cameroooni.

once upon a time..

22 years ago..

THIS bundle of joy was born into the world.

and i could not be happier.

Cameron Smithson was my co my 4th week.

and to this day it was still one of my favorites.

Cameron taught me: patience.

and i know when people say that-it could be a bad thing like he was always testing my patience or something but no, no that's not what i mean.

He taught me in the greatest way possible; by example.

he taught me {at stressful times during the week} that it wasn't my fault.

that it could be solved and you can get through it with JOY and LAUGHTER.

Cameron is a GOOOF.

He was {and is} my hero.The week he was my partner was one of the most life-changing of the summer I'd say.

I left that week having the best attitude for the weeks to come. And it was all because of this little birthday boy of joy! He never is negative about anything. If there is something to be negative about he like suddenly changes it into the positive. It's remarkable.

For example: the boys were housed in helaman while the girls were in heritage..required WALKING. One day the girls were late, which set us back for pictures and the dance. Cameron could tell I was stressed and still had to get to dance duty. He just laughed and told me it was fine and that they would meet us halfway and of course singing the blackeyed peas song meet me halway..

I love you my Cameroooni.

Make it the best day ever..because you sure do deserve it..

all i really really want are a good

sexy pair of overalls.

what. is that a crime?

Going to hear the relief society broadcast in slc was enjoyable! usually it's a hasal with parking and such but we decided to do it and it was just a blast being RIGHT there. feeling the spirit so strong and being in the same room as the first presidency is indescribable. what a great opportunity we have-and i think we should take more advantage of it. people in other states and countries wouldn't even dream of it. we're lucky. i think they nailed the two top concerns at this conference. being judgemental and lacking in visiting teaching. of course at times, we do always hear that but i think we should each make an important effort to do better and stand a little taller concerning these things. i know i will. {or at least try}
before the conference mama and i had a nice time at a little cafe across the street from the capitol theatre. we had a blast! Thanks mom i love you!

when i first heard this i thought it was a joke.
it's not.
this is her last season.
thank you for keeping me company at 4 pm everyday.
although it may or may not have been my lifetime goal
to be in the audience of your show, i will sadly say-
goodbye oprah.

weird/coolest thing ever.
sun shining..70ish degrees..oh wait what was that? hail storm don't mind if i do..

---------

my mom was out of town for her day of birth

so we had a party when she returned..

i love her!

and am so excited to spend the day with her..

i am blessed to have such a great mama.

and we're all blessed to be able to have another opportunity to hear from our prophet and relief society sisters tonight.

withdrawals.

this summer it was part of a daily routine to enjoy one {or two} of these bad boys:

and of course, wash it down with a can of this good stuff:

it got to a certain point where everyone around me knew that

the orange fanta was mine. people didn't ask what kind of drink

to get me when they offered to get me one. No no, they knew.

i think it's safe to say that i am going through withdrawals.

i love it.

when you take someone away from the crowd

and talk with them one on one.

it is like they are a whole new person.

and you could talk forever and ever. . .

{chandler anne this is for you}

some things will come and go

but chan and i will stay the same.

always.

thank you skype for making that possible.

love you honey!

M&TSW

M & TSW = Music and The Spoken Word, duh.
Deids and i have been putting off going for quite sometime now.
It's just too early to get up and drive an hour to go..
But successfully we accomplished the inevitable.

we thought it was in the conference center but it ended up being

in the tabernacle which was even more incredible!

It brought back memories from when conference was in there.

{how blessed we are to have the new conference center that holds so many more}

President Monson and his wife were in attendance and that was a real treat as well.

I will definitely be going again. It's different every week. Go Go Go.

after we took a walk around the temple.

Some sister missionaries took our picture {i'm sure that's what they never stop doing}

but as we were walking two missionaries caught my eye. Telling this couple about our

beautiful temple. Seeing the happiness of the missionary sharing what she knows and loves best was such a cool experience for me. It made me want to do splits with them again.

and of course all we wanted to do was get up on

the roof to take a picture..but since 9/11 you have to go up

to the top with a "host" so why not?

The greatest old man was our tour guide. We said all

we wanted was a picture and to leave but he convinced us to take a quick tour at

the top. which was such a great idea.

At the top there is this marble or glass looking wall, called the "garden roof mural." It has pictures of indians, pioneers, and modern day people. At the top of this wall it says the scripture in D&C i think it is that says:

And this Gospel shall be preached unto every Nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people..

As you are walking up to it you then see your reflection in the wall as well. It is to show us that we are included in that plan. He mentioned that it was a very sturring special moment for some of the non-members of the church that take this tour. I was thinking about that on the way home and how much work we still have to do with preaching this wonderful gospel. It's kind of exciting in a way, is it not?

eatpraylove

this week went to dinner with the roomies (i'm adopted remember)

mimi's.

the waiter/waitress always caves into us

when we ask her if we could order off the kids menu.

it's such a great deal okay?!

AND not to mention the "dirt cups." gummmmmy.worms.

fun to feel like a kid once in a while. try it. . .

