The Hoodie Story

So sometimes I think that I focus too much on "things" on this blog. So I don't talk about all my things. And then I post birthday pictures and I get two comments that go, "Hey! Where did that hoodie come from?! What's the story on that adorable hoodie."
Ok, you got me. Of course there's a story.
I wanted this hoodie at Banana Republic. It's Cashmere (8%) blend and was $90.
But I had a $44 dollar credit there for returning a shirt.
And they sent me $15 for my birthday, so technically it would only be like $30.
And then I went there. And they had just marked it down to $60 that day.
So I got this awesome cashmere hoodie for $8.23! Whoo-hoo!

p.s. holy crap i need to clean my mirror!

One Last Surprise...

So in 2005, I bought Williams-Sonoma new healthy kitchen cookbooks. I really love them, and tucked within the dessert book is a recipe for Lavender Flan. Now, I had at the time never had flan OR lavender in anything, but it looked so pretty and sounded so good and I've been planning to make it for 4 years now. And every time we passed the L'Occitane store at Chandler mall (with their bunches of fresh lavender for sale), I mention it again. Even though I did finally have flan last year and didn't think it was very good at all. I just thought I could do better.
Well, Brad finally thought I deserved lavender flan.
He snuck both the cookbook and the lavender to Bullhead City in the trunk.
We have the use of two houses in Bullhead City (one house used to be my aunt's....long story), and he made it over there.
So on Christmas morning, Brad surprised me with beautiful lavender flan. The caramel was a little overdone, BUT it was tasty, and more than anything, I appreciated having the only brother in the world who would think to make his sister lavender flan for her 30th birthday.
Thanks, Brad, you're so cool.

We Had a Breakdown This Morning. It wasn't me.

All right, friends, you may have overdone it.
And I need to quit shopping. STAT.
You see, I expected a mellow little birthday at home. But my mom really wanted to make it special and exciting. But after all the amazing things that had already been done for me, she was almost out of ideas. But she read Suzette's blog, saw that I wanted the "Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess" book, and left early in the morning to go and get it for me. She was very excited because not only am I terribly hard to shop for, I also just go buy most things I think I need. I, in short, am impossible.
She drove up the driveway this morning and Brad went out to meet her. And saw the book. And then told her I already gone and bought it last week.
She put her face in her hands and started crying. She came inside, pulled the little Pepperidge Farm Coconut Cake she had bought out of the box, threw one solitary candle in it, and walked away. I had no idea what was going on.

For some reason my mom was crying, and I didn't know why. It's a very sad thing to know that you made your mom cry on your birthday. She just started saying how sad she was and that she loved me so much and she was sorry my birthday at home couldn't be so exciting. And why did John have to go and buy me a stinkin' birthday cake, too!? (I'll show it to you in a minute.)
And then I opened my card. Which she was actually too upset to wait for my dad to sign so it just says "Love, Mom & ....."

But, really, I'm really only writing this because, one, it almost made me cry. And two, I love my mom so much. I want her to know that knowing that she loves me so much means more than absolutely anything. I'm so grateful to her for making me and loving me and being an awesome mom. And to tell her that even a 30-year old cannot actually handle three birthday parties in one month. So I love you. I loved my little coconut cake for breakfast. I love you for thinking a dozen red roses on my birthday somehow isn't enough. And I love you for the car mats that I pre-ordered. Even if we do have to exchange them for a different color.
You are the best.
And you, too, dad. You just didn't cry. So this post isn't about you.
p.s. A half an hour later, when everyone had calmed down, we put more candles in the cake in the shape of a 30 and sang. And it was perfect. ;-)




And this is my sweet cake from John from "Nothing Bundt Cakes" :

In My Next 30 Years...

