mr. and mrs. mallard.

who really goes to Disneyland for the rides anymore anyways?

offspring. This really made my day, in the Spring this is what I live for. Little webbed families pawning off of Disneyland goers for leftover french fries.

on marriage. of someone else.

My brother Trevor is getting married tomorrow with the festivities starting today and it all has me thinking. Where has the time gone? But I know where it went, he went on a mission, I started college, then he started college, etc. etc.

But on the years when we grew up, you know when it really counts, when I was a very insecure 12 year old at a new middle school and he was a insecure 16 year old at a new high school. and even before that, we were always best buds.

I remember my mom letting us--after much begging--to share a room together when i was about 5 years old i think. I would always play GI Joe's with my two brothers, they were so cool.

Then we moved to the valley and summers started with traditions such as me bouncing on him every morning around 9am to watch I Love Lucy because he had a TV in his room. And there was my obsession with Bagel Bites, but any time i'd walk away from them he'd eat all 10 or so up in one bite just to be funny. Most of the time he wasn't even hungry!

And countless afternoons in the pool hunting for toys at the bottom and playing with our fun-noodles.

And time went on and we grew up, I got a little more "hip" and so did he, but things were still the same.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not sad he's getting married, oh never Daniaelle is SO great and fits into our family absolutely perfectly, I'm just having fun looking back at our lives together and realizing this is yet another beginning of something great!

Ok so I'm probably going to ball my eyes out at the wedding. oh well.

what i did over my summer vacation...

I really want to finish that sentence this fall with a story about an amazing vacation. I keep bugging Robert to take me on a cruise to the Caribbean.
There are SO many options but I'm really liking the 6 or 7-night Western Caribbean cruises that leave from Florida (Ft. Lauderdale or Tampa) and hit these beautiful places:

Stop #1: Labadee -- Royal Caribbean's private island Stop #2: Ochos Rios, Jamaica

Stop #3: George Town, Grand Cayman Stop #4: Cozumel, Mexico

And yes, I am fully prepared to gain 10 lbs of cruise food and use my snorklies again--this time without hyperventilating.

Help me convince Robert, I'm dieing for some fun in the sun before babies, houses, etc. etc. come along.

cough. shrug. cry.

don't worry, my immune system has failed me once again.

today's goals: thank you cards, avoiding the cold windy weather, laundry, and getting better!!!

if you find me later with tissue stuck up nose and on episode 3,432 of tivo'd Jon and Kate...send in reinforcements.

loves and not-so-loves.

I have returned from my long weekend in Utah and though a post well-equipped with pictures is soon to be upon us all, I thought I'd quickly list my loves and not-so-loves from my weekend:

loves:

• Meeting Ms. Kirsi, one of the sweetest, well-behaved babies I've met.
• Finally eating Tucano's and tasting Brazilian cuisine.
• The french bakery on State St.
• Burger Supreme with gems like Jeris, Suzanna and Chris Carney.
• Easter morning drive up Provo canyon.
• Playing "Bang" until the wee-hours of the night, also one of my new favorite games.
• Attending the baby's blessing. (and getting her handed off to me for about 15 minutes :))
• Enjoying way too many Brassfield chocolate chip cookies.
• Playing farkle, even though i lost. both times.
• The moment Robert and I realized we were home and rolled down the windows to a moist sea-scented breeze. aaahh.

not-so-loves:

• The massive stomach ache I had after Tucano's
• The not so comfy air mattress.
• The one hour it took us to drive the one mile separating us and IN-N-OUT in Vegas due to some serious road construction (it still gives me shivers).
• Not having time to see everyone I love up there :(

And just for the record, the weather forecast for this weekend...

PROVO:

NEWPORT:

polish savvy.

When I was a teenager I remember mixing nail polish colors together trying so hard to get the right color that I couldn't find at any store and then...I discovered OPI and Essie and have never been dissapointed.

Last summer it was my obsession with finding a mustard yellow nail polish color...and thus appeared like something out of the heavens as I was wandering my way through Ulta (spending way to much money already) this little beauty.

It was the color on my nails that following weekend when Robert proposed to me...
And today, once again Essie did not let me down as I once again was at Ulta buying my much need face lotion, etc and as I stepped towards the cash register I found this little devil...
Oh it's so turqouisey and wonderful I can barely wait to get home and paint my nails and toes. seriously. Oh and there was a bluer one just waiting for me...next time.

oh etsy.

