oh irony.

relationships are like teeter totters. one side up, the other down. perfection comes when both are equal.

do you remember that song by Alanis Morissette back in the day called ironic. meet my life. 

yep. thats it. 

oh yes, and im in love with the song maybe by ingrid michaelson. listen to it. love it.

its the most wonderful time of the year.

christmas is just around the corner, but after yesterday i might have to disagree that christmas is the best time of the year. Dont get me wrong, I am a Christmas enthusiast. I love the snow, the lights, the decorations, the magic. But fall with its crisp air, changing leaves, golden skies, and "jacket weather" might win out.

An old friend and I drove the Alpine Loop today. It was perfection. It is a road that winds up the mountains, showing the autumn leaves in all their splendor. The windows were rolled down and the air smelled so fresh. We made our way up to Cascade Springs which might be one of my favorite places on this earth. I showed him my "thinking bridge" and made him sit with me as we watched the water rush underneath us. Rascal Flatts serenaded us on the way home. I couldnt stop smiling. My cheeks started to hurt because of it. I was amazed how perfect life was, even if just for a moment.

fooooooooooooooooooooooooood.

I am constantly shocked i am not 500 pounds because I LOVE food. Especially good food. However being in college, poor, and extremely busy means my meals normally consist of "rice sides" or cold cereal. Very nutritious. Recently on pinterest (yes, I have become addicted with the rest of the female population) I see delicious looking thing after delicious looking thing. I have these moments where I forget I dont have time to cook and think of all the yummy things I am going to make. Reality quickly sets in when another night of rice comes to pass.

But exciting things of this week. It has been the week of delicious lunches. On tuesday a friend from freshman year and I went to the moa for lunch. The turkey harvest croissant made its way onto my plate. I could eat that every day and it would never get old. Who knew apples on a sandwich could be so good. Wednesday Megan and I went to the pendulum court for lunch. Neither of us had ever been, and she was writing a story on the theme day they were having. It was Rock n' Roll. I had the "I wanna hold your hamburger"  a gourmet hamburger that was absolutely amazing! Thursday was the moa again. We didnt have staff meeting so Megan and I decided to go to lunch to fill the extra hour. I branched out and got a chicken pot pie. It was the perfect choice for a fall day.

Moral of the story. I have spent too much money on food this week, but it  has been well worth it!

Here is megans article from the daily universe. She is amazing!

Pendulum Court holds Rock ‘n’ Roll Day

It's both the rotation of the earth and the bass beat that make this pendulum swing

Oct 12, 2011 by Megan Adams

Pendulum Court, the restaurant in the Eyring Science Center run by dietetics students, held a rock ‘n’ roll themed lunch on Wednesday as a way to attract more customers.
The restaurant featured “I Wanna Hold Your Handburger,” a gourmet burger stuffed with feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes, and topped with mozzarella cheese, as its main dish. Sides such as “Jimi Hendrix’s Bleeding Heart,” a chilled fruity soup, and “Carry On My Wayward Scone,” a cinnamon and chocolate chip scone, were available as well.

'Sweet Dreams Are Made of This Cookie' and other rock-n-roll themed foods were on the menu at Pendulum Court on Wednesday.

Katie Aston, a post-graduate dietetics intern from Salt Lake City, was one of the interns in charge of the theme day. She said the restaurant likes to hold theme days twice a semester to have fun and attract new customers. To choose the theme, the interns started with the idea of a gourmet burger.
“We’ve seen a lot of trends toward gourmet burgers,” Aston said. “We wanted to do a burger, and thought the rock ‘n’ roll theme would fit that really well, and everything just kind of fell into place after that.”
All items on the menu were prepared from scratch, and recipes were developed specifically for the event. To begin, the interns came up with two different burgers, then had a taste panel decide which was better. After that, they had to rework the recipe, which was originally made in a small batch, to make enough for 150 burgers. A similar process occurred for all menu items.
Madeline Lindberg, a junior from Valencia, Calif., in the dietetics program, was managing Pendulum Court. She said although the atmosphere in a preparation meeting was more stressful than usual due to the high number of reservations, the kitchen atmosphere was more fun because they played music, and workers were allowed to wear a band T-shirt.
“Coming into the day I was a little stressed because I was thinking that this was a theme day, and it has to be good,” Lindberg said. “But really everything was so well prepared … it was actually fun today.”
Students attending Pendulum Court agreed it was a fun way to spend lunch. Ellie Hall, a senior from Chicago majoring in family life, said she had never been there before, but loved it.
“The food was delicious,” Hall said. “It might win out for my favorite place to eat on campus … I loved having the Beatles serenade me while I read trivia facts about different rock ‘n’ roll icons.”
Although Pendulum Court is less known on campus, many students agree it is a place that should not be missed, no matter if it is a theme day or not.
“I can’t believe I waited four years to go to Pendulum Court,” Hall said.