First, I will make this song my ringtone. It actually may have made me tear up just a little this morning.
My Next 30 Years
Second, well, here's the list. I actually could probably at a little to it, but it's a start.
* Take my iron supplements, multi-vitamins, and CoQ10. A lot. Not every day. But a lot.
* Learn to bake bread, rolls, and pot roast. You know, Mom stuff.
* Learn Medical Spanish
* Eat more soup. And lots more salad. And more oatmeal.
* Eat enough almonds to get my HDL in the healthy range. (It's not). Strive for a habit of
a handful everyday.
* Develop a habit of mopping every week
* Get Married and Make Some BABIES!
* Go through the temple.
* Use my crock-pot more
* Swim more
* Bench 100lbs. again
* Learn to let my hot chocolate cool down before I burn my tongue with it.
* Do Doctors Without Borders
* Keep learning guitar.
* Read some more books.
* Become a doctor.
* See A&M and UT play
* Visit another country. Border towns don't count anymore.
* Learn to eat fast food without spilling. (Not that I actually eat fast food, of course.)
* Make my bed more than 3 times a year
That's a start. :-)

To Sum It Up: What I Did With My 20s

* Got over my fear of public speaking... and learned to kind of love it.
* Had 12 roommates
* Got 2 Bachelor's Degrees
* Took the GRE for basically no reason at all, turns out
* Got into debt
* Got out of debt
* Bought red couches
* Learned how to kiss. Practiced.
* Learned how to cook
* Hosted awesome dinner parties
* Started a "career" with benefits.
* Got a passport
* Saw my first hockey game
* Saw Alanis, Lenny, Dave, and John L. in concert
* Fell in love with cool hotels
* Became a little less music dumb
* Saw New England in the Fall
* Ran 2 Triathlons....and 5 other races
* Got a fishing license. Used it once. Did not catch anything.
* Got waxed
* Kissed most New Year's Eves. Never with the same person.
* Developed a much greater love and tolerance.
* Learned a little guitar.
* Celebrated Christmas with Roommates
* Watched 2 people die
* Watched 2 people be born
* Skydived
* Took the DAT. Did not become a dentist.
* Picked out a wedding dress. Did not get married.
* Waited tables. For 7 of those years.
* Helped someone join the church
* Met a wonderful, incredibly diverse group of friends.
* Explored Seattle.
* And NYC.
* And Boston.
* And Austin
* And LA
* And San Diego
* And Phoenix. Mostly Phoenix.
* Fell in love. At least once.
* Oh. And discovered Banana Republic.
* Started grad school. To do what I will love to do.
* Live completely alone.
* Registered an inflatable raft.
* Kept a plant alive for 7 years.
* Bought a car....and paid it off.
* Survived 5 car accidents
* Bought gold shoes.
* Got slightly better at accessorizing
* Started a blog
* "Fished" out the same window that the Beatles did in 1964
* Married 2 couples
* Was a bridesmaid twice. In Texas. The same year.
* Moved back in with my parents. Twice.
* Moved back out. Twice.
* Ate a jar of peanut butter a week for almost a year
* Celebrated everything with cupcakes.
* Discovered where the Carbieners came from! (Geiswiller, France)
* Rode Public Transportation
* Taught gospel doctrine for 2 1/2 years
* Got my hair done by someone I wasn't related to
* Bought a flat iron (two, actually)
*Drove a loader. Did not kill a cow.
* Used eye make-up colors that weren't simply some shade of brown. For the first time.
* Bought Doc Marten sandals. That I wore through Boise winters.
* Ate oysters. Scallops. Elk. Brussel Sprouts. Foie Gras. Frito Misto. Quail. Ahi Tuna.
* Made Levi Quilts
* Tried on rings at Tiffanys. Once with a security guard.
* Danced on a table at a bar
* Cried at Dawson's Creek and Felicity
* Fixed the Power Windows on my car. AND the fuel filter.
* Read "The Week." Felt very educated.
* Became a nurse.
I think this covers most of it, but feel free to add anything I forgot!

Christin at 29. T minus 15 hours.

To quote Brad (from yesterday), there was "a crazy amount of stuff" last year. Which may be why this year seemed so slow in comparison. But it's not like I stayed at home and stared at the ceiling. Let's go....