Friday.

i accompanied these lovely ladies to their

stake activity. the sunset was a fabulous one.

Meet:

ASHLEY

KAY

SANT.

incredible, {tan} and HILARIOUS.

she's my other half when it comes to the slurpeeee crew.

{and cutest couples, what ash? hahahh}

we found suzannnner face.

ryan was sick of pictures at this point

tiff was in town for a date so after she joined us for a movie. Only ones in the theatre woo. Morgan and Kristinky came as well but they were tardy. We went and saw Eat Pray Love and it was amazing! A little long to see late at night, but it was incredible. Oh the places you can travel..and the peace you can obtain.

dearest hair,

everytime i think of doing this to you...

i panic because i remember that it could be as long as this. . .

{side note. i had mono when this was taken so stop judging}

ah decisions. decisions.

sluuuuuuurPees.

hi.

meet the slurpee crew.

i love slurpees..

no no wait,

i love love love love

love love

love

slurpees.

yeah that's better.

side note: ash and i are the only true members of the slurpee crew.

everyone just "comes along for the ride." i guess we're cool or something?

last night.

Last night i probably had the FUNNiiEST date

i have had in a while.

and it included this bad boy. . .

if you want to laugh the hardest you have ever laughed

then go rent one of these.

i can officially check that off my bucket-list.

i went to Lion King last night with the siblings. i was hesitant i would compare it too much to the one we saw in NYC in March--wasn't too different. And the vocal levels were still phenomonal. we were on the aisle seats and the animals walk down the aisle's to the stage and the hyena's walked down and it scared me. as my little brother mark is laughing at me being scared-another hyena walks passed and laughs in mark's face which terrified him. It was so hilairous.

i love love love love love granola.

there are many few CD's in my collection where i love every SINGLE syllable of it and Sara Bareilles, Kaleidoscope Heart is one of them. AAAAAaa-mazing.

i have a craving to write with chalk on my driveway.

has it already been a whole year? you apply to be apart of EFY next summer-NEXT MONTH.

halloween memorabilia has been out for a while now. once halloween is passed-the radio starts to play christmas tunes. what the? time goes by fast.

i have never seen music and the spoken word. i think we'll change that this weekend.

has it really been 9 years since the trade towers were hit? never forget that day and the fear and saddness i felt.

sometimes i want to be a secret agent.

my friends make fun of me for my current saying: "i love friends for the holidays."
but it really is true! halloween is always a treat..christmas festivities..it's all a blast. and then when it gets closer everyone (college students) goes home and you spend great times with your familia.

my parents were gone for a week and i had to play mama and it made me realize how much time my mom DOESN'T have. everytime i would sit down to do something i had to get back up to make the next meal, clean the next room, or drop off at the next activity. Thanks mama for all you do! {and hope it was a happy bday}

i never realized how bering your testimony really does strengthen it. and all along i thought it was just some kind of cliche. love this church!

confession: lately i have been worrying at night how my kids are doing from the summer. if they still are staying strong in this evil world; if i really did make a difference in their life; if they are sticking to their commitments that they made. then finally i randomly recieved 3 messages from kids 3 different weeks...

Nicolie bear! i wanted to write you and see how you were doing..

EFY has changed my life Nicole. I go to the scriptures for guidance, I'm working on my prayers, I even fasted one day for comfort. I've been called in the Laurels presidency, and i'm half way done with my Personal Progress. My boyfriend and i decided to break up until he goes and comes back from his mission, which I am encouraging him to go on. :) I also look to my filled out EFY booklet for guidance...

Nicole!!! I miss u so much!! Guess what? My best guy friend recently started coming to church with me and is taking the missionary discussions!! And he really sounds interested in getting baptized! I have been helping him learn the gospel just like you said i could! Thank you for believing in me and teaching me how to be the person i want to become...

..I am doing it. That week at EFY you said you would come. Well september 25 is the day i am getting baptized. Nicole i'm scared but so happy. My dad was disappointed but i just kept thinking about you and the others that week and how i had more support than i ever needed to go through with this and become a true member...

and THAT ladies and gentleman. is why i do EFY.

peace out lovelies.

go enjoy the beautifully cool day!

soul.sisters

Introducing 2 special people:

thank you for being my life saver this summer.

thank you for talking in riddles.

thank you for the best week of my life (roomie)

thank you for staying up late and talking to me.

thank you for eating dead pizza with me.

thank you for being my literal taxi driver this summer.

thank you for continuing to be so excited to see me each and everytime.

thank you for the way you talk.

thank you for your missionary example, sister pasker.

thank you for achieving HARD things and having a REAL career.

thank you for putting up with my complaining.

thank you for your spanish jams.

