Am I Back In High School? (a little soapbox moment)

I'm taking classes at UVU right now for pre-reqs for PA school and it has been a pretty good experience so far (despite being a BYU graduate and I'm a little prejudice).  But, no offense, we're in college. Pink tutu's aren't necessary.  Just sayin'....

Off my soapbox...

Meet Me in St. Louis... Or Park City!

I was so sad to miss this beauty's wedding in St. Louis but so happy I got to see her for a minute at her open house in Park City!  She looked Gorgeous and so happy!!  I am so happy for her and so grateful that she is my friend!  Even though we don't get to see each other as often as I'd like, it's like no time has passed when we actually end up getting together!  Best part of the night was her offering to lend me her dress when I get married!  1. She's tiny and I'd never fit  2. I just love how much she loves her dress and wants everyone to enjoy it as much as she did (Plus it has pockets!!!). 

 Love you Mrs. Laura Gulbrandsen!

Let's Hope So...

 

Fortune Cookie fortunes, please be accurate!

One Week From Today = Musical Bliss

I can hardly wait!

Mumford & Sons Concert

August 22, 2012

(get ready for a picture & video overload!)

Garrett's Birthday Rainbow

Today was Garrett's birthday and we were constantly reminded of the constant love of our Heavenly Father and that Garrett is always watching over us.

For those of you that don't know the significance of Rainbows in our family, the shortened story goes something like this:   After Garrett went missing, we went to Ecuador 4 months later to build a school in his honor in the Andes Mountains.  After we built the school we went on an excursion to Peru to go to Machu Picchu.  When we got to Machu Picchu we had the opportunity to climb the highest peak called Wina Picchu.  Once we made it to the top we could look over and see Machu Pichu and all the wonderful sights.  As we were sitting up there,  my mom, our friend Leslie, and my hair all began to raise and we knew that there was lightening getting ready to strike nearby and we decided we should probably start going back down.  But right as we said that, we looked down and saw two perfect and beautiful rainbows.  As we saw these rainbows we had the overwhelming feeling that Garrett was with us and that he was watching over us.  It was a very spiritual experience and it was amazing to share with our family and very close friends.  The guide that was with us told us that he had hiked up there over a thousand times and he had never seen rainbows.  We sat there and enjoyed the feeling of peace within us.  As we decided to hike back down, the rainbows started to disappear, just like that.  I know those rainbows were for us.  In many times in our life since then (significant moments, Garrett's birthday, when we're especially missing him) rainbows will appear and we are reminded that he is always there with us.  Today we saw a couple different rainbows.  Garrett would be twenty today (last teenager of our family!) and it was a blessing to be reminded of our Heavenly Father and Savior's love in hard times and good times.  

Happy birthday Garrett... And thanks for the rainbows!  I love and miss you!

The plaque on a bench at Salem Pond

Poor Pup!

This poor pup went on a walk with Grandpa in the fields and didn’t make it back with Grandpa.   After several hours in the heat and he wasn’t showing up, a search effort started.  Jared went out in the fields to look for him.  He found him pretty far away in our fields just laying there.  He wouldn’t even get up.  Jared went back and got Cameron and they took the cart out there to bring him back.  After lifting him into the cart and pulling him back, he started to recover.  It took several days though and we didn’t think he was going to make it (he IS 12 years old and that’s old for big dogs).  He seemed to perk back up after a few days (and after a pain pill!) and is still plugging along!  We sure love this pup and it won’t be the same in our family without him!  If you haven’t seen Gordo smile in person, you’re missing out on a real treat!!

My Sista From Another Mista!

Two things I like LOVE:  

RSL and this girl!  

So glad they were combined tonight!! 

Love you Cait Cait!

Have to Share...

I just have to share this:

I laugh EVERY.TIME. I see this on tv... EVERYTIME!

I'm probably ridiculous but I just love that Yia Yia!  

Hope you enjoyed this little laugh!

"Sigh No More"

Dear Mumford & Sons,

Thank you for adding Salt Lake City to your tour.

I almost traveled to see you somewhere else...

That's how much I love you.

I'll see you August 22, 2012 at Saltair.

Stomping and singing along.

It won't come soon enough.

Love,
Your devoted fan

C

For your listening pleasure:

Yoga at the Bardsley's

NAILED IT!!!

A Provo Original

I don't think there is any other description needed!! 

*yes this is real. Found on University Ave. & 500 North!

DDS

This guy graduated from dental school on June 10.

You can call him Dr. Blake DDS.

I'm SUPER proud of him!

Just bummed I won't have someone to visit when I go to SF.

He's going to do amazing things with his life!  

I just know it! 

Congrats Blakey!

What did YOU do on your Friday night?...

... whatever it was, 
it probably wasn't as great as Emma and I 'pinning'...

ALL. NIGHT. LONG!!  

Yeah we live a wild, crazy life!

Come join our parties anytime!

yes, we monopolized the ENTIRE pinterest page!

Summer Rooftop Concert Series

Provo has a summer rooftop concert series the first Friday of the month.

It's free and so much fun!  

You get a HUGE variety of people there, great music,

and beautiful Utah summer nights!

A great way to start off summer!

Desert Noises- One of my new favorite bands... Plus they're local!

TM&TF: The Moth & The Flame

So True!

This is true more often than not...

"I'd Cap That" App

Iphone users: 

Have you see the "I'd Cap That" App?

It takes one of your photos and puts a RANDOM caption on it!