Bridget threw me my first ever surprise party. It was really a birthday/Christmas party and was totally awesome. She also got me Betty Bear's Birthday book from my childhood, which was also awesome.
In January, Brad, me, Ariana, one of her brothers, and Tyler took a spontaneous trip to see the Grand Canyon. It, like the rest of Arizona, was really brown. But also pretty cool. Especially the picture of me and Brad on a cliff.
A few days later John and I went and saw a John Legend concert, and I loved two Johns that day. Both so so sexy.
I started straightening my hair. This probably happened in 2008, but it took real effect in 2009. This happened largely because every guy I knew told me it was a good idea. I ended up doing it almost every day. I missed my first 6-month perm since 1994!! I got my hair highlighted by someone I wasn't related to in an upscale Scottsdale salon that smells like heaven.
I also let John and Bridget convince me to throw some clothes away, buy some new shoes, and start wearing a belt. Sometimes I now feel like I own too many purses and look too preppy and have become a little too Californian. But then I put on my Underarmour sweatshirt (again) along with my cute little gray Converses instead of my Doc Marten sandals and I think maybe it's not such a bad idea.
I spent Spring Break in a rented beach house in La Jolla. John and I went skydiving. It was beautiful, thrilling, and completely nauseating. Next time....Dramamine!!
Then....I got into Grad School. Finally I get to start being a nurse practitioner. Whoo-hoo!!
I did the Abs Diet.
I made up for it.
Ariana and Tyler started dating, got engaged, and got married. Brad and I threw the best Bachelor and Bachelorette parties ever. John, me, Bridget, and Brad created ambiance in a space without any.
John and I tried out a million new restaurants. All of which were fabulous.
I sold Josh back the Bel Air.
I went to Park City to see Bridget when my trip to Europe was indefinitely postponed. We bought rain boots. I wore them 2 weeks ago for the first time.
John and I went to Prescott for the 4th of July. I saw the Boot Race!!
He and I shared a car. For a week. Twice.
I cried the next month when my Nana died. I still cry sometimes. She was the coolest ever.
I started school. I considered dropping out. Then realized that many miracles had led me here and I totally wanted to do it so I stayed. No cool vacations for 2 years. boo.
I finally rode public transportation and felt very urban.
I went to Brad's awesome James Bond Park City Party. It totally rocked. (Almost as much as his 2007 birthday I forgot to mention 2 days ago.)
Brad and I saw Brad Paisley. We rocked Black Friday.
And I had two amazing birthday parties. Oop. But I guess that's what tomorrow's all about.
You can look up more pictures if you want to. I'm going to sleep!!! :-)

All The Peanut Butter and Jelly a Girl Could Ever Want

Let me say first of all that there are times when I think I have the best job in the world.
I love working nights.
I love the nurse:patient ratio on my floor
I love my schedule.
I love my acupuncture benefits
I love the funny stories I get from patients
I love when people say, "Oh, my angel nurse is back!"
But I especially love my co-workers. Because of things like this:

Let me say second of all that I am not a woman of routine. For most things, I am incredibly INCREDIBLY random. Except when it comes to my packed lunches. Almost daily they consist of: A PB&J, carrots, a Babybel cheese, yogurt, and an apple. This leads my co-workers to believe that I am the world's healthiest eater. They don't know my capacity to live on Rice Krispie treats for 2 meals a day when I'm not at work.
Tonight I came to work to find a fabulous little red bag sitting on the counter. With a silver "FABULOUS" tag hanging from it. Inside was 1- A very hilarious card 2- A spa gift certificate to a spa of my choosing (from spawish.com, which, by the way, is an amazing idea!) and 3- A book entitled, "What I Know Now: Extraordinary Women Share the Wisdom They Wish They'd Had When They Were Younger."
Already feeling uber-appreciated and excited, I had no idea what they had up their sleeves. Brittany (brunette, blue scrubs) and Bridgette (blonde, blue scrubs) had arranged a Christin-rrific buffet. Meaning, a fruit tray, a veggie tray, Babybel Cheeses, hummus, pitas, and, of course, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches galore-both with crunchy and creamy choices. I still cannot believe the effort they went to for me. When a girl that is used to very mellow birthdays gets TWO fabulous birthday parties, she might be a little overwhelmed.
Thank you so much. So SO much.
You two are awesome.
(p.s. Kim is new. She's from Boston. I'm orienting her. She's the one holding the bananas. I like her, too.)

I really only have 2 days left?!! (Christin at 28)

So the difference between the next two years and the last few really comes down to documentation. I've already chronicled my adventures of 2008 and 2009, but just in case you forgot, I'll still re-cap.
So my 28th birthday I had stuffed french toast at mom & dad's house. That pretty much covered the excitement of that day. That's all I remember, and that's just fine. The week before, Brad and I bought pretty much the largest Christmas tree that could fit in our house (see above).
Christmas Nana read us "The Polar Express" for the last time. And Kaitlynn got a Kitty Alive! that she loved.
In January, I bought Josh O.'s Bel Air. Who would've thought I'd own a '65 Red Bel Air ever? Not me. But I totally loved that car and had so much fun with it. Brad and I drove to Colorado to get it and even brought Josh back for a couple days. Good times.