Living the Life of a Seven-Year-Old

I have a wonderful life.I might be a little biased but its true.

Tonight for Family Home Evening we had a childhood theme. It started with "Welcooome to Faaaamillyyy Hooome Evening" which always brings significant joy to my heart. Then Alison took us away with amazing lesson on President Uctdorf's talk from the Relief Society Broadcast. She recounted the analogy of looking for the golden ticket in life. There are times we are so preoccupied with the things we want that we forget what we have. We are so looking forward to getting married, or graduating college, that we wish our life away. Like in Willy Wonka, they stopped enjoying the chocolate because they were so focused on the golden ticket.

We then finger painted. So fun. Except I never know what to draw or paint. So i went with the typical tulip that covers the corners of all my notes as I doodle in class.

What made the night go from good to great were the treats! The girls in charge went way above and beyond the call of duty. They brought dirt cups, tatter tots, chicken nuggets, gushers, fruit roll ups, and fruit snacks.

Our FHE group is so wonderful, and everyone is so fun. We stood around and talked for a bit before people started to realize they had homework waiting for them. Even though responsibility still called, it was nice to escape adulthood even if just for a few hours.

the feeling of being loved.

I dont know if anything can beat the feeling of being loved.

The feeling you get when you are with your family. When you are sick and your mom will let you lay with your head on her lap as she plays with your hair. Kisses you forehead. A random text from a friend saying they miss you. Someone who will listen. A kind note. Someone yelling your name across campus. A father complimenting you. A brother telling you you are wonderful.

It is wonderful.

Today I went to church with a friend. She is trying to convince me to move into her apartment, and told me to see how her ward was. The whole time I was there I kept thinking about what I was missing in my ward. I thought of the people I wasn't seeing, the announcements I wasn't hearing, and the roommates I was deserting. I couldn't help but wonder if anyone who notice I wasn't there. Had I made a mark in the ward? would I be missed?

I went to our "break the fast" and was shocked when the first person I saw asked where I had been. Person after person noticed I hadn't been at church. Remember that feeling of being loved. check. I went from liking my ward to loving my ward in a matter of seconds. It ended up being a perfect Sunday. and it was a perfect fall day. perfection.

under appreciated.

have you ever felt under appreciated? im not saying i am the bees knees, or that i am the best thing since sliced bread... but i hate not getting recognition when i feel it is deserved. today was that day at work.

Yesterday we (megan, brynn, and I) went to the new bluebell ice cream parlor to celebrate two years of working at student services. It has been a great two year, and I have made lasting friendships, but I cant help but feel that I am stagnant. Two years, and I am in the exact same position as when I was hired. I cant help but contrast it with EFY where I was constantly progressing and moving up.

True, I did leave for Spring and Summer this last year- but I still feel like I am not progressing, and being given the opportunity to progress.

A lot things added together made today my breaking point. I left work feeling frustrated, and done. So I did something crazy. I considered applying for a new job.

I feel like I have no idea where my life is headed, but I just keep moving forward. I applied for a new job, not sure if I will get hired, and not sure if I will take it. For the summer, I applied to work for EFY again this summer, but I am also applying to the Jerusalem center. I figure I might as well apply so I have options.

