28 highlights for year 28

In celebration of turning 10,592 days old this week, here's a list of 28 highlights from year 28.

1. My trip to New England to see the fall colors

2. My trip to NYC where we did everything from eat amazing food, go to the Top of the Rock, and see two plays (Les Mis and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder)

3. First concert at the 9:30 Club to see Dan + Shay

4. Costco started accepting debit cards and life got exponentially better

5. Kevin and his conversion

6. Paid off all my debt so now I can go places like this (Costa Rica) for Thanksgiving. Wahoo!

7. Carson came home from his mission in Carlsbad, CA

8. Our only family tradition is conducting taste tests when we're all together. This year we finally got around to taste testing french fries (Wendy's won) and we also did a smell test of men's colognes. I'm obsessed with Paco Rabanne 1 Million and John Varvatos Artisan.

9. Night skiing with Spence. One of the best nights of skiing in my entire life and watching Spence ski for the first time in 13 years = priceless. 

(Spence after eating the worst onion rings in the history of onion rings)

10. Started dating this handsome guy

11. Attended our CCA staff retreat in Phoenix, AZ; Spent time with my dad and stepmom who came down afterward to hang out for a few days; and went to one of my favorite places on earth, Rooster Cogburn's Ostrich Farm

 (Me and my dad at the Mexican market we went to each day where I would get a gigantic Agua de Melon)

12. Jimmy Fallon came out with his own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor, Tonight Dough. 

Bless Jimmy for everything he does is GOLD.

13. March Madness in Pittsburgh. Two awesome games in one day!

14. After four years I left the Colon Cancer Alliance and started my dream job at Design Cuisine

15. Bought a kitchen torch and made my fave dessert, Creme Brulee

16. Chic-Fil-A came out with Diet Frozen Lemonades

17. My first niece, Ivy Amelia Redford, was born

18. Met the Niumatalolo family from "Meet the Mormons" after conducting a fireside where they were the guests speakers

19. Went to Iceland and bought a selfie stick

(Very first shot with the selfie stick) 

(But then I got the hang of it) 

20. Celebrated 10 years graduated from high school. 

21. Ran theWipeout 5K Run

22. Carson got married!

23. Worked at the Citi Open and had a ball

24. Went to Jim Gaffigan at Wolftrap

25. Went to Cedar Point Amusement Park for the 3rd time in 5 summers

26. Organized my 3rd Duck Beach house (this time with Jeff) for Labor Day 

and got to hang with all these homies

27. Three Apostles passed away (not that this was necessarily a highlight,
but it's definitely something to remember)

27. Celebrated my 20 year anniversary of being diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. Fingers crossed I will celebrate another 20 years of remission.

Bring it on, 29!

The best thing I've ever eaten

There was a time in my life when I couldn’t eat a lot of things. Anything with whole grains, most fresh fruits and vegetables, any type of drink with carbonation, and chocolate. Yes, chocolate.

For six whole years I was restricted to the strictest of diets and believe me, it was really, really hard.

But then things changed and my health improved and all of a sudden I wasn’t that person anymore that had to refuse certain dishes or go without when everyone else was enjoying that scrumptious dessert or that Café Rio salad. I truly became a new person when I could eat anything I wanted. It was revolutionary.

Food is such an integral part of our lives. “Food is memories” as one of my favorite movies attests. And at least for me, it’s been an intrinsic part of my family’s life. My mom is a caterer, my Aunt Lanell is a caterer, my aunt Nancy is one of the best chefs I know, my dad says that if he could do his life over again he’d go to culinary school. I come from a long line of amazing cooks and entertainers so it’s only natural that I would have a similar love for really good food. We’re not talking fancy food - that I haven’t had a lot of. I’m more referring to well prepared food - the kind of food that keeps your mouth watering or that you find reoccurring in your day dreams. The kind of food that you can’t stop thinking about or find yourself driving totally out of your way to get. It’s the food that is linked so closely with special moments and it’s food that’s so good, you don’t want it to end. You would kill for another bite.

The bags of butter popcorn that I ate every day for an entire semester. Popcorn was also on the list of “don’ts” during those six years so when it was put on the list of “yes’s” I couldn’t get enough of it.