In February, I went snowboarding for the first time. In Flagstaff. I almost froze to death and probably sprained both my wrists. I haven't been back, but it continues to be a goal of mine to become a very cool "snowboarding chic." Eventually.

That year, I also became the High Magistrate of the Church of Serendipitous Love. You see, my roommate Jessica and her boyfriend needed to be married. But sometimes its hard to find the proper person to marry a rarely-attending Christian and a Buddhist. Enter me. I got online and became an "ordained" clergy person who specifically chose the least religious title she could acquire for fear of being struck down by an unpleased God. I flew back to Boise and married two people I totally love and had a total blast doing it. So fabulous.

April gave me this little dude. Now I not only had the coolest niece ever but also a nephew who was the first Carbiener Linebacker.
I also met Bridget. We were in the same ward, and we ran 4.2 miles together and then became lifelong friends. The end. Just kidding. It was actually just the beginning. Then she started dating Brad. He left for the summer. She moved in. They broke up. Holy Most Dramatic Summer of My Life. But, really, it was also a really REALLY crappy summer for her (on several levels, not just the Brad one), and we all survived. Somedays barely. Mostly with a lot of Blue Bell.
Josh got accepted into the army. He came to visit one last time. (Really. The Last Time. For Reals.) And then he shut off his cell phone, moved to Alabama, and went to boot camp.
And then I met John.
Technically, I knew John, but I had never really MET John. Bridget was sitting next to me at church one day and John spoke. "He seems cool," she said. "Yes," he is." "He should be our friend." She told him this during Sunday School. I'm pretty sure he would have turned us down on our invitation/command, but he had just broken up with a girl a few weeks before and could have used some friends. So he came over that night. And has pretty much never left. Just kidding. But really, kind of. Somewhere between Tupac and Detroit and LA and his recycling business at 10-years old and his stalwartness and his testimony, I totally loved John Vizzard. We talked for hours and hours and our friendship started right then. Actually, it started right when this picture was taken I think. Bridget thought she was so sneaky.
Obviously, you guys now know that he's been a major part of everything since then. And even though we're not dating (sometimes it's there....sometimes it's not), we do mean the world to each other and are still trying to figure out the exact algorithm of how much time we should be spending together. It depends on the week. And I still will love Bridget 'til the day I die for telling John to be our friend.
NEXT!!! I rode my bike to work. For the first time ever. I totalled my second car. Not my fault. Totally a blessing.
I finally saw California. Ariana from here and Bekah from nursing school (who had moved to San Jose) and I did the See Jane Run triathlon. I stayed the night in LA by myself. I ate at Apple Pan. Ariana and I drove the entire PCH in one day. Slowly. Which was exhausting, but we truly SAW it. I stood on the sand in Marina del Ray.

Then I went to Boston! I spent Halloween in Salem with Emily and her family and I got to be Goldilocks!! I stood in Walden Pond. I ate Boston Clam Chowder. I saw New England in the Fall. I LOVED it.
I ate Fried Chicken & Waffles at Lolo's. I did another wedding.
I saw a lot. I did a lot. I ate a lot.
Good year.

Christin at 27......3.......

Twenty-seven was an awesomely exciting year with a bumpy little beginning. 27 was my breakdown birthday. As in, I broke down then so I won't break down 3 days from now. 27 was my "All-right-everyone-stop-sharing-your-sex-stories-with-me-because-I-honestly-don't-care-anymore-because-what-it-boils-down-to-is- that-I-am-older-than-you-and-my-fertility-just-declined-by-half-and-i-love-someone-and-it's-not-like-a-baby-would-be-totally-unwelcome-right-now-but-I-still-STILL-am-not-having-sex-and-I-am-actually-NOT-totally-okay-with-that" birthday. I cried for a few hours off and on before I got over myself and had a birthday party.
So again, I spent Christmas in Boise. My roommates and I went to 6-1-6, a fabulous (a sadly now defunct) restaurant in Eagle where we had delicious fois gras (with no idea what it was), I had a passion fruit virgin martini lined with pop rocks, followed by a cognac creme brulee. I was told by the chef that I could not get tipsy off creme brulee, but I think he was wrong. I think it was worth it. Best creme brulee EVER.
When we got home, we had Lilly Jane's cupcakes and drank Martinelli's cider and I got a great UnderArmour sweatshirt that I'm wearing as I type this.