Funny story of the day: My roommate, Anne, and I are "off" sugar. Im not doing such a great job, but when I am around her I make sure to be strong so I can be a good support system. Yesterday, I got home, feeling as frustrated as could be and just wanted a few M&M's...yes, i have no self control. But Anne, and I were both making lunch in the kitchen, and i couldn't negate our "no sugar" by eating it in front of her. She left to borrow something from our neighbors and i used it as an opportunity for the much needed sugar. I grabbed a hand full, heard one drop, looked for the evidence, couldnt find it, figured it had rolled under the dishwasher I went on my merry way. I came back a few minutes later to check on my noodles, and they were turning blue! I had a brief moment of panic before I remembered the dropped m&m. It had landed right in the pot. I quickly fished out the now white m&m, drained the water, and replaced it with a new 4 cups. However, the moment was too funny, I had to share it with Anne. She laughed and laughed as I explained my weakness and the karma i had experienced. I am happy to say that my noodles did not taste like candy coating. but it made a frustrating day much better.

The night was filled with the gym, and then a singer/songwriter competition at the muse with megan. Her  editor, Court, was performing. Jesse was supposed to come along, but a message saying he was in the hospital with a dislocated shoulder explained his absence.

While my future is up in the air, the day ended wonderfully.

*Shout out to Michael and Rachel who have been married 6 years today!

Locked Out of Conference

I have failed at blogging this week. I sincerely apologize because I know you are all just dying to know every last detail and funny story of my life.

Last weekend was General Conference. It was splendid. Speaker after speaker brought the Spirit and spoke precious truths.

Friday, after the game, Cami and I went up to her house in Riverton. There is something about being in a home that is so comforting. We both were exhausted and feel right asleep, and then woke up for the first session of conference in the morning. Nothing beats being curled up with a blanket on the couch watching conference.

After the first session, we quickly got ready, and headed up to Salt Lake to see if we could get tickets to get in. I had never held up fingers for tickets so I didnt think it would work. As we were standing on the corner I saw the lovely Sister Kimberly Mullen. I must have scared those around me as i yelled and ran and hugged her! Oh how I miss that girl! She is so wonderful, and such a great missionary. We stood on the corner, fingers raised, talking to Sister Mullen and her companion- when miracle of miracles a kind woman came up and gave us two tickets.

We hurried and tried to find the end of the line in the midst of thousands of people, but to little avail. Eventually, we made it in line- and waited as we inched towards the doors. Finally, we made it inside. is 2:06. Conference had started. We ran to where our seats were, but it was full. They told us to try the terrace. We ran up the stairs. full. balcony. full. We were locked out. I couldn't help but think of the story of the 10 virgins. We were late, and because of that we werent going to be able to see the prophet. We made out way quickly across temple square and into the tabernacle to watch the broadcast, feeling slightly downtrodden.

Even though we didn't get in, it was still wonderful to be on temple square.

The rest of saturday was filled with a roommate night. Cafe Rio for the fourth time in two weeks. I have a problem. and rock canyon park. it was wonderful. We had a photo shoot with the sun making us silhouettes, and threw rocks at the metal container (it sounds like star wars). it was a party to say the least.

After our roommate bonding time, I got a text from an old friend from work, asking if I was up for an adventure. My answer: "of course!" Our adventure. Cornbellys with his two neices. It was a wonderful night- it felt like we were playing house. They laughed as I freaked out in the haunted house, and I was amazed by their speed on the bikes. The night ended with Allison getting hurt on the tractor ride. Her leg got stuck between the tire and the step while she was trying to jump on while it was moving. She was the bravest 11 year old ever. I dont think I would have been as brave as her.

Sunday was filled with another great day of conference at Matt and Keri's. It was fun to watch conference with family, and come up with ways to entertain the kids. I can remember the days of being little and hating having to sit through hours and hours of conference. I dont know when it changed, but i now love it more than anything.

It is amazing how fast the weekend flies with conference, but it was wonderful!

*pictures to come*

the shot heard around the stadium.

all that's running through my head right now is "shot through the heart, and youre to blame, you give love a bad name" oh the love I have for Bon Jovi.

Tonight was the BYU v USU game. I get slightly confused when both teams have the same colors. I will admit I found myself cheering for USU because I had forgotten we were in blue and white not white and blue. The game started out rough with USU scoring in the first the first seconds of the game, but turned around when BYU put Riley Nelson in. It turned a very boring, depressing game into one of excitement and hope. I have never been more grateful for my front row goal line seats than at that moment. BYU's 11 second winning touch down was right in front of my face.

if you look at the stands. im the short one with the Y on my short...megan is next to me with her arms folded. amazing seats.