---
remember how airplanes is our song?

remember how you convinced me you got locked out of the dorms and slept at jimmy's?

remember the week we knew sign language?

remember eating at the cannon/heaven?

remember how you would completely "set up shop" and make those dorm rooms beautiful?

remember how we felt like rebels breaking ben's law not to go out past midnight?

remember how you were our ring leader? {haha}

remember when we skipped class and had wendy's at 10 AM?

remember wild life park?

remember how we took a nap and woke up 5 mins before we had to be with our kids?

remember when you got in trouble for being immodest {once again, HAHA}

remember when you sprayed your perfume IN MY FACE and it turned into panic room so we ran into the showers at 1 AM?

remember when paige and sarah were fighting off ninja's while you were laughing your head off and i was freaking?

remember 2 in 1 carmel twix?

remember pita pita pit?

remember how my hair was SO greasy but you did it anyway like a polygamist?

remember when we would have one ounce of free time we just spent it on fb?

remember when you showed me tacorta teo the best spanish song ever?

remember how my vocabulary grew so much after knowing you?

"love love love."

"just bein miley."

"panic room."

"just on the face."

"tott's"
"..like a first time."

"yummy yummy treat treat"

"buuuu.bye"

thank you for doing saturday night live skits so very well.

thank you for wanting to know me and introducing yourself {haha}

thank you for having the same taste of music as me.

thank you for introducing me to 9beans.

thank you for being on my side when dating drama happens :)

thank you for taking the pictures so i don't always have to.

thank you for knowing how i feel when i eat peanut butter m & m's

thank you for sharing glee obsession.

---

remember when i met you and we hung out that whole week straight?

remember how we only had one session together this summer?

remember how you are so beautiful and are flippin miss idaho?

remember how you sat with me on lunch duty that whole time?

remember how you drove us all the way to twin falls and let us stay in your manor?

remember how we wente to that concert in homeless park?

remember how we went to inception and it blew our minds?

remember how we went to taco bell drive through in the POURING rain and you used an umbrella?

remember how we formed a super crew?

remember how walking in sunlight is YOUR song?

remember how you almost KILLED us on the way to sandy?

remember when we had a photo shoot in 100 degree weather?

remember how we say what after every sentence?

remember how an elk chased me you and tiff and we literally thought we were gonna die?

remember how you spontaneously bought a bike at walmart?

remember how sharing a bed with you in dLand was so hilarious

remember when we drove through arizona and mckay's AC was broken?

remember how you'd say "again again again" after every ride at dLand?

remember how i made juice sooooo well at your house?

remember when you brought me home on saturday after efy and i shut the door on my leg?

remember how we matched everyday in california and i loved it?

remember how i miss twin falls and we're going back soon?

remember how we love the lake house and go empty handed?

remember how we fought like little kids with my backpack on the way to CA?

remember how we get judged for our modesty?

remember how you did the math for everyone's bill at that CA restaurant?

remember how we are soul sisters for LIFE?

convo that led to soul sisters:

N: yeah i loved my co this week. she is like my best friend!

T: and what are WE??

D: yeah title me one more time Nicole

N: my..uh..my SOUL SISTERS

--they laughed and laughed at me. BUT YET the name stuck :)

i love love love you both.

cut cut rave dance...

obsessed.

Mark and i had a fun weekend..
i'm happy he is my best guy.

{byu game}

{found this little guy}

{made dinner and a cake..cooking show style}

{frosting}

{and my 2 bff's heard about my fabulous

spice cake and wanted to see for themselves}

{thanks for the visit!}

LoViN MaS AMigAs!

free krispy kremes?

just happen to be there when they were throwing

out the old? check.

roomie lunch at mimi's.

{i'm adopted}

BYU football game.

i clearly don't go to byu so i don't dress up?

Happy Birthday Mama!!

She doesn't like being on my blog

so i'll just give her a small shout-out

I love you so much. Thanks for making

me want to be a better person each day!

t

i

e

d

y

i

n

g

thank you mom.

at target with my mother the other day we had this convo:

Me: YUM. i think i want to buy some peanut butter M&M's!
Mama: nah, you don't need those. You're not depressed.

{referring to my previous blog post about only eating those when i'm feeling really sad or down}

----thanks mom for being my one and only true reader of this blog. i really do appreciate it.---

JOHN.MAYER HERE WE COME.

we chose tye die for the wardrobe choice.

I HEART BECKY SHEPHERD.

we had bought our tickets together in APRIL and so

we were a bit bummed that we weren't actually going together.

we both decided to go with our EFY-er friends, but we promised each other we would meet up.

Little do we know that our EFY-er friends ARE FRIENDS

and we were all in the same group sitting by each other.

that is the second time we've done that. {meeting up in dLand.}

okay we were kinda far away

but i didn't care.

it was theeeee best thing ever.

he was simply magical live.

although he was high, stoned, drunk-you name it-we didnt' care

because his commentary was hilarious!

meet my bff brittany.
she made this concert and i
would not have gone with
anybody else. . .

this is about half the crew that was there.

quick pic stuck in traffic.

we decided to have a dance party

until the parking lot cleared. . .

this was at the beginning of our dance party..

we had a ton of people come out and join us by the end.

EPIC night.

according to Zackkkarius.