Youuu Betcha!

Dear Thursday, October 20th... I hate you.

Today was picture day at the pre-school!!!! Yipee!

Do I even bother continue?

There’s nothing worse than a bunch of whining children, pooping their pants, trying to take pictures with a CREEPY photographer.

To start my day, I woke up at 7:32. Now the funny thing about this is that I have to be at work at 7:30... After I realized that I was going to be very late, I took a gander into the mirror of death, and there it was... the biggest volcano my pores have seen since 11th grade. Suddenly I had awful flashbacks of picture days in high school. Really complexion? Couldn’t you wait to screw me over tomorrow?

Now you’re probably wondering, “Blaire, why would you be getting your picture taken? You’re not in preschool.” Well, that’s what I said. In the preschool office, there is a nice wall with large frames of each teacher hanging for everyone to see. Plus, I get a free packet of my portraits. Bah-ha, can’t wait to throw those away...

Today during nap time, I played around with my photo programs... here’s one, the only one that wanted to upload!

Anyway... more importantly, I WENT TO MINNESOTA!

Finally, I got to experience a slight taste of the midwest. I might have hated the fact that there were no mountains or hills, but overall, I loved it!

Friday, I flew out of Boise at 6am and had a 5-hour layover in Denver. Thankfully, Danika was able to meet me at the airport! We were able to catch up and have some good laughs. I miss her so much. I wish she still lived in B-town!

When I finally got into Minneapolis, Kristin picked me up and we headed straight for her bachelorette party! It was at one of her friend’s house and it was so much fun! All the ladies were super great and fun to hang out with. I got Kristin a cute apron from Anthropologie, an I heart Idaho sticker, and wrote a sappy card.

That night, I slept at Angie’s house. They call it the Burrow because it somewhat resembles the Weasley’s house! It was SO cute. It had, like, seven freakin’ floors, all of which were super cute. I love old houses

On Saturday, Angie and her roommate took me to Uptown Minneapolis, where I met up with Joey/Twist! It was so much fun to see her! We did a little shopping, ate some lunch at a yummy place similar to Flatbread, and took some pictures.

As for the wedding... It was BEAUTIFUL! Kristin was the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen and did such a good job decorating. The wedding ended up being inside, since it was SO windy outside. I had met Austin the night before to practice the ukulele and we were ready to rock it! Unfortunately, some kiddos got a hold of Austin’s ukulele, so it was TOTALLY out of tune when we started playing at the ceremony. As miserable as it was, it still sounded okay and it was a lot of fun.

We ended the weekend with “Blaire’s Minnesota Experience.” I went to Trader Joe’s for the first time, touched the Mississippi River, played butt shards, and hung out with some pretty awesome people.

I hope that I can see Minnesota again! I loved it!

On the other hand, it’s nice to be back in Boise. I just have to convince all those lovely midwesterners to migrate to west! :)

Feelin’ All Sorts of Refreshed

Welp. It’s Monday. By far the worst day of my week this semester. Back to work with the kiddos and then a long evening at school to follow. Thankfully I got to spend the weekend in McCall, Idaho with CRU for a retreat. McCall is absolutely GORGEOUS! I had a wonderful drive up with Grace and a new friend, Ashley. We had great conversation and listened to some sweet jams. Just what I needed.
I was nervous going to the retreat, mostly because I didn’t know anyone that was going to be there. I hate being the new kid. I was also nervous about trying, yet again, another church group. I hope I’m not sounding too picky, but I felt like I hadn’t found where I was supposed to be yet. Needless to say, I had an awesome weekend. BSU’s CRU is amazing. I met some neat people, had some great conversations, and jammed with some new friends. I loved it! I talked with one of the cru staff about pursuing ministry. I’m still in the process of finding out what I want to do, but passions have never changed. I hope that I will be able to get more involved with CRU. Something’s gotta change next semester. I hate TIME.

Anywho, here are some pictures from my weekend adventure :)

So, after this refreshing and much needed weekend, I entered my Monday back to work with high spirits and a reminder of God’s goodness. 

I decided to get a little creative at work today- something the kids would enjoy :)

This afternoon, before the rainstorm, we went outside and played in the leaves. I got some pretty adorable photos of the kids. I LOVE THE FALL!

My door... sideways.

I ended my day with a very bad moment with a professor. His sarcastic and rude way of teaching really got to me as I was humiliated in front of 50-60 people. I’m trying not to dwell on it, but It sure ruined my day. Thankfully, being at the District right now is making me feel better. God is GOOD! reminder. check.

T.G.I.F...“Thank God I’m FRESH” -Kid Cudi

Happy Friday! I am currently sitting at work watching 4 little children devour their lunches. James has refused to eat his spaghettiOs with a spoon- NOT looking forward to cleaning that up.

