Snow Canyon and My Weekend in George

I loved this desert-y escape from reality. Trip complete with blasting music and cruising cars, famous frozen custard, hot tubs and freezing pools, homemade pizza, glow-in-the-dark caves and soaring red rocks, funny boys, quote-able movies, endless rounds of murder in the dark, tennis on a blustery day and no chance of melanoma (or a beautiful, glowing tan) thanks to the overcast weather.

Half Moons

Her sparkly brown Emma Watson eyes transform into half moons as her face lifts into another freckles-and-nose-crinkling smile.


I wasn't expecting this. 


Not the half moons or the ready smile, but the secret behind them.


Secret sorrow, 
Sparks our neural fibers,
Ashes penetrating the temporal lobe
Never fall deep enough to undo the memory of
Mental fire


Secret tallies of the invisible battle
Of shame and loss, trial and error
Intricately etched between each rib
A visceral reminder with each breath
If only In were not so intertwined with Out
Without.


I just didn't expect to learn her secret so matter-of-factly, so simply, it was so. . . different from the girl I had seen. The one who flicked her cascading brunette waves and had every male in the room quasi-hypnotized.

 I saw her pictures from the month it happened. The half moons were still there and if anything, she was glowing. It wasn't just her face, but her.  Her kind smile emanating from her innocent, open face.  I couldn't and still can't find any darkness about her.


I'm sorry?  That's the best I could do?

Nobody prepares you for the moment when someone says "My dad died of cancer a few months back."

"I'm sorry," that trite phrase, stale on my lips. A nervous sigh. Trying to muster the right amount of empathy in my eyes, without bordering on pity.  She must have seen and heard it a million times before.

And that's what humbled me.  No self pity, no gushing, no anger or annoyance.  A soft, sad smile and then a brighter one, moving forward.

Her eyes transforming from half moons to crescents.

February: Lived It Up, Wore it Out

February was a month of heavy-duty homeworking and work-working with some high points on the weekends.  A few highlights:

One of several dances this month, this one being on the more formal end.  How could we tell?  There were chocolate fountains involved. 

 Valentine making with thumb prints just like the second grade :).

An excellent apartment-wide late-night discussion aided by Julie's D.I. purchase of 365 Questions for Couples. Hilarious.

 And don't forget Apartment 262's monthly playlist!  We had some memorable lines this month:

Luke Bryan in honor of Lindsey's lovely new car and joy rides:

You've got your hands up, you're rocking in my truck, you got the radio on, you're singing every song.  I'm set on cruise control, I'm slowly losing hold of everything I got. . . 


Carly Rae Jepson in honor of the pick up line of the month:
Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here's my number, so call me maybe?


And finally, an ode to the mental and physical taxation of three midterms in three days:

Uintah Portraits

I tried my hand at some portraits way up in the mountains last weekend.  It was an awesome trip with some lovely girls and a sweet camera! I learned a bit about light through trial and error (some of these exhibiting the errors). You might recognize these faces...