The only moment that could possibly top that moment during the game was getting to shoot the cannon. who knew that so many good things could happen at one game. Megan and I got there 45 minutes before the game and went and talked to the ROTC guys. We told them how we had talked to someone the week before and he told us to ask. The paused for a second, and replied "okay, yeah, you can shoot it." The guy with the list wasnt there but one of them took my number and said he would call and let us know. The game started and there was no call. Our excitement and giggling soon died out as we lost hope of shooting the cannon. The end of the first quarter was near when my phone started buzzing. The marine who was calling was feet away, yet we conversed via phone. It was our time.

what you do when you get to the game 45 minutes early. please note the foam finger in the background. there were foam fingers on every seat. my very first foam finger. it was an exciting day for many reasons.

waiting to shoot the cannon. it was exciting to be on the field.

pulling the cannon. a momentous moment.

it was hard to pull. hence the laughing.

we did it! talking with our new army friends and getting a free t-shirt!

free shirt!

rushing the field..

We ran down to the field. Patiently waited, while secretly freaking out because we were on the field, and as the clock hit zero we pulled. It was a spectacular moment, one that will forever live in my memory.

oh yes, and we t-shirt to commemorate the moment.

the smell of sweat and iron.

there is a feeling one cannot explain. it is a mix between joy and pain. it comes as you are walking up the stairs, or try to get out of your chair. it is the feeling of being sore.

there is something exhilerating about being sore. its painful, yes. but a good pain. with a half marathon less than a month away- the gym and i have become best friends. oh yes, and the fact that Gold's gym is now only 10 dollars a month. Such a good deal.

there is cardio cinema. the italian job, ps I love you...my movie knowledge will be pro in no time.

there are weights. im weak, but still its fun to use the machines, and pretend to be cool.

there is the people watching. boys are the funniest to watch work out. but their muscles are the size of my head, so i dont say anything.

there are the friends. working out with friends. way better than working out by yourself. that way you can talk to them while you walk around trying to figure out which machine to use and how it works.

there is the escape. for an hour, you have left the normal world. you can work out frustrations. especailly about group projects (i hate them. okay thats a little harsh. i strongly dislike them.) you can escape from homework, from work, from the world. and its okay because you are doing something productive.

there is the results. more than just physical. you feel on top of the world. you have more energy, more motivation. ah its great.

so there it is folks. my random musings about the gym, and my currently sore legs.

random side notes.

playing ultimate frisbee. fun. playing ultimate frisbee against a team that should be in a higher division. no so fun. losing 12 to 0. not fun in the slightest. (not because we lost, but because it wasnt even a game)

cutting hair. i like it. it stresses me out. i cut jesse's hair for the third time last night. feeling more confident I went faster. it was a lot shorter than before. and i spent the rest of the night looking at it, and not feeling happy. but today at work it looks not too bad. oh the differences gel can make.

trucks are perfect for star gazing. i want one.

and BYU football game tonight..and General Conference Weekend!! woowhoo

the end of my random musings....

too much goodness

So I have been avoiding blogging because there are too many good things to blog about. I just get overwhelmed. But the longer I wait, the more fun  and exciting things happen, the less I want to blog. It's a downward spiral- I swear. So im sucking it up, and just jumping in head first. So here is the brief update of my wonderful life. In bullet-point form.

Friday.

*I LOVE Hobby Lobby. and looking at fabric. I made these flag type things to hang in our loft that were hanging on the Southbank when we were in London. It was so fun to look at all the different fabrics and try to choose ones that would match, or look good together. I swear the lady who cut the fabric hated me because I had so many different fabrics to cut, and only wanted a small amount. dear worker at Hobby Lobby, Im sorry.

* Dinner at Panda with Megan, Giselle, Jessica, and their roommate Lauren. Delicious. Made my stomach hurt the rest of the night. devil.

*Most perfect BYU football game ever. Why...let me list the reasons

1. front row seats. there is something more exciting about standing against a railing than up on the bleachers.
2. a high five from Cosmo
3. we were on the fan cam
4. I made friends with a police officer who had a mustache. We talked about if BYU would come back after the half. He was the nicest.
5. Got a high five from one of the marines who shoot the cannon. and then later talked with him and I might get to shoot the cannon at a game. fingers crossed.
6. saw Jimmer. lots. at one point he was only 5 feet away.
7. made a new friend. turns out he is in my ward. we didnt make the connection until Sunday when i saw him at ward prayer. weird.
8. oh yes and we WON!