On etsy looking at things like this:

and feeling the urge to create, create, create!!!

It has been far too long since I've painted something beautiful. There was one semester when I painted my heart out and realized I had a gift, not for unique scenes or making my "mark" on the art scene, but for color and lines and creating crisp edges. I got an A in that class and let my teacher keep all my work so she could use it as examples for future students. I didn't want it selfishly for my portfolio, the reasons she wanted it were more satisfying than any dust gathering portfolio I could have owned.

I will admit...Nienie's post helped me by sharing this little gem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhLlnq5yY7k

mosaic me.

If I were a mosaic I would look like this:

want to make one of your own?
step 1: go to flickr.com
setp 2: in another window open http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php
step 3: choose 4 columns, 3 rows
step 4: answer the following questions in the search bar of flicker. pick your favorite one on the first page and paste it into your mosaic
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your nickname.

if only...

if only it didn't take me until the age of 23 to realize that I want to be a pastry chef.
if only I had realized this 5 years ago
I'd be one, and I'd be making money.
But would my life have turned out this wonderfully?
Probably not.

thus my sub-par job wins out.

-Mrs. Williams.

?

p.s. Why do all indie-rock art majors travel to Asia at some point in their lives? Is it a fad like smoothie joints and sushi?

I for one do enjoy the occasional indie song and majored in Art History (It's in the art buildings and I probably took more art classes than you ever will, so it counts!---excluding my awesome brother and his artist fiancee) and I have NO DESIRE to enter that continent. ever.

Of course this demise started after completing 3 years of required Asian art classes because the Art dept. was afraid they were to "Western centered" -- Well, I live in the West, and I like it here....bring on the impressionists, modernists, surrealists, renaissance-ists, and even the post-impressionists (I do love you Gaugin). That was 3 years spent worrying about things I fully intended to forget...sorry Prof. Brown.

Reason # 230, 928 that I want to live in the South, part of me feels this would not be a bother. I mean really, who from the South's ideal vacation is to Asia?

I am very conservative today.

lunch breaks.

My lunch was so strange today, thought I'd share:

11am: kiwi-eaten with spoon
12pm: half of a Luna bar--Dulce de Leche, not my fav. (hence the "half")
1pm: Cherry Diet Pepsi Big Gulp and overpriced vegetables and dip from 7-eleven.
1:30pm: one bite of BBQ Chicken Pizza leftover from client lunch
2pm: Crumpet with Huckleberry jam thanks to a co-worker who recently traveled to Solvang
2:45pm: 4 bites of snickers cheesecake that is determined to make it into Robert's mouth and not mine--also from client lunch.

I'm still hungry.

oh you dreamer!

Remember that time the dreams wouldn't stop! They just get more vivid every time, and then he said "sometime" instead of "someday" and for some reason this was hope so they became increasingly strong.

What the heck is my rush?

I don't, then I do, I don't.............then I do. but really...I'm not.

new favorites.

My new favorite place for yesterday is the Newport Walk-In Urgent Care.
Despite the girl behind the front desk who clearly needed a new vocation or a baby so she could quit or somethin, I had to ask her to repeat every word she said as it was muffled out by the blaring "Days of our Lives" in the background.
Nonetheless, I was the only person there! When have you ever heard of not having to wait at least 45 minutes in a walk-in clinic??
So she took me in, weighed me (much to my dismay as I haven't really worked out in a week), and took me into the room. Checked my vitals and asked my symptoms
"No, I'm not allergic to anything, No I'm not on medication..." which she soon realized was a lie as she said, "Could you be pregnant?" Me now realizing my answer to "Are you on any medication?" is "YES." not "NO." like it has been for 23 years...yikes, dodged that one.
Long story short, the doctor was very nice (even had the same last name as one of my college professors whose classes I always loved the best) and was very satisfied to know I don't drink or smoke and have never had an STD. I always get it "in" with the doctors this way, don't you?? They love mormons!

