Triathlon....?

One day I promise I will do a Triathlon.... Really though! I have always wanted to do one, but swimming in a racing sense scares the crap out of me. Oh well I have to get over my fears somehow right?! ;) This Saturday I got to volunteer for one though and it really makes me want to do one. I would need serious training though because if I am going to do one I want to be good, like placing good haha! I didn't take tons of pictures but I have some I'll post, sorry for the short post but I'm reading the 3rd book in the Divergent series and just want to finish it, crazy I know.... I started the 1st one last Sunday.. Yikes! 

Too early and way too cold... Ice Breaker Tri

All the bikes, I think there was like 350 people! Ahhh!!!

XOXO elle

Fun in the sun.

Can I just say I love babies, I don't know if work has made me love them more or not but honestly any time I see a baby any where and they just sit there and smile at me I can't help but smile back and then try and make them laugh (Thanks to working at a photography place, haha) I'm sure parents give me weird looks but whatever;)

This Tuesday I got to spend time hanging out with my two favorites and their ADORABLE babies, like really we hung out for 4 hours and I already missed those cute babies SO much as I was driving away, ha!! And you girls too;) I hadn't seen Makira or Lyndsi in almost a year and it was the first time I got to see their little cuties!! The best part though was being able to act like it hasn't been a year and pick up right where we were being friends again! Rocco is just the funniest, and has grown up so fast, too fast:( His cute little laugh and smile are infectious I love it! Then Makira's little girl, Rigby just has the cutest little cheeks and makes those cute baby sounds, Rocco is always on the move so he liked to be down and moving but Rigby let me cuddle her and I just about died cause it was so cute!! I seriously had such a great time and can't wait to hang again! Love you girls and your babies;) 

Here is Rigby and her cute pigtails;)

Rocco and Rigby! Ahhh I love them:)

Us:) love you girls so much!!

XOXO elle

That "Runner's High" though...

First off... For those of you that read my last post and commented or liked it on Facebook, thank you!! You have no idea the support and love I felt, it was overwhelming in the best way possible:) 

Second, I'm so sorry I was sick on and off last week so I literally didn't post anything:( I promise to do better! 

A couple days ago I started thinking I wanted to find a good book to read cause it's getting warmer and I love reading outside in the sun!! (One thing you'll learn real fast about me is I love, LOVE the sun!) so I thought why not read the book Divergent because the movie is out and I can reward myself for reading it all and go see it.... Well I started it yesterday and finished today at 1...:/ I am getting the 2nd book tomorrow, I loved it!! I love action and romance together haha;) Anyway other than reading I didn't do much with being sick, however; it was so warm today that I finally got to go out and run for training, and seriously fell in love with running again... "Runner's High" ;) I'm excited for this training and half, I would love to get my best time soooo we will see, fingers crossed! 

"Run Happy"

XOXO elle

Here's to the sappy post....

I've thought about doing a post like this for a while now and fought with myself, trying to talk my way out of it but having nothing to post about for the past little bit is making it harder and harder to not post it.

This isn't a "feel bad for me" post and hopefully not one that y'all will look at me differently for but the whole part of having a blog for me is to push myself and move past my comfort zones... So here we go.

Happy, being happy.... I looked up the word happy one night just curious to see what it said, because I guess to me even as a little girl, I always thought being happy meant you had to be happy with every single little thing that went on in your life, that you didn't have any ups and downs, or bad days. The word happy means to be delighted, pleased, or glad as over a particular thing. I often forget that not everything has to be going the way I want it to, to be happy... That the little things, people, sunshine, smiles, for that matter, can make me happy. If you have heard Rihanna's song "What Now" she says this little sentence in her song... "The more I swear I'm happy, the more that I am feeling alone..." And maybe some of you relate and maybe none of you will. But I feel, at least for me, sometimes I get so caught up in how life is supposed to be and how I am supposed to be "happy" to everyone elses' standard when really the more I say that I am in that "standard of happiness" the more I'm not.. because no my life isn't perfect, I don't know that it ever will be and yeah I've been through more than most adults will ever have to at 21. I will have ups and downs and disappointments, but that even if it is the smallest, tiniest thing, that there is at least something to be happy about. 