We have a new kid in the classroom. His name is Kyle and he is the youngest & smallest kid in the class. He cries hysterically every morning until I hand him his favorite toy, the girraffe. Then for the rest of the day, he just sits and stares at all the other rambunctious children running around biting each other. (Sarcasm? Not really. James bit my thigh last week. Turd.)

Yesterday we ELMO-CIZED!!!!! I hated every minute of it. But thankfully, the kids enjoyed themselves and were wiped out by nap time. Hopefully the weather clears up a bit so we can go outside. Although, I do love the rain, especially after buying these new rain boots at Target last night. The kids at work ask, “Miss Baaaa, what’s wrong with your boots?” Hmm....

I do love my job, but I am always counting down the hours up to nap time. I get to sit in a rocking chair, listen to creepy children nap time songs, and do homework/dink around the internet. As of right NOW, I have another 45 minutes before they go to sleep.

Tonight, I am heading to McCall (Or however you spell it) for a fall retreat with CRU! I’m very excited to get away and meet some new people. I only know one girl, Grace, who is super awesome and was in KKG with Alyssa. Apparently I will be seeing snow this weekend. Barf... I mean, YIPEEEEEE!!!!! 

Welp, that’s all I have for now. I’m gonna clean up these messes and plug in some Winnie the Pooh. (ADVICE FOR PARENTS- Never send rice in your child’s lunch box. Teachers hate it.)

As Tigger would say, TA TA FOR NOW!!!!

Smells Like Fall!

Well, it looks like I haven’t updated this blog since November of 2010. It’s almost been a year! Whoops.

It has been quite the interesting year. There have been a lot of changes and adventures in my life. Since I moved to Boise in August 2010, I have come to find that I truly do enjoy it here. There were moments last year when I wanted to quit and move back to Utah, but God has shown me in SO many ways that this is where I’m supposed to be- at least for a while.

I no longer work at Potter Barn. That job ended last March when I was blessed with a new job! I now work full-time at a preschool/child care center as the 2-3 year old teacher! It’s a lot of diaper changing and frustrations, but I love these little kiddos. I have a new class of kids this Fall and they are quite the rowdy bunch. Sometimes I get ridiculous headaches and want to quit, but all that changes once one of the little boogers hug me. I love ‘em.

This last summer, I did the Ridges program up at Camp Perkins. (Backpacking in the Sawtooth and White Cloud Mountains with different groups of Jr. High youth) It had been a job that I’ve always dreamed of having. It was definitely an interesting decision-making process leading up to the summer, but doors opened and I took the opportunity! It was a wonderful summer. I had the coolest job in the world!

Here are some favorite pictures/moments from my summer ;)

It was awesome! Now I am back in Boise, working and going to school full time at Boise State. It’s been really stressful and tiring, but God is merciful and things have been going really well despite the chaos. I hope to update this more and more... We’ll see how that goes- hopefully better than last time! :)

"I was thinking, OVER-thinking..." -Relient K

Sittin' in my living room by the heater. Wearin' some comfortable sweats... and my glasses. Tara said I looked "studious." Which, knowing me, is kind of funny.

It's been a good week, besides being so COLD! I hit up a ski/board swap & got hooked up! I now have a new coat and board, bought for a very decent price. Now, I may hate the cold, but I'm ready for some snow this winter! I hear it's going to be a record-breaking snow fall this season. Bring it on Mother nature! I'm ready for ya!

God has blessed me a lot here in Boise. It's taken some getting used to, but after a few months, I am finally comfortable where I'm at. I've been hanging out with a solid group of people. SUCH a blessing to have in this new town. Every Thursday, I get dollar tacos with Dani (A friend that went to Weber with me) and it's one of my favorite things to do! I've also been going to a lot of shows lately. There is sweet talent in Boise! And not to mention, cool bars! It's nice being 21.... :)

Today I went to Nampa (about 30 minutes from Boise) with my dear friend, Shailey. We looked around some sweet boutiques and little shops. Then we sat in the Flying M, which is probably THE most amazing coffee shop ever. We each had a cup of joe and and a snack, and talked about life for a while. I think I pondered a little too much today, but I'm thinking it's a good thing....

Now that I'm in my 3rd year of college, it's time to buckle down on a major and go straight for the goal. Unfortunately, I STILL don't know what to do with my life. When people ask, "What's your passion?" I say things like God, people, friends, art, music, camp... bla bla bla. I'm jealous of my friends that have a carreer in mind, and are going for it! I wish I knew....
But I do have an idea, that I've actually thought about alot over this past year.
I've always wanted to open up my own coffee shop. I would love owning my own business (despite all the hard work that goes into it), interacting with different people all day, incorporating my art, going at my own pace, and enjoying a job! It might sound a little dumb; my family think so. But I figure, why not shoot for it? If it doesn't work out, so be it. I need to pray about it.

I'm thinking a long run in the morning... I just love how pretty it is in the Fall :)

IDAHO? REALLY?

For those of you who have not heard, I made a last-minute decision to move to Boise, Idaho. It's been quite the adventure thus far.