The garlic cheese that is served with crackers or homemade pretzels during our Friday breaks at work.

The rib eye steak I had in Vegas while on a trip to visit my friend Courtney.

The lemon meltaways my mom makes for events and weddings. They’re just small enough that I can eat 20 of them without realizing it. Even if I did realize it, I wouldn’t care. And then I would eat another 20.

The Wafel a la Quiche at Belga Café.

My own coconut curry soup made from a recipe I found on Pinterest.

The Skirt Steak with bubbling mashed potatoes and bacon at Liberty Tavern (only served during winter much to my dismay).

Diet Frozen Lemonades from Chick-Fil-A.

But there is one dish that tops my list. I think I would say it’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten and I’m still reeling from it and trying to figure out how to eat it again.

Chilean Sea Bass with purple sticky rice, sweet corn, lemongrass broth, a crispy oyster, and microgreens.

Okay, this does sound a little bit like fancy food. And it actually was.

I worked at an event a couple weeks ago and this was the main course. I helped the two chefs get all the hot plates out to the guests and since they had an extra I was invited to try. Not one that’s usually excited about sea food I was somewhat skeptical, but as I took my first bite, my mind was changed. By bite three I had started giggling. It was soooooo good. My mouth had never experienced something like that before. Every bite was melt-in-your-mouth delicious and the combination of flavors was like magic to my taste buds. As I was nearing the end of the dish I realized I did not want it to end. I wanted there to be an endless supply of Chilean Sea Bass. I didn’t want to eat anything else ever again and I didn’t want to take the last bite because then it would be over. I’m being dramatic, I know, but don’t you know what I mean? Something that tastes so good it’s almost transcendent?

Dessert was equally as amazing – Salted Caramel Pie with a chocolate graham crust, rich caramel, fleur de sel, homemade vanilla bean ice cream, and homemade whipped cream to top it off.

Heaven.

I hope I’m not the only one that has experiences like this with food. Please tell me I’m not. I think good food and even better company make for the best of times. Give me something delicious, the people that I love, a warm summer evening, and a shaded deck and I will tell you that there is nothing more perfect than that.

As one columnist wrote, "The next best thing to eating food, is talking about it."

God is good

2014 was a really good year for me.

2015 is shaping up to be even better.

I left an amazing job for an even better one.

I finally got out of debt so my savings account is getting slightly bigger. 

I started dating someone who I adore and is so good to me.

I already have an international trip under my belt and maybe another one on the docket.

I feel confident about my body and my mind.

My friends are good and kind and plentiful.

I feel peace and comfort in my testimony of the restored Gospel amidst a lot of worldly turmoil.

See? Things are going real well.

Things are going so well in my life that I even hesitate saying it in fear that I might jinx my situation. I feel like most nights I kneel to pray and find myself expressing gratitude for the humongous blessings in my life, thankful that the trials have been few and far between. A tiny part of my brain wonders when the next hard thing will hit but I don’t dwell on that because I want to enjoy the good and I want to enjoy it right now.

More than anything, I know that God is good- He is oh so good.

A friend with an amazing blog said this and it resonated:

"I left the party feeling more in love with my little family, so thrilled about our life together, and ultimately, the speechless kind of grateful to my Heavenly Father for being so good. He is so good to the whole world. He is our Heavenly Father. I know that. He has each of us in His hands, and whether we like it or not, He's bound and determined to give us the sweetest lives." (Emphasis added)

reading kick

Some of the fantastic reads I've enjoyed recently:

This article on Ross Ulbricht and Silk Road – it may take an hour to read but it is so worth it. You may learn things about the internet that you had no idea even existed. Once you're done with the article (don't forget part 2!), make sure and Google Ross Ulbricht to see what happened to him but wait till AFTER!

This book on Thomas Edison and the invention of incandescent light. A fascinating read on how the light bulb changed the world.

These love essays from the New York Times. 

This blog - my favorite of all blogs -  which I’ve followed for more than five years. I feel like these people are my family and I would (creepily) like to meet them one day.

This article on the usage of commas. Just call me a nerd but I really enjoyed this one.

This blog post on the different YSA scenes around the US written by some normal Mormons called Normans. Can I say SPOT ON?