She gave me some antibiotics and a free sample of Nasonex--which is even more perfect for Robert. I haven't taken antibiotics since I had strep throat when I was about 9, it never seemed worth the trouble of going to the doctor and standing in horrendous pharmacy lines while through your delirious-still-sick-wish-you-could-sit-down state you start to convince yourself you need many of the overpriced goodies found in pharmacies such as the "Ped-Egg", when they finally call your name and then can't find your prescription even though you dropped it off 45 minutes earlier and even had time to go grocery shopping in between!! (No this didn't happen to me yesterday, why do you ask?)

Well, I'm feeling better already, I even did the dishes last night.

Side note: First day of Spring my you-know-what, it's the coldest it's been all week! I've been looking forward to this sweet sweet day of March for so long and you give me this Mother Nature! Srrsslllyy???

first born.

favorite picture ever, taken Summer 2006

When my sister came over on that day in May of 2001 to tell us that she was pregnant just 4 months as a newlywed we were SO excited...Ms. Isabella was born in January as the first born grand child on both sides of her family, just like her mother. I now have 4 more nieces but Isabella has always held that special "first born" status for me, she's the first little girl that I've ever seen really grow, because I'm the youngest in my family.


Favorite memory with Bell? When she was about 2 and got about 1 inch from my face and whispered "Momo 'nack" meaning "elmo snack" a.k.a. elmo fruit snacks...and yes I gave in.


This tribute is long overdue since her birthday was a couple months back, but I just can't get those luscious red curls out of my head. I love you Ms. Isabella Sophia, you're turning into a beautiful young lady...ugh I can't believe she's 7.

most recent picture, January 2009

oui? ou non?

should i get bangs? Robert mentioned it yesterday and I think it would either look really cute and be a nice twist on the straight bangs look but a little curly OR i could look like i'm trying for the cute bangs look but its gone awfully bad into a sort of early 90s look...i did a virtual makeover. HELP.

the past.

For the first time in my life I miss my past. Having moved a couple times when I was little, I always just erased my past, acted as if it didn't matter, while holding it all secretly near and dear to me.


This realization was sparked by me surfing the DVR the other morning and coming across the show "Gullah Gullah Island"

Well I always watched this show around the ages of 10-12 (I was a late bloomer) Anyways, I remember one time singing the theme song to this show at the TOP OF MY LUNGS with my brother on a ferris-wheel while my dad watched down below cracking up at his ridiculous children. and for the first time in a long time, I ached for those times to be real again.

no interest.

I have no interest in food that does not have sugar in it.

an example of foods I will accept is: chocolate chip bagels. (what I'm eating as I write this)

I made twice baked potatoes last night, and after eating mine I realized that it wasn't as pleasant as I was hoping, the Cadbury Egg after dinner? perfect.

Now, I understand this is NO way to eat in your life (i.e. Marie Antoinette) but I can't help it! Mother Nature strikes again!

and for your drooling pleasure, a list of acceptable foods for my taste pallette lately:

-breads-esp. with blackberry jam

-pb and j sandwich

-cereal-any kind

-symphony bar cookie dough

-Plain, tart frozen yogurt

-fruits (something healthy!)

-pancakes/waffles

-donuts

-chocolate milk

Most days I find myself eating smaller meals so that I can save more calories for my "2nd meal"--or what some people call dessert. Whatever.

I'm disgusting, the end.

p.s. perfect excuse for all this? Birthday weekend. yeah boyeee.

sugar.

I'm always resorting to the sour patch kids, that were meant for a movie trip but now sit in my desk drawer, when my blood sugar drops, and boy does it drop fast.
I'm just truckin' along when suddenly, out of nowhere I'm going to lose it and the only thing that will suffice? Delicious, chewy sour then sweet Sour Patch Kids.
Oh it's going to be another healthy day on birth control.
wretched i tell you.

something extra.

so yesterday I was not paying attention in Sunday school and going through Robert's phone and i stumbled upon my birthday (ok I was really checking that he had his own wife's birthday in his phone) and it said "Kari Williams's Birthday" and it hit me "WILLIAMS'S" is incorrect it should be "WILLIAMS'" and now I am satisfied even more by my decision to marry Robert because now I am one of those cool people who don't need an "s" and just a apostrophe. I always did envy them a little.

why this tooke me so long to realize, not sure.

and now for a memory.

