married for a month club.

So you know how I just posted about being married? I just so happened to post that the day before our one month anniversary. I say that because you'll notice that I did my post Up themed because it's us and adorable and yadda yadda yadda.

So I came home from work yesterday on our one month being married anniversary. I was exhausted from work and so was he. As we sat on the couch in our 15-20 min zone out when we get home I mentioned that it was our one month anniversary. Paul just turned to me and said, "Yes. It is our one month anniversary. Do you know what that means? We're in the married club. Yup. The one month married mark means you get to be in a club. And do you know what you need to be in a club?" I shook my head--having no idea where he was going with this (especially with his sneaky look in his eye and his "proud of himself smile" on his face). He then reached into his work shirt pocket and said, "You need a pin to be in a club. A very special unique marriage club pin."

He then pulled out two of these:

Yup. We both now have our own married pins cause we're in the married club.

Can you see what I mean when I say we're perfect for each other? :D

We then went to the grocery store to get food (very romantic haha), but the entire time we wore our pins so that people would know that we are official members of the married for more than a month club.

:D

married life.

So... this happened: 

And now this happens everyday: 

It really is the best thing ever and I  feel so blessed and am so unbelievably happy! :D

I wish you all the best, and I hope that every one out there can find the Carl to their Ellie :)

wedding colors :)

san. freaking. tastic.

So today is November 2nd. Today is technically the halfway point of my mission. 9 months in.

What did I do today instead of being in Brazil? I went to my favorite city of all time: San Francisco! Which happens to only be about 2 hours from where I currently live. It's amazing! Today was just such a good day that I feel I must blog about it. We drove down and stopped right before the Golden Gate Bridge. It was sunny, 75 degrees, and no one was there! We found a quick parking spot right in front, got out, and I got to go and use my fun camera for the first time since I came back. Then I drove over the bridge!!! (which I have never done before..) and we also went to drive down Lombard street. It was awesome. San Fran was practically empty today. We found an entire empty parking street one block from the piers and paid about 5 bucks to park for 2.5 hours (amazing). We ate a seafood lunch and walked along the piers while I got to take more fun pictures and photo stalk my friend and her boy friend. I guess the boy friend doesn't technically like taking pictures, but.... once he saw how cool they turned out he even got to posing for me. SO FUN! I LOVE taking pictures! I haven't done it in so long that I must have forgotten. We then went to the Palace of Fine Arts and took more pictures (the closest parking spot was open and free), we then drove around to see Chinatown/more of the city, and then we went to Ghiradelli square to have the traditional ice cream sundaes (which are AMAZING.) (Yes, we also found parking for free right in front).

Basically, today was one of the most magically San Francisco days of all time. It was sunny, warm, and no one was there. I guess that makes sense for a wednesday in November, but whatever. I'm not complaining! It was just.. perfect. (Rivaling with Scotland perfect. Almost there..)

I hope that you all had a great day as well :)

it's still warm here!!!!

You read that right. It is November 1st and it is still warm here in sunny California where I now live. I always thought that California was overrated.. That people were just crazy to want to live there. Now that I have graced the northern part I know that they are not crazy, they are the smartest people. EVER. As you know (probably), I am back from my mission to Brazil and now jumping back into life (which I am LOVING btw..) Here's the thing though. I left in Feb and stayed in Utah until late March. Aka. I lived a winter here. It was cold. THEN I went to Brazil in April in time for their fall (remember the other hemisphere temperature change?) and I lived through being really REALLY cold in southern Brazil with no heater. (and no insulation in the walls. aka. sleeping in the same temperature that is outside with cold showers. BRRRRRR). And now that I am back up north, we are just heading into what again? That's right. WINTER. AGAIN. My THIRD winter in 1 freaking year. yeah. I wasn't too stoked about the idea of bumming it in dreary (yet beautiful) Seattle for my 3rd winter, so when the opportunity came up I abandoned ship and went to move in with my dear friend from school :).

Why northern Cali is better.. I mean, cool too:
1. It is about an hour and a half away from everything. San Fran (<-- favorite city), Beach, Tahoe, Yosemite? Yup. All close.
2. It is November and still t-shirt weather.
3. Driving here is a lot "quicker"
4. I'm close to extended relatives that I didn't really know but now have met and they are awesome!
5. I am living 'on my own.'
6. Did I mention that my boyfriend is only an hour and twenty mins from me too? Bonus. Much better than 7k miles.
7. There are both palm trees and evergreens. It's lovely :)
8. I live right next to a beautiful lake AND a river.

9. I moved here on a Sunday, had an interview on a Tuesday, was hired the same day for a better position than I wanted for more pay and a clothing allowance, and oh yeah, I started the next day. Miracle/awesomeness.

10. Happiness. Just a lot of happiness :D

So yeah.. I went, I came back, and I went off again. But that's what my life is always about right? Lots and LOTS of adventures :)

'ello again

Teaching is fun. Teaching is intimidating. Teaching is awesome. Teaching is difficult. Teaching teaches me. All of the afore mentioned statements have become quite true for me in the last few months. I had the opportunity to work at my old high school and help teach and direct in their theater program! Point Sam! I had many days that I would come home almost literally skipping with excitement and bursting to tell my friends and family how much fun it was to work with the kids. "So and so really did a great job with their acting and made huge strides today! Another person really listened and came up with fantastic ideas! I learned so much today and am so glad that I'm teaching theater!" Other days I would come home thinking twice about the whole teaching concept... "There were so many of them! No one was listening! No one was respecting me as their teacher! Stop cutting rehearsal to make-out with someone in the hallway!!!"

Recently we started doing a musical that requires the use of two British accents and I have taken it upon myself to become the accent coach. Yes, this decision has in fact infiltrated my life for the better! Now, while I work at my other job that actually pays me money, I am constantly singing and dancing along to the incessantly contagious Christmas songs while intermittently trying to speak in as many different accents as possible. The staples as of right now include British (With the T) and Bri'ish (Without it). However, do not be alarmed! I am still throwing in a good New Jersey, Southern, and Irish and am working on Indian and Russian (aided by my co-workers).

Other life. I am going to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I was assigned to the Brazil, Florianopolis mission and I leave February 2nd! The actuality of me going to Brazil in any near future is pretty low seeing as visas are not coming through, but hey--I'm going on a mission and I literally do not care where it takes me. :)

To sum up, life has been happening for the past 6 months since I posted. Surprise! I didn't die, I am happily working and dating and preparing for the mish... It's kind of strange to think that in the next 6 months I will be out somewhere in the world wearing the black name tag and changing my life and hopefully others as well :).

Happy Holidays all!

(but most realistically just the one you who is reading this. Yeah I'm talking to you. You know who you are.. :D )

sounds like me..

Just a quick pet peeve to spring on the world wide web. Lately I have been reading a lot of things for marketing and also just things that friends post on various websites. My pet peeve is this: If you write something, I want to be able to hear you saying it in my head. For some reason, there are a few people that I know that write things and it sounds absolutely nothing like them! Their excitement comes off as petty and their usual sarcastic wit is dimmed by cliches. Please oh please let whoever reads this (if they know me) think to themselves, "Wow. That sounds just like Sam! She could have just sat across the table and read it to me, and I 100% would have known that it was her."

Basically. Please just be yourself! I don't want to go read something you post in order to catch up or continue a friendship and feel like I am reading about someone completely different! Bah!

Ok. Rant finished.

HAGS. :D