This book on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I’m actually on my second back-to-back read of this one and it’s the perfect Sunday morning study.

This article on how to fall in love and 36 intimate questions to get there. 

This – the official opinions of the Supreme Court regarding same-sex marriage in the United States.

This blog written by a man who digitally home teaches the lost sheep in his ward each month.

This daily news update written by a perfectly snarky female. It gives me all I need to know in a brief, well-written, clever email every morning. 

In the queue:

This book about moms on the Upper East Side of New York City. Apparently some of them get bonuses if their husbands feel they’ve parented their kids well that year. Insane.

This Tumblr because I still get a kick out of every single post.

Let me know if you read any of these and then we can chat!

it's been a decade

My 10-year high school reunion was held last weekend. I could not attend, which I consider a blessing, but I made some observations last night as I scanned through the photos that were taken at the event and then posted on social media.

1) I did not recognize at least a third of those in attendance. This surprised me only because I was pretty cool in high school (cool meaning I was pretty cool among the non-popular, regular, still didn't know how to dress myself or do my hair like a girl people) and I thought I knew just about everyone. I remember thinking that at the time I could probably name everyone in my graduating class (I've always had a gift for remembering faces and names). But there I was looking through pictures and not even faintly recognizing people. What happened? Is my memory already going? Oh no, I'm turning into my grandmother. Or did they change? Which brings me to my next point...

2) Most of the people I did recognize still look the same, just a little more pudgy. Don't get me wrong, I'm throwing myself into that category as well because heaven knows I've gained a few pounds in the last ten years, which actually made me feel better about myself because it looks like almost everyone else has too.

3) There were two people in attendance that were not married. TWO. If I had gone I would have made #3. I was also single when I attended my 5-year reunion and if that wasn't enough to make me feel out of place, then still being single when my 10-year reunion came around would only magnify the feeling of awkward.

4) Neil Locke, the kid with red hair that wore a green shirt every single day in high school, except on St. Patrick's day when he would wear an orange shirt, was there. He was wearing a green shirt.

5) None of the popular people (the actual popular people that dressed perfectly, always had money, and would hang out in the lounge during lunch) were there. I wonder why.

The last day of summer after our Senior Year. 

This was obviously back when pooka shell necklaces were in. 

After a football game when we'd regularly head to Macy's for ice cream cones.  

 

The day we graduated! It was a hot day and the sun was so bright we could hardly open our eyes for pictures. I just need to say this, I should have had those golden tassels for having a high GPA but they ran out. I have seriously been bitter about this for ten years. 

I had an amazing high school experience at Orem High School. I know that some people hated high school with the fiery burning passion of their soul, but that wasn't my experience. I'm sorry for those people who look back and didn't enjoy those teenage years because, for me, those years were golden.

I had some of the best friends a girl could ask for. The girls didn't create drama and the guys were down to earth and respectful. I couldn't have asked for a more solid group. We spent our school days playing foosball in the student council room during lunch, our evenings studying together, and our weekends skiing together and going to football games and dances together. We asked each other on dates, played for hours at the pool and in the river during the summers, and supported each other emotionally and spiritually.

During our senior year when our friend Devin got cancer, our friends decided to go to the temple every single Friday morning at 5:30 am to do baptisms with him. It was an experience that set the tone for the rest of my life and my temple worship.

I had no idea that some kids were doing drugs and wouldn't have known where to go if I had wanted to do that. Our high school dances were fun and clean and no one had to worry about inappropriate dancing. All of my friends attended Seminary and we all prepared to serve missions (our of 12 friends, 8 of us did so). I learned lessons about modesty from my guy friends who expressed how they appreciated our modest clothing and prom dresses. We spent so many evenings in each other's homes playing card games, watching Disney movies, laughing, and everything in between. It was seriously the best of times.

And after high school, one by one, we were there as each other moved away for missions or school or jobs.

These days all of my high school friends are doing awesome things. Some are mothering or fathering, others are working in professional jobs, and some are pursuing more education We are scattered around the country and rarely talk or see each other. But I will always look back fondly on my high school years with admiration.

Hats off forever to Lauren, Jacque, Kirstin, Ashlee, Ashley, Tim, Garrett, Josh B, Devin, Daxton, and Josh P.