To begin, here are 10 facts/things to know about Boise:
1. They are big on football here.
2. Boise is the "City of Trees." :)
3. There are more "out-doorsy people" here, despite lack of mountains.
4. In contrast to Utah, there is a coffee shop on every corner.
5. My Mormon-radar does not exist anymore.
6. Many dreads and tattoos.
7. I've never been so excited about riding my bike.
8. 5 minute bike-ride to Urban Outfitters.
9. Boise is in "Treasure Valley." (Don't let the idea of Idaho fool you.)
10. It's is a small town trying to be big.

I moved here on August 15th and moved in with Tara and Jana (some girls I worked with @ Perkins). We found a cute house nestled in an adorable neighborhood on the east-end of Boise. The trees are tall & the houses are old. Most of Boise is flat, so it's extremely bike-friendly. There is a walkway along the river called the Greenbelt. It runs by my house and right through campus. Being the City of Trees, Boise looks BEAUTIFUL in the Fall. There's nothing better than riding my bike through the orange and yellow leaves :)

I am currently going to BSU, gaining Idaho residency, and working alot of hours at Pottery Barn. I miss going to school full-time, but I'm keeping myself very busy at work. I go to the gym religiously and thoroughy enjoy it. (Minus scary-man, who legitimately creeps me out.) I love the school pride going on here. It's alot different from Weber State, that's for darn sure. Game days here are intense! Blue and Orange everywhere! Man, Boise State kicks ass... but apparently their graduation rate isn't the greatest. Ha..?

My social life has been interesting. I went from knowing everyone, to only knowing 2 people. Being a part-time transfer student makes it really difficult to meet people. The first month of beinbg here absolutely sucked. It wasn't until I visited home that I realized how much I liked Boise. There are alot of wonderful people up here, it's just taking time to find my nitch.
This past week has been really good for me. I went to a house show where there were a bunch of people crammed into a small house and a folk band from Reno ( Buster Blue, look em up) played wonderful music. I met some really sweet people there that night. I feel like I've known them forever! So for Halloween, Rachel drove up, and we all wore mom jeans and creeped downtown Boise for hours on end. It was excellent.

Anyhow... I'm now a 21-year old brunnette, flyin solo in a new, exciting place. I miss my momma, my cat, my best friends @ home, and Utah mountains. Peace out, you'll hear from me soon.

Counting Down the Days

I'm going to start off by saying that Mother Nature is definitely on her period. Someone needs to toss her a dose of Midol before I go nuts. At least we got to enjoy some sunshine for the first part of the week. Unfortunately, I'm back to jeans and a sweatshirt. Wa waaa.

This week has been nuts! First of all, Danny Frastaci (A friend from camp) drove through and stayed a few nights at my apartment. We went and saw "How to Train Your Dragon" and I LOVED it. I was geekin' out the whole time. I was on the edge of my seat with a big smile on my face... not to mention the LEGIT 3D glasses. Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie, please do so. You can thank me later.

My mom has been out of town visiting her boyfriend, so it's just been me and Kathryn the cat flyin' solo. At least I'm not being nagged to clean the litter box or fold laundry. I ran out of food to eat, so I had to do some independent woman grocery shopping. I felt legit. It gave me a good feeling of what it's like to be on my own....
WHICH REMINDS ME OF A STORY...
Ahem.
Two weekends ago, I hung out at Steffen's house. It was a nice night around the fire with some good friends. A lady comes over and says, "Ummm I just backed into someone's car."
Knowing my luck, I immediately stood up assuming that it was mine. Welp, it was. Turns out it cost $1600 to fix (Who knew body work could be so expensive.). Thankfully, I didn't have to pay for anything. So while my car was in the shop, I had the fabulous opportunity to drive a (drumrole please) KIA!!!!!!!!!! A good 'ol rental Kia.... FML.
So yesterday, I finally got Lafawnda the Hawnda back, and drove to Smith's to pick up some groceries. When I left, I saw my beautiful Honda in the parkinglot, and had a tender moment. I got out my keys, but the clicker wasn't working... I tried it again and again and again. Still no worky. By this time, I'm a bit flustered. So I resorted to using the key. Still no worky. I'm pissed. I tried all of the doors, even the trunk. Nope. Nothing.
Suddenly, a man walks towards me and says, "WOW, you REALLY want to get into my car don't you?"
My heart sunk. I felt like the biggest dumbass.
Soooo, THAT was Blaire's blonde moment of the day.
Speaking of Blonde... I dyed my hair red. Then my mom and I decided we looked too much alike, so I weaved some brown through it. Looooks gooood!

Anywho, this weekend I'm going to Moab, so stay tuned.
Next week I leave for Idaho. I LOVE CAMP.
June 12th is my race. (running is going well)
Aaaaand, I may or may not be thinking about Boise State this Fall.
Wow Blaire, make up your mind.