  I am excited for this weeks game to say the least. side note: there are times where I get really quiet and awkward. the first half was one of those times. I was sitting with "friends" from freshman year. the quotation marks are because two years changes a lot. I was sitting there realizing that no one knew me. That no one really cared about my life. Instead of acting- like i should have done- i reacted and shut down. silly ellie. i was talking to phil (the new friend) on sunday and he was telling me how i should never be quiet again because the second half was more fun. mental note to self. dont be dumb.

* after gameness at Megan's. Aka I fell asleep watching the movie. shocking.

Saturday.

*woke up at 8 15. picked up Megan at 8 45. drove up the canyon. arrived at soldier hollow. RAN THE DIRTY DASH. took a freezing shower. drove home.

side story. the dirty dash ended up being a crazy ordeal. in the fact that people who were planning on doing it had things come up. then the people they found to take their spot ended up not being able to do it. friday night i was terrified that no one could do it and i would be alone. Megan, the amazing friend she is, and who is not a runner at all, agreed to do it with me. It was great. We climbed under walls, through tunnels, over pipes, through trenches, and sloshed our way through the reservoir. I loved every moment of it. I have voted that our family is doing it next year. 

*took the best shower of my life.

*put away laundry, and worked on making the flags. 

*Sister date with Keri- PERFECTION. half a cafe rio salad later we were off to the Marriott to watch the RS General Broadcast. It was a wonderful broadcast. and Uchtdorf's talk on Forget-Me-Nots was absolutely perfect. I absolutely adore Keri, so it was fun to have a night with her.

*Saturday night was full of parties. It started at Stacee's where I met up with Eric and Tanner, then on to Kesley's (we stopped by the LAX party on the way) and after Kelsey's we headed over to the avocottage for an open mic night and stayed there for the rest of the night. It was wonderful.

Sunday.

* I woke up at 7 45. note i had nothing until 10 30. silly body. instead of rolling over and going back to bed, i got up. craziness- i know. it ended up being wonderful. i was able to get so much done that morning- including finishing the flags.

*had a delicious pancake breakfast thanks to anne. and met abby. who is the sweetest girl ever.

*church. wonderful per usual.


*looked at an outside of a house with matt and keri. it had charm galore. it was built in 1900 and was recently redone. their were balconies, three stories, and looked perfect. (we went back yesterday, and walked through. not so perfect. hopes dashed.)


*birthday party for a girl in a ward, Jari. Side story. Ellie is a CREEPER. yes, thats right folks. she had worked EFY in Virginia and I knew all the Virginia people via facebook because of Morgan. I felt like I knew all their life stories and they had NO clue who I was. 




Monday.


* work was grand.


* class was grand.


*cardio cinema. love. me + the italian job + the eliptical = best workout ever.


* ward FHE. story number one. walk up. brother dewsnup sees me and says "i was watching you on Sunday when we stood up to sing. you are really short" ah devil. later they needed someone to say the closing prayer. i raised my hand. he called on me. "super short girl" yes. he doesnt know my name. but at least he knows im vertically challenged.


*played ultimate frisbee. im not the best.  i have a run around technique that makes me look like i am trying but really do nothing. i like to roar when i guard people. and i scored twice. it was grand. and made new friends. 


*i hate studying. i successfully got very little done by blog stalking people. dear blogger you are ruining my life. correction. dear child psychology you are ruining my life. dear blogger you make my life better.




Tuesday.


*no megan at work today. i cried.


*worked out with the free personal trainer. moral of the story. im out of shape. moral of the story. i am changing that.


*night classes. not a fan anymore. i was so antsy. thank you angry birds for distracting me.


*walked through the house with M&K and we were all bummed at the fact it wasnt perfect.


*was supposed to study but didnt get home until eleven. sometimes i make bad decisions. bad ellie, bad.


*went to bed. funny story of my life. recently i havent been able to fall asleep. it is the most annoying thing ever. last night i was frustrated so i switched the direction i slept in my bed. aka put my feet where my head normally goes. i feel asleep right away. weird.


THE END of my crazy, yet wonderful life.


*Pictures to come