A friend a couple of years ago said "I just want you to be happy, are you happy?..." and at the time I said "no I'm not", because at the time I felt like everything had to be going perfect to be happy. And yes my life isn't where I want it to be and sometimes my downs are longer and more often then my ups but I think that if I try to focus on the things that bring me joy and make me smile that those will get me through the hard things, and that in time my life will be where I want it to be, at least I can only hope.

Now here's the part I hope doesn't change the way you look at me, some of you know this... Most of you don't or don't know the extent of it all. I'm not going to go into detail about every single little thing because the past is the past. 

My parents got divorced when I was 5 and my memories of them being happy together are far and few between, if any that I remember. My mom got remarried very fast, and all the sudden I had two brothers and two sisters, three of those siblings being older. So I went from being the oldest to the middle child. Which in and of itself was hard. I remember on the nights that we got with our dad crying about wanting to stay with him, I'm not sure if it was because of not wanting to leave him or having to come home to a blended family. It was hard, everything was different, the downs being far greater than any up. My mom and step dad divorced when I was in 7th grade and were on and off since a couple months ago. 

When they got divorced I had to grow up real fast, I already had to act way older than any kid should but with my mom going back to work and I having two younger sisters to look after now, I became the mom for certain things. Can I say I regret it, my life and the way I had to be the strong one for everyone else, no I don't. It was hard no doubt and only got harder as did my trials. I had to face the consequences of family members actions in high school, the years that I thought were supposed to be my best years ever, weren't. And now I won't get them back. I made mistakes due to things I went through and feeling like I was alone... But no I can't say I regret it, it has made me who I am and some days I hate it and wonder "why me" "like really though" ;) and others I'm gratefully for the friends and "family" I have gained because of it all. 

I've learned more about myself then I would have, having a my mom and dad together. I have learned to be strong, to care and love unconditionally, but also that it is okay, to not be okay... to cry every once in a while. To let others help you, I really struggle with that one;) And really that happiness is not being happy only when things are perfect. Because lets be honest they rarely are! There are things that make me smile and even if they're few, when I smile I know I am happy even if it is for a little while.... and that one day there will be more things to smile about. Life is hard and sometimes the bigger picture is too hard or scary to bare, so we enjoy the little things that make us smile and just let things fall into place, don't be lazy;) but don't try and make everything perfect, don't wait for everything to be perfect to be happy. So there is the sappy post for my blog. Like I said I hope that it doesn't change things, that it only helps you to smile and enjoy the little things that do make you happy. 

XOXO elle  

Happy Sunday.

This Sunday's blog post will be short and sweet, this week was crazy but fun... However; I forgot to take pictures for just about everything I did. Don't worry pictures will come;) This week I told my cute little "sisters" that we should wear fun, cute outfits everyday (cause when you're training you just want to stay in workout clothes 24/7) and take pictures of our outfits and at the end of the week it'll be our little fashion week on the blog... Kind of cute right?! Well hopefully y'all will enjoy it and I'll post during the week as well! Have a great Monday;) Pretty Little Liars winter finale is TUESDAY!! Freaking out;)

XOXO elle

Killin' It!

Most of you that know me, know I love working out! I get like this "Runner's high" after an amazing run, weird I know;) Anyway I am doing my 3rd half marathon and as of late have been eating SO much crap and not working out as much:( So I figure if I put my training schedule up then I have to do it;) For my first half I used Hal Higdon's Intermediate training program and loved it, had to make some adjustments on days and what strengthening stuff I did but it was a great program. I'm going to post his and then tell you what I do differently. Also this training program doesn't start until you are 12 weeks before your half and I think I am about 15ish, but until then I will post some exercise things I find and love, as well as healthy food! YAY;)

First things first I moved all the days over one, because my half is on a Saturday. Then I rest on Sunday instead of Thursday (after switch) and for my strengthen I normally do a P90X video. I also add abs on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday... And sometimes Friday or Saturday if I'm in need of it;) I try to do abs 4 times a week but never more than two days in a row!!! Other than those changes it's pretty similar haha kind of;) Sorry! It's all about how you feel and if your body can do more or not! Hope this helps y'all!!!

