Take a picture, it lasts longer.

Pictures are great for a plethora of things:
Capturing memories, retelling stories, blackmail... the list is never-ending.
Here are some pictures I've needed to unload from my camera so I can document the side notes of my life... because I appreciate those side notes.

Ashley Chapman became Ashley Palmer on October 16th. And the week before we had a fun little bachelorette party for her at The Cheesecake Factory. She's got the cutest smile, huh? Oh, and don't worry. Those bottles are sparkling drinks, alcohol free. However, we did drink them from shot glasses. I felt it was totally appropriate.

All the girls. We're all "party party party!" With all of our busy schedules, it is so nice to get together with the girls and play catch-up. A great method for de-stressing. Note to self: find two black articles of clothing that match. Sorry, Mom.

Many times I am amazed at how creative my husband is. I came home last week to THIS ingenuity.

Ryan loves his sunflower seeds.
And he loves his handmade funnel. Includes: paper plate, super glue, and tape.
For my birthday, I was pampered with cookies and cakes galore. Ryan bought me tickets to Phantom of the Opera! I am stoked. Unfortunately, Ryan was sick all weekend so (fortunately) my mom graciously brought us dinner and muffins. One muffin included a star candle for the birthday girl. Ryan wanted to be in my pictures. This is us posing for my birthday blow-out.
It was time for Ryan to give me my space and glory. Right here we have the real deal.
We enjoyed my mom's muffins so much. Nothing spells L-O-V-E like brown sugar.
Here is the finished product. Not included in this picture are the four other muffin wrappers I defeated that night.
Just us lovin my birthday. Nursing Ryan back to health has been a process. Now I'm sick. And I cut my foot open. I just hope this isn't an omen for my 22nd year.

I think in my 22nd year I'm going to stay away from sharp objects and wear closed-toed shoes.

If she wants to rock, she'll rock.

How do I view myself?
I view myself as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a June Cleaver in my own right. Ain't no harm in knowing how to bake a mean pie and look good doin' it, right?

I view myself as an expressionist.
I like to express myself through different ways. I am actually really creative while I consume food. Ryan reminded me that while he can eat a quesadilla with a fork, cutting his pieces into exact squares with perfectly applied amounts of sour cream and taco sauce, I cannot. My plate is left with a ring... no.... puddle, of "juice" and my hands are smothered, just like when you eat buffalo wings. (Buffalo wings are my all-time favorite food. You can only imagine my struggles when eating those. It's a struggle going in and a struggle going out.) He says I'm messy. I say it's my creative side.

I view myself as a student.
It's been a long week and I'm kinda wishing it would end sooner than later. Midterms, papers, work, no sleep -- the typical life of a college student. We have eaten pizza four times in the last two weeks. I am ashamed to admit this publicly. Yet just as we've learned from popular t.v. personnel, it is better to come clean and admit your sins to everyone then face years of humiliating regret. And extortion attempts. I swear I have gained a second stomach in the last two weeks. Ryan wishes it were a baby. I tell him it is a baby... a greese baby, made especially with love, from Barro's Pizza.

We are half-done with the semester! And then I'm off to ASU, where dreams come true. I got that job I applied for, so that's good! We'll see how juggling two jobs and a full school schedule will pan out. I'm thinking it'll be interesting. Maybe I should look into making dinners ahead of time and freezing them... so we don't always end up eating pizza.

Also... my birthday is on Sunday :) I just can't help it, but I love my birthday.

Happy (belated) Birthdays!

It's been a few weeks of birthdays and I'd like to acknowledge them all!

Happy Birthday to my niece, Emma LeaAnn Walker.
Aren't you getting so big and grown-up?
Six-years old is a huge milestone in your life.
Don't let the boys boss you around.
And remember, YOU are the queen of sass.
I love you Emma Lou Lou.

Happy Birthday to Grandma Walker and to Lindsey Walker.
I love you both and wish you didn't live so far.
Grandma, I miss your stories.
Lindsey, I miss your baby bump.

Happy Birthday to my roommate, Jill Burnham.
Maybe when we're old, rich women we can take luxury vaca's together.
I miss playing "Would You Rather?" and completely grossing ourselves out.
I also miss Austin Ames and wish he were real.
I miss you, Jilly.

Happy Birthday to Gandhi.
I miss saying your first name.
You were one cool dude.
"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Gandhi.

I just loved this picture above.
May we all celebrate each other's lives.
Have a good October!

My lips are chapped...

Dear Society,

My lips are chapped. My lips are chapped from lack of sympathetic moisture. Where's my soothing Burt's Bees for the sting and crack from uncomfortable moments? Just make me that fly on the wall and not the bull in the pit when you decide to have one of your "episodes." Keep me far away from the haters and bigots you've succored for so long.

I have changed my mind about the way in which you work.

It takes some idle time and people watching to really get a grip on your ways. You belong as a character in Clue. I predict you killed him in the Billiard Room with hypocrisy, not the candlestick. You can be pretty brutal, like those times in which your influence takes over the sensitivity of the people. How do you manage your power? Probably like Jafar did when he became the Ultimate Genie... not well. You probably wear red on those days. So lets cut a deal here, Society, a deal in which you give up your up tightness and begin opening your mind to everything. That isn't to be interpreted that you and I "shoot for the stars and let the moon do what it wants." There are rules. When did your judgment begin to overtake God's?

There is a right and there is a wrong. Like it is always wrong to eat soggy cereal and it is always right to dance to Selena. As for this deal: together we can be more willing to see each other's opinions, and even if I don't agree with yours, I will commend you for having one. Because you were made through a historical context and I was made by my mom and dad. So really it wouldn't be fair to hold you accountable for everything wrong. I would love to make peace with your ways, and you with everyone else's. So maybe we could cut the peer pressure part and the dictator part... it's a bad look on you, anyway. Good friends tell good friends the truth. And in the end, my lips won't be chapped. They'll actually feel really nice.

Think about it. The power of thought governs you, Society.
Write back soon.

caraLine.