There was one day that I drove too far in traffic to not exactly enjoy the company of some of the people I came across. Thoroughly disappointed I headed home in time to wish another friend, a new friend, a happy birthday.
With a stop at home to put on my new forever 21 jacket, I walked down the street.
To my surprise, the person I really came to see (which wasn't the birthday boy) was standing right out front.
Awkwardly I spoke to some acquaintances waiting for him to be done with his conversation also so that I might "casually" say my hellos on my way into the base-bumping party that awaited indoors, even though I had no intention of dancing.
His conversation was long, and my acquaintances and I could not hold each other's attention for too long.
So, mildly disappointed, I proceeded to walk past my object of coming to the party and insisted that there would be another chance for exchanging of "casual" hellos.
As I stepped next to him, which was needed as he stood next to the path that led to the door, he grabbed my arm and held me there and continued to tell whoever he was chatting with that it was good talking to them.
He pulled me around and gave me a hug and said, "Where have you been??"
he was looking for me? Shocked, nervous, heart racing I gave my excuse of the long trip I took that wasn't exactly an ideal day.
Before he let me get too nervous, which I'm sure was horribly obvious, he changed the subject and said, "I hear you like Modest Mouse."
Our conversation continued far past the point of "keeping him wanting more" and it was dreadful when we realized maybe we should keep "the game" going for a little longer.
I had just met him 3 weeks before and I was hooked.

Good thing I married him.

lists.

Today on my list of things to do:

-Make baby shower favors
-Manicure/Pedicure
-Make dinner
-Clean our apt.
-Rent "Sense and Sensibility"
-Start reading "Pride and Prejudice"
-Gym to work off those Valentine chocolates

I love being a woman.

staples.

So I'm at work doing an order for staples and my boss asks me to get him these notebooks he likes, so I look them up and they're $60 bucks each. EACH! So I order them...
the irony? I have the exact same notebook that I got from my mother who didn't want it after someone had given it to her as a gift.
I feel rich.
and with this, I am happy.

ahem.

One new year's resolution that I have that I technically started soon after the wedding: own more high-heels.

I used to be strong in my anti-high heel-ness being an advocate of ballet flats of all shapes, sizes and colors but with my 2 pairs of 1 inch heels I find myself craving more...like a chocolate chip cookie, but one that makes you feel fabulous and skinny and beautiful.

Also, this day, January 13th, I realized that the reason I was (and am) so hot is because I live a good 5 miles from the beach now, up on a hill, that is practically Costa Mesa (but oh how we hold onto our Newport Beach zip code for dear life), this equals=no mother freakin ocean breeze! gah! How I miss my beach home! This startling realization led me to home shopping on Zillow for anything anything closer...my craziest obsession today (besides making chocolate chip cookies that don't flatten like cow pies) a $390, 000 home near Lido island in Newport beach, 998 sq. ft. 2 bed 2 bath. barely bigger than our apt now. but it would be ours. (http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/39-Cabrillo-St-111-Newport-Beach-CA-92663/61645166_zpid/)

by the way, I did it!

(oh and yes those are Scarlet red Fiesta dishes...dreams do come true!)

lotion.

I feel like I need to go bathe in a vat of lotion. Coconut scented lotion that is, in fact make it cocoa butter.
It is so hot, whose idea was it for it to be hot before I have completely embraced my white legs and felt confident to let them display themselves for the summer (that or smother them in self-tanner, the aerosol kind.), they're still too scared to come out into the world. Stop the madness!
But I do love it, today at Target I wanted to buy a new swimsuit, but quickly remembered it is merely January 12th...which means at least 3 more dreadful months of cold weather after this heat wave ends. But it also means less than 2 months 'til the birthday of yours truly! Mark your calendars folks, this girl's turning 24, and there's alot to wish for...except for love, stability and safety--I have those. Sanity on the other hand...welllll, stay tuned.

house.

getting depressed watching house hunters on hgtv.
sometimes i wish my whole family lived in the south or east somewhere. like we were all born there. that way moving all the way out there simply so i could get my dream $50,000 home wouldn't be so crazy, because it would be all we knew.
South Carolina seems nice. they have nice accents. and everytime Rachel Ray is there she eats lots of yummy food.

other than that, strange to think that i could get pregnant, like its a possibility. i mean i am on BC, but still i know a few people where that didn't work. not sayin' i'm ready just strange is all.

i hope there's not another earthquake.

on forgetting.