Josh O. was supposed to be there, but Colorado was holding him hostage. Remember the great Denver Blizzard of 2006? Oh, I do! I do! There was literally no way out of the state for 3 days, so while he was supposed to be there on the 21st, he didn't arrive until Christmas Day. While I was at work (making more than I had ever made in one day of work ever). He came into work when he got off the plane. I kissed him in front of everyone and made great tips that hour.
What else happened that year?
Boise State totally rocked the Fiesta Bowl. The only football game I think I could watch over and over again. My dad called me at midnight in MEXICO to talk about it. THAT's how amazing it was.
I went to Colorado to surprise Josh for his birthday. I drove a loader. I made Raspberry Game Hens. We pretended we were models at J. Crew. Emily Udy had Tessa on his birthday. Mindy called while I was in the dressing room at the bebe store.


During Spring Break, I flew to AZ to interview at Scottsdale Healthcare, the hospital at which I now work. Josh met me here, and my mom made him a belated birthday cake with a full-out farm. Niece Kaitlynn was completely fascinated.
I interviewed. I got hired.

And then, I graduated.

And I moved to Arizona, with the help of Jessica, Nate, and Josh. Josh and I carried out our scheduled break-up.
I lived alone for 3 months. I had a very clean house. I hated living alone.
I started this blog (for reals). That made things better.
I got lost a million times. I loved my new job. I loved Bridgette, my supervisor, who I consider one of my greatest Arizona blessings. I met Ariana. My first real Arizona friend.
I went to New York City!!! Brad was there for work, and it ended up being my cheapest vacation ever. I saw a Broadway show and the Empire State Building and rode the 4 train. We ate pasta in Little Italy at 1 am. I walked in Greenwich village and Central Park. I loved it all.

Brad moved in. We threw the coolest dinner parties University 5th ward has ever seen.


I took guitar lessons from a sexy sexy man. Then I quit them.
Turns out being 27 was fabulous. A busy, very fun, very fabulous year.

26 in the eyes of Christin...4 whole days to go

I know Maria is thinking "Holy Boobs!" again, but this is one of my favorite pictures of my birthday party. Twenty-six was a great year. Which is good, considering that I had looked forward to this year for a long long time! Basically, I had always thought that life would come together at 26; that I would probably get married; start my career; and have everything together. Not all of this happened, but I did turn out to be great.
For my birthday, my roommates and I went to Tapas Estrella, dressed up, and ate fancy food in a red velvet booth.
I spent my first Christmas away from home. My roommates all had interesting family dynamics, and Christmas just wasn't the same for them growing up as it had been for me. So I became the Christmas mom of our apartment that year. We all arranged to fill each other's stockings and give great gifts. We read all my favorite childhood books together and Luke 2, while we arranged the Nativity scene, just like when I was little. They all said it was their best Christmas ever, and I felt so blessed to spend Christmas with people I loved so much. And then the year really started...
So...in 2006, I had made the alternate list for the nursing program, which meant, once again, I did not get in. I was third on that list. The advisor told me nobody ever drops out of this program, and that the chance of me getting in by being an alternate was basically zero. But in January, two weeks before school started, I got a phone call at work. The nursing program was trying to track my down to let me know that, miraculously, three people had just dropped out of the program. I was in. It was a miracle I will be forever grateful for.
I quit all 3 jobs from 2005 and started working at Murphy's, the best serving job I ever had. I loved the people I worked with, especially Kevin, who teased me relentlessly and whom I just loved. It was great money, fabulous food, and a wonderful wonderful time. Getting that job was another miracle for sure, as the timing was just right.
I started cooking more; this probably began in 2005, but Williams-Sonoma healthy kitchen cookbooks helped me make huge leaps in discovering food I didn't know existed.
I met Rebekah Granat, my Jewish agnostic hippie rock-climber friend whom I love to death. I instantly thought the first day of nursing school that she was way too cool to be friends with me (and that she had the most amazing arms ever), but she ended up becoming my best friend in the program. We really wouldn't have made it without each other. She is still as cool as I thought she was that first day.
I started "dating" Josh Olson. I put dating in quotes because he wasn't Mormon so we told each other we weren't really dating, but we had a blast together. (We met through my roommates, who had been friends with him for awhile.) Even after he moved to Colorado two months after we met, I was pretty smitten and we had fun sending each other crazy little packages in the mail. We saw each other every few months, and even made the newspaper when we were saying good-bye at the airport!!
Because of him, I loved Boise a lot more, and we went exploring all over the valley, went fishing in Idaho City, and listened to Jimi Hendrix together. And went shooting. Basically, we just had fun together all the time.
In 2006, I started to love Boise and I started to become a nurse and I made a few amazing friends. And 26 was a fabulous year.

