us grow together and learn from each other.

it's so beautiful and wonderful to me!

things were mended quickly and we had a fun day.

we went to eat at steak n shake.

every time we go josh always gets chicken fingers and fries with barbeque sauce.

but when the waitress asks what he wants, he says, "chicken fingers with ra--barbeque sauce."

because he hates, hates, hates ranch.

and he did it a million years ago when we first started dating, to be silly, and now he has done it ever since.

it always makes me laugh. :)

i really wanted to go to the pet store afterwards, so we did!

i tried to get josh to guess my favorite fish, but they DIDN'T EVEN HAVE IT. thanks a heap, petsway!

we also looked at chinchillas, which i have a really funny story about, but i'll save that for another day. :)

there was this really funny little bird that hated josh and every time he got close it would snap at him.

but it let me touch it's creepy, cute little toes and talk to it.

and they had a bunch of "free to good home" dogs that i was DYING to have, but i know the 'rents would have killed me. :(

we went to jcpenney's and looked in their jewelry dept. at rings.

they didn't have the kind i liked, they only had the square and pear styles.

but i still liked going to get a better grasp of what sizes and stuff are like.

it was really awkward for me talking to the people behind the counter.

because i didn't like anything they were trying to show me, and i felt so weird being like, "no. no. no." ha.

oh, and at one point the lady was like, "i heard you make a comment about diamonart. what was that?"

and i was like, "um....they're not...real?"

and she was like, "oh. right. they're CZ. you don't want that?"

do i want a fake diamond ring? no, no thank you, lady.

i mean, i'm not trying to be shallow or greedy, but i would like a real ring!

i told josh he had to do the talking, and we left. :)

we went to the movies and saw "when in rome."

it was pretty cute! but there was this lady behind us that thought that literally every line of the movie was like, rip-roaringly funny. josh and i could not handle it. so funny.

i love being with my best friend.

seriously, such a blessing! :)

a little bit of an update.

so far, my plan to workout regularly and take better care of myself is going pretty well.

i haven't actually done anything to my diet much yet, but it's definitely improved.

and the working out is going to go well. i can just tell; i have really good feelings about it.

leah joined me and got a membership to the gym on monday.

so i'll have someone to push me and encourage me, whenever she's around.

on monday night, i stayed over with my friends leah and carrie.

carrie is from here, but moved to sweden about a year ago to live with her boyfriend, jacob.

it was so great to see her and spend time with her.

she's been one of my best friends since we were 7 years old. :)

we made brownies and watched the movie "adam."

and we also had lots of girl talk.

i love her and missed her.

so fun!

yesterday i had to go have a nuclear ultrasound.

it was really weird and was the longest thing ever.

but today they called and everything came back negative.

so, i guess that's good....

but now i have to go back to the doctor for a new test:

they have to stick a camera/light down my throat into my stomach.

can't wait!

last night, josh and i made dinner together.

sort of...ha.

we usually make tacos, but last time we did, i was sick of them.

so this time, we made velveeta cheese and shells.

and i made steamed vegetables as my side.

and he had pizza as his.

i swear it is all he eats.

i start back to school and work next week.

not really sure how i'm feeling about this yet.

but, i've decided that i'm just going to take classes that i want to take and that i'll enjoy.

not what i feel like i have to take.

i'm taking an art class, and tomorrow i'm going to sign up for a couple of business classes.

and i don't know what else yet.

i just think this is the best way to figure out what i really want to do, career-wise.

how did you ladies figure out what you wanted to do?

what made you decide!

:)

---------

also! chloe is doing a really neat giveaway of some of her awesome work.

check it out!

and if you don't already, definitely start following her.

she's totally sweet and completely cute and funny!

:)

last night, i found myself with another real reason to go out--thank goodness.

originally, josh and i were going to dinner with matt and trey.

and then, i invited leah along.

apparently, this was "weird."

(but what is actually weird is boys. yeah, i mean you, mister.)

but that is completely okay!

because leah and i went out to dinner, just the two of us, and had some girl time.

we went to las margaritas (las mas), which is pretty much a staple around here.

whenever i go, i always get the same thing:

shrimp chimichanga!

but i decided to shake things up a little last night, and i got the "yoli's special."

which was breaded and lightly fried tilapia w/ mexican rice, avocados, lime, and side garden vegetables.

it was fine at best.

but, i'm glad i tried something new!

leah has been my best friend since our freshman year of high school.

we don't really see a lot of each other these days, and i really hate that.

it's something i definitely want to change.

we need to get as much quality time in as possible this year, while we're both still here.

josh spent today at his parent's house working on booking and poker.

so i had some alone time.

it was a pretty productive day....

i finished up a disc of mad men, 90210, and watched some friends.

i briefly fell asleep.

(my sleep schedule is all out of whack, and it is so terrible.)

i ate some cinnamon life.

that's all.

....

just kidding! onto the productive parts:

a new idea for a children's book/series popped into my head.

i'm going to start trying to develop it a lot more, hopefully, over the course of this next week.

it's my last week of vacation, so i'll have plenty of time.

and today i also filled out two applications on my new job search.

one for Hibbett Sports, a sporting goods store.

and the other for Hastings, an entertainment store.

i definitely won't quit my current job until i have something new secured, but i'm still incredibly nervous!

i've been at the same job for close to three years now.

and i've never had another job before.

it all feels so new to me, and it's a little out of my comfort zone.

but it's really important to me.

finding a new job is part of my quest for eliminating negativity.

it has to be done!

i hope everyone has the best week.

:)