So it's like the time I ran the 1/2 marathon, you see running 20 miles a week puts somewhat of a strain on your body and i soon could not walk as fast as my male counterpart due to achey muscles. And ever since I feel as if i have not recovered, I have become a slow walker. Now granted my dad used to call me "speedboat" to use sarcasm in the fact that i was slow, but i was little then and my puny little legs just didn't move like the rest of the kids.
In light of this I have also become forgetful. I thought it would go away after the wedding i really did. But now i find myself cutting apples and walking away from them and grabbing my purse and walking out the door. Or sometimes I remember in time and walk in and out of our apartment about 10 times before i finally make it all the way down the stairs. ok maybe 10 was an exaggeration but really i think my record is 4...3 days in a row.
So what is it that's on my mind forcing me to forget all mundane tasks...decorating. our apartment has maybe 3 pictures/whiteboards on the walls and it is driving me crazy. what's worse? I often sit paralyzed because i have no idea where to start, there's so much! and i love the task don't get me wrong...but it is awfully daunting at this point. Thus why i am constantly watching HGTV and the Style network.
First step: silhouettes.

infommercials.

So I'm sick. again. this time it's the flu or something that i got from my sister on Christmas day. anyways I've just come to express my need for the "Snuggie" blanket, the "point and paint" paint brush oh and those things that hide your bra straps and make you have more cleavage-oh wait, i'm not a skank. ugh there are soooo many infommercials on the channels i like to watch they're starting to really brainwash me. If anyone wants to get me a snuggie for my birthday feel free.

it's good to be loved.

selfish as it may seem...knowing you're loved is SO essential. so i thought i'd take this ego boost a little further and share this:

Robert: good for you you my little full time student
part time worker
house wife
!
Robert: i don't know how you do it all i so happy about you in my life

i cannot get enough of this guy.

confession.

I have a confession(s) to make:

i have been tired ever since we got back from Maui, at first i thought it was the lack of afternoon naps...then i thought it was the persistent cold i had...but now i think i know. I haven't been exercising like i normally do. so that is my confession, I'm tired because I'm lazy and therefore gaining weight. but you watch out Newport Back Bay Loop I'm comin to get ya!

also, i hate elevators. mostly i hate when I'm in the elevator in my work building and it stops just before that precious 'L' button is no longer lit up (ooh beautiful) because I've made it all 4 floors without stopping. just today, it stopped on the dreaded 3rd floor. i say dreaded because the sudden going and immediate stop makes my stomach qweezy. the door opened and there stood two people who had just immediately stopped their conversation as they saw me standing there waiting for them to walk into the elevator. and no, their conversation didn't continue until the woman had thoroughly looked me up and down for a good 10 seconds...all the while my eyes were wide open with a "serrriousslllyy??" look on my face. thank goodness for new-TVs now being put in elevators all over orange county...that way i could read about the failing economy and act like i was alone in that elevator. or is cricking your neck to stare at a screen placed way to high up due to low-budget management more awkward? the jury is still out.

also, i have a really hard time working more than 4 hours.

lastly, i haven't done ANY Christmas shopping and it is going to be here soon peoples..."Santa's comin to town!....SANTA!!!!!!!!!! I know him." can you tell robert and i watched 'Elf' last night.

Nsync.

So it's weird but this morning i was listening to the NSYNC Christmas album and they talk alot about The King and they sing a really pretty "O Holy Night" it might just be nostalgia to back when my life was simpler and I remembered things better but it really helped me remember the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks Justin, JC, Lance, Joey and Chris.

p.s.

we're married!!!
and it IS wonderful everyone wasn't just saying that!! more to come, but now that it's legal start checking http://www.kariyroberto.blogspot.com more often as i might post more on there! :)

oh, its real.

me: hari?!?!
i am SO not hari.
Robert: i meant fancy curly hair that i am in love with.

i get to marry him in 3 days...booya.

one of those nights.

tonight is def one of those nights when i am just too stinkin lazy to go to bed. an oxy-moron i know but my face washing regiment is seeming way too daunting right now so instead i will give an update:

Robert and i were doing pretty good on our once a week disney outings...until i started panicking about the wedding...they are currently on hold until further notice.