Opinionated Readers....

1- I was told that the picture I posted of Josh and I is not his best. Fine. Here are my two favorite pictures of him, where I think he looks fabulous.






2- And Mom, everyone who reads my blog is WAY too young to know who Patty Hearst is. No, my picture did not bring her to mind for any of us. :-) But thanks to Wikipedia, I now know her life story. And, ironically, she was a bank robber. How appropriate. Is this the picture you had in mind?

Five More to Go! Christin at 25...

So at times I've considered this year a total waste. In reality, it was nothing like that and actually paved the way for a lot of other aspects of my life.
1- I moved to Boise. With a girl I worked with in Pocatello. For most of a year, I lived with a Vietnamese girl named Chi and a Mexican girl named Elizabeth. By the end of the year, Chi had moved to Seattle to be with her boyfriend, and Elizabeth had moved back home because she was pregnant with twins! In the meantime, we had had a blast going dancing on the weekends and enjoying "Chick-Bacon-on-a-Tater"s on the streets of Boise. Our diverse little group always drew such fabulous looks; it was great.
2- The reason I moved to Boise was to go to nursing school, and I had been told I would totally get in. I did not. So I basically had to chill for an entire year.
3- I went to Boise State and re-took Anatomy & Physiology, which, it turns out, it way easier there than at ISU.
4- I got a job at a Medical office that I thought I would love and instead pretty much hated. There was a lot of pettiness there that I basically couldn't stand, and I quit before the year was out. But. While there I met Jessica and Tara who would become my next round of roommates. Jessica and I hit it off right away because of our love of SELF and Glamour magazine. We had some crazy ups and downs as roommates, but it was all part of the ride. Tara's boyfriend Craig moved in, and even though he was 6 years younger than me, he also became one of my very best Boise friends.
5- I did my first triathlon. I was working three jobs (waitresses don't deal with taxes very well, so I was working at 2 restaurants and the medical office) and going to the gym after work. I had never run 2 miles in my life, but it was awesome. I swam 400meters in a nasty pond, coughed weird for 3 days, biked 6 miles on a bike I had convinced a bike shop to loan me, and then ran my 2. It was my first ever race, and I felt so cool. And my sweet roommates all came to cheer me on, which I absolutely loved them for.
6- And Kaitlynn was born. 2 days after my 25th birthday (which means, yes, she's almost 5!) Her healthy little body swore me onto Apex Prenatals for every baby I might have. And I gained a new appreciation for my sister and her strong and amazing body. She continues to be an awesome mom, and Kaitlynn is still the coolest ever. And she really likes me. Which counts for a lot.
So, really, 25 was a weird little year. But definitely, a good one.

Christin at Twenty-Four

So I have to confess: I'm totally terrified to write this entry. Because Josh's wife reads this blog (and I love hers), but I haven't officially met her. And Josh had a lot to do with this year. So here's hoping that Ashley forgives me for posting a picture of me with her now-husband. Just like Tara hopefully did yesterday. :-) (These are the kinds of things that happen when you're 30, I guess!)
K- so this picture is the ONLY picture I have of my 24th birthday. I found it a few months ago in the back of a photo album and gasped. I had totally forgotten it existed. I had known Josh McGavin for only a few months, but my social circle was (as always) very small, so he came. He and I and Emily Inglet and Charlie my roommate (and her fiancee?) went out to eat at Continental Bistro. I had crawfish bisque and Denver Sole that were to die for and Charlie and Emily got me totally inappropriate panties as my presents. It was the first year I went out to dinner for my birthday, and it would be the first of many. I had permed my hair the day before, and Josh got pulled over trying to keep up with me on our way back to Idaho Falls (I was going home for Christmas).