XOXO elle 

Work it girl!!!

I think I said this in my first post, but I work at a photography studio, or started in one and then got promoted to the outdoor one, hence some of these pictures are in a studio and some outside;) I wanted to share some of the pictures I've been able to have done just from working there and having dress up days and what not. I've been there a year and almost a half and love love love it... So here are some crazy, fun pictures we have been able to do:) Enjoy!

After Black Friday all night and then working, why not take pictures;)

Santa Kate came to town!!!

Dana is AMAZING!!

Superhero day at FotoFly Away, yes we made those costumes.. And yeah we won best dressed.

50's Day calls for Candy Shoppe pictures

And... When you hit your ONE year birthday you get an awesome bracelet:)

Saturday Sweets & Sidewalk Chalk

Warm Saturdays call for sweets, and I mean lots of sweets;) and some fun sidewalk chalk. Today was the last day I got to nanny my 4 cute "sisters" and I have been home all of maybe an hour and I miss them like crazy:( SEPARATION ANXIETY much?? Yep!! Holy molly I miss them though. But after cleaning we had a fun relaxing day spent eating sweets and playing in the amazing Utah weather. Here are some little photos we took, nothing too snazzy;)

Rita's amazing Custard & Italian Ice in American Fork by Target

Can I keep her?? And all of them...?

XOXO elle

The cookies no one likes....

So we made these cookies that are said to be the best cookies in some New York Times thing... Well I loved them but the girls did not, so that was sad seeing as there is tons of dough now... and I have eaten a bunch of it, for some reason I like cookie dough better frozen... Weird? Probably! So other than the cookies and Temples that we made last night today has been a little more relaxed. Morgan and I crashed on the couch for a bit and I was shocked at how tired I actually was. I thought I'd just lay down for a second and before I knew it I was out! So any who, here is some of the pictures from the cookies... That only I like;)

XOXO elle

FHE!

Late, late last night I decided I wanted to have a fun little craft or activity for the girls and I to do for Family Home Evening so I pinned ;) for hours, finally going to bed at 1 and waking up at 7 with the girls, to then going non-stop all day.... Which included working out twice, but I don't regret a single second of it! It was so warm outside that the oldest, Cait and I just had to go run. It was awesome! I haven't ran in so long and it was perfect! Then I ate a billion cookies that we made yesterday cause the girls didn't like them:( Fat and happy, right?!:/ Haha oh well! Those cookie pictures are still to come but I have some of the Sugar Cookies we made last night and one of the fun craft we did tonight... Finishing the little ones tomorrow;)

Love these four girls, so much!

The picture I tried, keyword tried, to go off of;)

SUGAR CUBE TEMPLE!!

XOXO elle

Sunday Funday.

So, we made cookies today and just had an overall fun day hanging, painting nails, and cooking at home. I took lots of pictures but those are yet to be edited and posted... Check back later;) However; we took some fun little videos....

And these two crazies with their cute hand shake;)

XOXO elle

Playing mom is fun!!!

So this week I get to play the "Mom" for the week and am so excited, like really though I love these girls with all my heart and spending time with them is honestly the best thing in the world! I am so lucky to spend this week, and no I'm not just saying that like a lot of nannies do! They have been in my life for four years now and have completely stole my heart forever, I love them like my own..... So with that being said, I will get to post fun things with them all this next week. Look forward for some fun, cute stuff!

Today the two youngest had dance competitions, each doing two dances, and YES taking 1st in everyone! YAY!! Way to go girlies, love you lots:)

Going to the Competition....

Ella was nervous, but oh aren't they so stinkin' cute!

And... 5 hours later... 1st PLACE! 

XOXO elle