We through my roommate jess a birthday dessert party...as you can see she is thouroughly enjoying herself with her nate.
Rob and I helped decorate:

Had a wonderful bridal shower back home thanks to mel her wonderful mother and the ever talented niven's and bennetts...
And another in HB thanks to my wonderful sisters and mother...here's nadia and i enjoying not having to help clean up.
She was pretty pooped anyways...
We went to the punkin patch with the Riessens and Mr. Smits (taking the photo)...don't worry she's the pregnant one not me...contrary to what it may appear as. i just love holding pumpkins...its kinda strange.
We bought a really comfy mattress from Sam's club that i can't wait to sleep on... and a couple weeks ago we went to the Getty Villa because i had to do some research...
here's robert eating lunch by himself....
all in all it was a perfect distraction from life and a great way to enjoy a really perfect autumn day.
there's more to come....but i'm getting married in 7 days so good luck.

ologies.

*FOODOLOGY*
What is your salad dressing of choice? caesar.
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? all of them.
What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of? Peanut butter.
What are your pizza toppings of choice? veggie.
What do you like to put on your toast? spray butter and raspberry jam.

*TECHNOLOGY*
What is your wallpaper on your computer? a picture of my niece Nadia.
How many televisions are in your house? uno.
What color cell phone do you have? black...and its the devil.

*BIOLOGY*
Are you right-handed or left-handed? Right.
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? just teef.
What is the last heavy item you lifted? Weights this morning.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? nope.

*BULLCRAPOLOGY*
If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? no thanks.
If you could change your name, what would you change it to? Kari Joan, instead of Lynn.
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000? I do that without being paid all the time.

*DUMBOLOGY*
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? like 6?
Last time you had a run-in with the cops? nevah.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I am growed up. boo.
Last person you talked to? person at work asking me if i wanted to go eat lunch with them.
Last person you hugged? roberto...this was before he tried to fart in my car. nice.

FAVORITOLOGY*
Season? fally!
Holiday? christmas.
Day of the week? sunday!
Month? march and now november :)

*CURRENTOLOGY*
Missing someone? sure.
Mood? anxious.
Listening to? silent boring office.
Watching? my computer screen
Worrying about? which one i'm going to buy...

*RANDOMOLOGY*
First place you went this morning? Mother's market to get a Kambucha drink
What can you not wait to do? friday date night with Robert!
What's the last movie you saw? "the Duchess" it was depressing and sad...your typical really good 18th century movie.
Do you smile often? not as often as i should probably.

Quirky Turky.

I got tagged by Mrs. Natalie so here it goes, my quirkys:

1. I always leave cabinet doors open and it is laziness but it's laziness in a weird way. I hate slamming cabinet doors (too loud) so in order to close them I'd have to sit there and close it slowly by hand, which takes to long, so I just leave them open. This has annoyed everyone I've ever lived with.

2. Alot of the time I go running in the morning because my body is simply addicted to it. If I don't work out in the morning and get that burst of cold air on my face, I feel groggy and nauseated all day until I do.

3. I am so jumpy. Some days are worse than others but even if I know you're there or hear you coming if you say or do something just right, I'll jump and then get sad that you scared me. Oh, and most of the time I hate watching fireworks because I'm just scared the whole time from the bangs.

4. I always make lists for things. Whether it's packing or shopping (not only just groceries, I often make lists for things I want like a white collared shirt, etc.) and to-do lists, they're so helpful since my memory has been gone lately.

5. I am obsessed with thrift stores. Whenever I go I just buy things that I think are cute without even thinking if I really need them. It's like I think I'm getting everything for free, but I'm definitley not.

6. I have to fall asleep with a little bit of my blanket tuffed up to cover my ears. This started as a noise blocker from loud roommates, then turned into a cold blocker and now I just can't fall asleep without it.

7. After I do my hair in the morning and have gel/hairspray on my hands I have to scrub my hands for like 5 minutes with a rough scrub brush to make sure I get it all off so that I don't feel it anymore and my hands are completely clean. I love clean hands.

8. I set 5 alarms in the morning. This is for two good reasons, one: often times I like to wake up slowly and don't jump out of bed very well (i literally can't walk) and two: I often have strange dreams so when my alarm goes off it's just incorporated into my dream and I don't comprehend it as my alarm. (just the other night I had a dream about a buzzing leaf-shaped tool that I was using to cook something...it was not a buzzing leaf-shaped tool at all.)