Let's just say the rest of the year was a whirlwind. I continued to live in the armpit of Pocatello, Idaho and continued to work at Applebee's. I bought my first real furniture- Red Couches that I still totally love, rocked a road trip to Seattle, and started pre-reqs for the nursing program (after a lot of prayer and soul-searching). 2004 left me with some of my most fabulous memories and a few of my saddest memories. When the dust settled, I was left with a great pair of white Kenneth Cole heels and a deep appreciation for possibly the kindest, most sincere, most good-hearted person I have ever had the chance to know and love. Oh, and way too many Pearl Jam CD's.
And I wouldn't change a thing about it.

Intermission of the Countdown: ebay + craigslist = childhood Christmases re-lived

As a child, Christmas meant a lot of things to me: the felt advent calendar on the wall, The Polar Express, Jolly Old Santa Claus (the book), and Christmas records. Mostly really annoying records that my mom and dad put up with for most of the month. My personal favorite was Sesame Street singalong, which was produced in 1984. And never again. It is very hard to find when your mom got rid of it thinking her children must have outgrown it. I have looked on ebay for years. And I found it 2 weeks ago. I now have a pristine copy of my favorite childhood record and can go around singing "Counting the Days" whenever I want to. Because I also found a record player. In likewise pristine condition. For $15 on craiglist. Whoo-hoo!!!!
p.s. Is there anything from your childhood that you always hope you will someday find on ebay?

Christin at 23....one week left!

Oh, my life at 23. What did I ever do? Well, I graduated from college three days before my 23rd birthday. I also realized that I wasn't going to get into dental school and then changed my mind about becoming a dentist after all. I set about deciding what I wanted to do and spent 6 months just looking for a job that fit my degree. I never found it. I almost got hired as an accounting executive for an advertising agency, which would have been pretty cool. But it wasn't meant to be.
I lived with a girl named Charlie, and we had a ton of fun together. Mostly just being crazy girls. We moved into a cute little townhouse together and had a blast.
And I met Byron, this man right in this picture. I met him at a wedding in Texas in October, and we hit it off right away. Little did I know we would still be friends 7 years later. This picture is of us in November when he came to visit me. In December, I went to visit him for his baptism. He is now sealed in the temple with three adorable little boys, and I couldn't be more grateful for such a true friend.
I think that about sums up 23. I maybe was a little bit smarter than 22. ;-)

Christin at 22....8 (deep breath) days to go....

Oh, my mom hates hates hates this picture. So what did I do at 22? Well, technically in this one I'm still 2 months away from 22.So I bought this awesome shirt to commemorate the World Trade Center in October 2001. I was feeling totally hot in the convict's friend's beret and had my former roommate Stephanie take this picture in front of the temples at her house. We thought we were so funny.
I kissed a LOT of boys that year.
I also taught gospel doctrine for 2 years starting that year and I loved it more than any calling I've ever had.
All girls are crazy at 22.

Christin at 21....9 days to go

So I found a photo album. Of enough pictures of me at 21. Or at least a few. So, a few of y'all got married this year. Whoo-hoo. I instead met the person I lovingly refer to nowadays as "The Convict." I hesitated posting a picture of him and then realized that pretty much my year was defined by the craziness that was him. This is one of two pictures I have of him.The other involves a wig and a cigarette and will not be posted for public viewing. This one involves the child he had with his ex-girlfriend while I continued to adore him. Yes, it was that crazy. We have no pictures together. That would be his decision. Let it also be noted that the picture to the left is of me and emily painting her icky Boise apartment lavender hours before she told me she would poke my eye out with her pen if I went to his house.
I still have both my eyes.
I totally went.

I thought he was hot and looked like Johnny Depp and really I thought I was madly madly in love.

I thank the convict for the things he taught me, most notably:

• How to kiss
• Who Alice & Chains, Ozzy Osborne, and Tracy Chapman were
• Tolerance, acceptance, and understanding
• How to make a tatoo gun out of a pen in prison
• The difference between Malboro's & Camel's (Malboro's will kill you.)

