Stay by Rihanna

and the highlight that seems to have everyone talking

Yes, the rumors are true. 

After quite a long time keeping my distance from men, one guy has managed to break through my rough exterior shell. I was personally beginning to think it was impossible, but I am glad he proved me wrong. 

His name is Ben and he is one of the most genuine people I know. I am actually convinced that he doesn't have any bad qualities. He is seriously the greatest. He is honest, respectful and kind to everyone. He makes me want to be a better person. (:

I am pretty fond of him. 

And no, we don't have any pictures together yet. 

You'll have to wait another four weeks for those gems (lets hope it goes by fast).

highlights of the last couple months.....

It has been quite a while, months in fact. So much has happened. Where do I begin?

Easter

 Mini-golfing/ Denny's night.

That time Andrew made me cook!

Impromptu jams on the JAM house porch (:

Sunday temple walks

Kaitlyn's birthday at Aulani

Taking my bests to sunset at Sunset Beach(:

Eating at Ola's

Getting some sun at Huntington Beach with Gianni (:

 Hanging out with Siena at California Adventure

I love this place.

Alayna and I before leaving Cali

My adorable parents, Aiden, Connor, Alayna and Braydon. Love them all.

My cute sisters

Giving Gianni hugs before I had to go

Back to paradise, beaching with the best and her cute little Eva.

So lucky to have her in Hawaii with me!!

we fall in love and we don't fall out

i love love.

sharing is caring

So watch the world tear us apart,

A stoic mind and a bleeding heart

You never see my bleeding heart

And your lights always shining on

And I have been traveling oh so long,

I have been traveling oh so long.

[Mumford & Sons]

I go through Pandora kicks. It helps me stay on top of the music scene. Back in the day (high school) I used to manage without using this magnificent tool and I couldn't tell you how. Possibly because the music scene is never dull in Seattle. Always a new band with a new sound that only the cool people (everyone) know about.

The Lumineers Radio has been on the menu for the last couple of weeks and man, what a great choice that has been. Let's just say that I have loved just about everything that has played on that station. It is the greatest, and because it would be rude not to share, I thought I would give everyone a little taste. 

Here is a preview, I will get around to sharing more later.

the little things

Someone once said:

"It's the little things that make life so big."

I have a full heart. These past couple weeks I have been working really hard on a few things: keeping my room clean (SUCCESS), finding ways to serve others (doing my best), and trying to have a forgiving heart (almost there!). Hawaii has been so kind to me. 

I love this quote from MT and I believe it to be true. We each are here for a purpose. Some of our tasks may be large, while others may be small. Nobody could ever take your place. 

I am grateful for God, my church, my strong-willed family, and this incredibly welcoming community that I live in and have grown to adore. 

On that note, I will leave you with the beautiful rainbow that I saw after leaving the Laie, HI, Temple this evening. 

bad case of the late night mumbles

The late hours of the evening are never a good time for me to start writing. Alas, the evenings are the only time that I ever find the time to write, so here goes nothing. 

Tonight I am writing simply because it has been too long. I have had so many female emotions these last couple of months. One of the worst parts of being a female. Or the best? Who knows. All I know is that I have been on an emotional roller-coaster. Not necessarily a bad one. As I write this I realize that I am making zero sense. But I will try to elaborate. 

I have experienced a lot in my life, but certainly not everything. Hearing about other people and their trials help me to realize that mine are small in comparison. However, my experiences have helped me to develop a pretty thick skin, maybe too thick? 

Here is my problem: I have a very difficult time shedding tears. I don't know what it is! Some might regard this as a good thing. It could be, I suppose. I just find it frustrating. There are times when I am genuinely sad, angry, or just exhausted, and all I want to do is cry. It is almost as if I won't allow myself, like I have programmed myself to get up and move on.

Sometimes this solution works. Other times the hurt just gets swept under the rug for a little while until I am reminded of it again. 

Is it so strange to want to cry? Probably. At this very moment I am not even sad, I just think it would be refreshing. Like raspberry lemonade. Yum. 

That's about enough from me tonight, maybe I will get some time to write tomorrow while I am not so sleepy.