9. I bite my nails when I'm stressed and/or angry. Its become well known to me that when school is out my nails will get long. Therefore you can see my struggle as I try to be stressed in planning the wedding, and having long nails on my wedding. Nearly impossible.

10. I count syllables. And in order for me to be satisfied with a sentence, the syllables have to divisible by four. In order to get more syllables I count commas and periods and dots over 'i's. For example the sentence "Robert is engaged to me." has 12 syllables-not 7 like most people think. (i.e.: Robert (2 syllables) is (2 syllables incl. "dot" for the 'i') engaged (2 syllables) to (1 syllable) me (1 syllable) period (4 syllables, inlc."dot" for the 'i') And I do this alot, I'm not incredibly fast or anything. But I'd say I do it at least 15-20 times a day. That is by far my quirkiest quirk.



hmm...I'm a strange girl.

a fear.

I find myself counting down the days until the wedding for very specific reasons: (in no particular order)

• i get to wear nice make up and look beautiful all day.
• i get to recieve my endowments before the wedding and starts wearing g's, something i've really been looking forward too.
• i get to go into the temple and be sealed to Robert for all time and eternity
• i get to eat carne asada tacos at my reception (hopefully)
• i get to go to HAWAII for a week with my new husband and forget about everything in my life

...but this all leads to one fear. that is when i return i will just want to re-live that week over and over and over again...kinda the same way i want to live our engagement day over and over and over again. This is the fear. but at least i'll be living with my best friend, that'll make up for it.

Bridal showers this week. this is seriously unreal.

disney weekdays.

Robert and I's first year of dating can generally be gathered as him working on his company, me getting home from school super stressed about midterms and/or papers and/or finals and his solution was always to go to Disneyland instead. It was always the perfect remedy. Going to Disneyland on week nights became a tradition fast...until recently. This summer was SO busy we went from dreaming about our wedding and ring shopping to actually planning it, and thus spending lots of time with family, and leaving no time for weekday date nights.

So now that I am beyond stressed-so much even that i snapped at my aerobics instructor today over marking me absent, mind you i HATE confrontation-that I have so much on my plate thursday night is disney night.

i haven't done homework in a week, i haven't started writing a single paper and when i say i'm going to the new apt. to do homework in the quiet, i'm lieing, i'm going to watch food network.

i'd like to finish this blog but i just don't have time because Tyler's ultimate is on and Robert's almost home and we have mickey ears to wear and gibson girl to eat.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas.

I love these gringo enchiladas I made last night, enjoy!

6 flour soft taco size tortillas
one chicken breast (grilled and cubed or shredded)
4 oz. cream cheese
1 jar mild or hot salsa (any one you like)
1 small tub of sour cream
mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350
Cube cream cheese in bowl and add just grilled chicken. Blend until cheese become melted. Add half of the salsa. set aside.
Combine sour cream with other half of salsa, you can also add cayenne pepper for extra seasoning.
spread a layer of sour cream mixture on the bottom of a 4x6 baking dish.
heat tortillas.
Spread a handful size of cream cheese mixture in tortilla, roll and place in dish, seam side down.
Repeat for all tortillas.
drizzle the top with left over sour cream mixture. Add a layer of the mexican cheese blend.
Cook in 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and you can see bubbling. Serves 2-3 people.

YUM! I also like to dip mine in hot sauce!

i like it alot.

I was pondering how I often go through phases with things, mostly food products, etc. well these are my currents:

Cholula Hot Sauce
I never thought I was much of a hot sauce fan until I tasted this stuff it has aperfect hint of lime...

Diet Mountain Dew
The best diet soda on the planet

ICE.

I LOVE to chew ice after my meals, it's so perfectly refreshing.

Green Bell Peppers
I often crave the crisp first bite into one of these, I can eat them like apples and I'm always at the store when they're on sale.

Carne Asada Tacos

I'm ALWAYS wanting mexican food, more specifically these.

Huntington Beach Cottages

Particularly this one on Crest Ave. next to a park, and 6 blocks from the beach. It's $1.6 million, I really don't understand why Robert hasn't bought it for me yet.

Our new apartment in Newport!

i.e. my new kitchen! this isn't ours, but its the same plan, i've yet to decorate ours!

My Roberto.

I honestly cannot wait.

first things first.