I still blame the convict for:

• basically every shady decision I may have made since then.

I wonder sometimes how the 36-year old convict is now doing. I am lucky to say, I really have no idea.

p.s. Thank you mom and dad for your love and support during all of this. I am forever grateful and I love you both.

And Emily. You too.
p.s. It was robbery. I know you all are wondering.
p.s. And he loved me too, by the way. ;-)

Christin at 20....Countdown to 30

So...in honor of my approaching 30-ness, I sorted through lots of old pictures trying to find ones to document my 20's. Turns out this actually involves pre-digital photography, so I had to take some pictures of pictures (no, I don't have a scanner.) I managed find pictures of every year except 21. So I guess no picture tomorrow. And my mom hates 22 (aren't you excited?). So a little about this one....
Most of my pictures are of my birthday parties, but not age 20. This one is in the summer. Hiking with Maria and her brothers and emily. My bangs still getting used to not being curled. About to move away from home again (I think). GPS's still brand new and not that effective. I had terrible roommates that year, but emily and I watched Dawson's Creek together and that pretty much saved the year. Oh, 20's. Gotta love 'em.

"Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving"- The Pictures

Meet You at the Valley Ho!!

(What I love about flickr is stealing the picture of the outside of the hotel where you stayed since you forgot to take your own!)
So last night I went to my own 30th birthday!! Technically, my birthday isn't until Christmas Eve, but people always seem to have plans (lame) on that day. So Bridget planned it a little early. And then, when she couldn't come (boo), John took over the hosting duties.
First, we ate at olive & ivy, which I ADORE. It was positively delicious and it's such a cool place. I've been there for breakfast and lunch, but I'd never been for dinner. Bridgette and Brittany from work (and their guys) came, Phil & Vanie& Natalie (who hauled there straight from work), John, Me, & Vanessa. Arriving just a little past schedule were Lena, Ariana, & Tyler. :-)And Brad met us at the hotel. Along with the Amber Ray & her friend Steve. The girls (mostly) wore red and the guys (mostly) wore black and it was great times. Vanie had bought me the shirt as an early birthday present and it was so flirty and perfect and I loved it.
So dinner....Our appetizers were amazing hummus & delicious bacon-wrapped dates (yum). I had sea bass, veggies, and mushroom ravioli. John had Free-range chicken which was incredible. Phil had sweet potato ravioli. Vanie had a flatbread pizza. And everybody else was sitting too far away to know for sure, but everyone was happy. Ariana and Tyler had fries with truffle dipping sauce. yup.



Then we all headed over to the Valley Ho. Now, this party was initially supposed to be a surprise, but some kinks got in the way of that, so I knew about it. But I hadn't seen the room until that afternoon. So originally, Bridget & John had gotten a studio. And then, through some conniving, we got an upgrade. To a CONDO. With a sweet retro kitchen, concrete ceilings, a glass shower, a rotating flatscreen TV, and it. was. amazing.
John had gotten a cheese platter from Whole Foods (delicious) and some crackers and 5 different flavors and bottles of Sparkling Cider. So we had a "roast & toast." During the "roast", I got teased about my blue steel look in the mirror (yes, it's that bad), my absent-mindedness, and my utter refusal to spend more time on my hair. And my flirtiness. Among some other things. And everybody was really sweet to me on the "toast" end of things and I felt totally loved and appreciated and it was so awesome.
Then we ate a few little cupcakes from Lulu's (that Brad picked up) and watched 13 going on 30. Which is kind of long the second time around, but still felt very appropriate. There are definitely a few classic lines from it....I told everyone they could call me "Thirty, Firty, and Thriving" all year long if they wanted to. :-)

Just a couple of us stayed the night. So this morning we cleaned up and then took pictures all over the room to make sure we remembered every little bit.
I left wearing my pajamas and their slippers. And with the soap. And the stationary. And.....well, I won't be forgetting the Valley Ho anytime soon.
Thanks everyone (especially John & Bridget) for your ideas and all your very hard work yesterday (John).
It was a totally rockin' party, and I couldn't have imagined anything more fun.
THANKS!! LOVE YOU GUYS!!