So i started school this week, and so far so OK. Usually I'm all pumped up the first week of school, loving my major and stoked to get smarter...but this year, it's not that I'm unmotivated, I'm just like "meh." My classes are good, and as Karen Kleinfelder put it (my 20th c. art proffessor) "Alot of you are really smart, like really, but nothing has ever been asked of you that's out of your comfort zone." and it's so true, I've always just skated by in school. Part of me says this semester can be different, considering it's my last, and part of me says yea right, it'll be just like the rest. we'll see...I'd like to graduate with at least a 3.8. All in all it should be good I just have to keep my priorities in check telling myself, "NO kari you don't need to go to Target and get a cute shelf to put in your bathroom, you do need to write your term paper though!" argh! so excited to live a normal married life!

In other news we got our apartment! It's in Newport Beach almost to Costa Mesa. Just a little 650 square footer with stainless steel appliances, granite counters and a 42" flat screen TV! I know right?! Needless to say after school yesterday I hurried over there and "read" as I watched Food Network, aaahhh cable I've missed you so...

Also, we're in the process of taking our engagements with Dre! We took some on Monday but ran out of light so we're going back on Saturday! I like them all so far, but here's one from the top of my list

ok ok this one too

bride-to-be. busy bee. that's me.

maybe baby.

DISCLAIMER: we are not going to have kids right away.

but i just couldn't resist showing the world this tender moment between robert and our friends' baby Avery, they lived in Huntington Beach all summer, and Robert and her got pretty close, needless to say, we were pretty sad to see them go...

in other news, i was running on the beach this morning and i saw this bum sleeping on the same bench as he is every morning that i go running, sometimes i see him reading or sitting up, he seems pretty normal. but today as i ran past him a second time on my way home i saw him praying, his head was down, his arms were crossed, there's no doubt in my mind he was saying good morning to his Heavenly Father. and that was a comfort to me.

curious cats.

Here's a better picture of my ring. i had to use the copy machine to get all the details, hence it attached to a rolled up piece of paper...

I'm still afraid to wear it to bed, i have no idea why but i have this nightmare of losing it in my sheets, even though losing it in your bed is probably one of the safest places to lose it, as compared to the first time my mom saw it in a dumpy gas station in the garment district of downtown LA. let's just say i wore it upside down for the rest of the day after all the creepy looks i got.

details: the band is only 1mm wide with diamonds have the way down, the center stone is 1.1 carats, and it is 14k yellow gold!

now i just can't wait to have my solid yellow gold band to go with it, because that means i'll be married! (and almost done with college :))

spoony.

Robert's word of the day a few days back was spoony:

spoony \SPOO-nee\, adjective:

1. Foolish; silly; excessively sentimental.
2. Foolishly or sentimentally in love.

that's us in a nutshell. well i'm sure you all already know but WE'RE ENGAGED! that's right, on Friday August 1st, 2008 Robert finally popped the question! eek!

what started out as simply our first road trip together, turned into the trip i will never ever forget! i love him and he loves me, and now its forever, gosh i love that man!

so as you can imagine these past two weeks i have been scrambling to get things done before i go back to school, and might i say i'm pretty proud of our progress...we have a temple date, my dress is being made, we have a reception location, we almost have a caterer, we have a cupcake lady, we have our honeymoon booked and after debating over invitations for a week, i've decided i don't care anymore so we're just using the ones that i originally liked long before marriage was actually in the picture. only 91 more days! woohooo!!

on another note, today is the first day since the engagement that i find myself bored at work, but i'm sure it won't last long. this being the case i found myself thinking this...

on my way to work i stopped by Pavillions to get cream cheese for bagels and i saw tree trimmers climbing up trees with the spike boots and everything and i was reminded of a story my good friend Zach once told me about a man who actually died from suffocation of being inside an old palm tree and choking on the dust and i thought...hmm that's kinda an ideal way to go. it was a pure accident, not saying it wasn't tragic and sad. but i think at my funeral i would like people to be saying "what a dork, she went and died on us." i want a good life, and i want it to be my time to go, but i would like people to be happy for me and laugh at my idiocy in accidental death. strange but it would be ideal for me.

this is the day after the engagement when we met up with practically his whole family at the Sacramento Temple for his nephew's wedding...I half felt bad for stealing the thunder of the wedding that day and half loved the fact that ours will be the next one!