Its pretty funny...

but can be inappropriate...

so if you get it, consider yourself warned! 

Here's a couple of funny ones I got!

We Get Carried Away With Our TV Shows!

We got Ali into Pretty Little Liars (don't judge...)

Let's just say we really get into our TV shows!

Come join our PLL parties on Tuesday nights!

You know you want to!

Reggae Roots

Those that know me really well know that I LOVE Reggae music!

And for some reason guys with dreads are really attractive to me... yeah don't ask!

Anyway! 

So I was trying to figure out where my love of Reggae music came from.

And it came to me as I was listening to my Bob Marley Pandora Station and a certain song came on! And a light bulb turned on above my head (just like in the cartoons! :) ):
"It's all my parent's fault!!"

Let me explain:

When I was a wee lass,  my parents were starving students at BYU and lived in Orem, UT. They would take me to this pizza place nearby. The pizza joint had a juke box that my parents would pick music and be entertained by my cuteness! And what would they play every time to watch and laugh as I danced/sang on the table?!:

  RED RED WINE by UB40!! 

Totally reggae (yeah they are all white and they aren't typical reggae but just go with it!)
Hence, totally my parents fault I'm attracted to dread headed guys and fascinated by Bob Marley and the Rastafarian culture!  Just thought I'd share my recent discovery!

Now enjoy some Reggae music and some pics of two of my favorite dread-headed boys!!



My favorite dread headed man: Kyle Beckerman

Jacob Hemphill from one of my favorite Reggae bands: SOJA

 




When You're the Best of Friends

Millie & Gordo!

They love each other!

They almost blend together!

Precious!!

The Heart of Life...

Life is SO tricky…

Someone was brought into my life and I’ve never had such a strong connection with someone that I had just met and I couldn’t help but smile. ALL. THE. TIME.  I let my walls come down and I was ready to truly care for someone again.    

Then after a VERY short period, they were taken away and with no way of getting them back except for maybe time or maybe there just never will be the chance again with that person (that seems extremely unfair!)…. I don’t like either of those options!  But I would prefer the first choice if I have a choice that’s for sure.  Even though it was a short period of time, there are still tears (I at first felt silly that there were actually tears over this person after such a short period of time but then let myself accept the tears because I was actually feeling sad for what they were going through and for the loss of a great person in my life).  So maybe this is all about life tests: a test of my patience, a test of my faith...  I hate tests but I guess this is what life is all about and if I continue to do what I’m supposed to do it will work out how it’s supposed to… but its still SO hard!  Good thing I have great parents who take me to sushi to vent!

I always relate songs to what is going on in my life at the time or I will discover a certain song that just totally hits me at that time and really touches me. One of my favorite songs I always turn to when I’m down and just bummed is called “The Heart of Life” by John Mayer (my roommate Emma witnessed this tonight as I listened/watched the live version of this on my TV on repeat while laying on my bed and she had to ask if I was ok!  I’m grateful for great roommates!).   The words are beautiful and really mean a lot to me.  My favorite lines are as follows:

Pain throws your heart to the ground

Love turns the whole thing around

Fear is a friend who’s misunderstood

But I know the heart of life is good

Aren’t those words beautiful and true!?  The heart of life IS good.  Yeah there are ups and downs and times where we just don’t get it, but in the end, there is so much beauty in our lives that we can’t forget about them.   So today I was sad, tomorrow I’m going to be not as sad and work on my test of faith that everything is going to work out how it’s supposed to as long as I do my part. So this is me be vulnerable to life and having faith. Who knows, maybe it will work out how I want it to right now, maybe that person will discover they deserve better than what they’re going through right now, maybe it won’t work out and there will be something better out there for me… I guess this is the heart of life, a whole bunch of uncertainties but at the end… Life Is Good. 

Enjoy one of my favorite songs and I hope it touches you as much as it does me!

"The Heart Of Life"

I hate to see you cry
Lying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears
And listen

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know, it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
Then, circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good
I know it's good

I'm Going To Have A Sister-In-Law!!

I couldn't be more excited. Am. Ecstatic!

I love Morgan and can't wait until she's my sister! 

I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law.

They are the cutest couple!

Save the date: 7-13-2012

Happy

Life is good!

I'm in a really good place in my life right now,

probably the best place I've been in for a LONG time!

I am truly happy!

I know what I'm doing as a career in the future.

My testimony of the gospel is growing everyday.

I have an AMAZING family.

I have WONDERFUL friends.

I'm working in the temple and LOVE it.

I have a job that pays the bills and provides me with insurance.

And I'm 27 and feel like I am really understanding who I am as a person.

Life is good!

Crazy Pup!

We love this crazy pup!!

We Do Crazy Things With Easter Candy

Example 1:

 Peep Creatures

Example 2:

 How the Peep Creatures were made!

Example 3:

 The Peep Family

Example 4:

 Getting carried away with Robin Eggs!!

Should I claim to be associated with all of them?

Why not?!! Crazy's make it more fun!!

Happy Easter!

We love Easter in the Bardsley Home!!  I have very fond and vivid memories of Easter as a child!  My dad and mom always went all out with baskets and hiding them.  We would have clues, follow the string (up and over the roof!), and we even had to find them with GPS' one year!  So even though me and the brothers are all in our twenties, we still love to celebrate and go all out!!  So we were disappointed when our parents said they were going to be in Costa Rica this year for Easter (Cameron's exact words: "My first Easter back and you guys are leaving?!").  Grandma and Grandpa invited us to Easter dinner so we went home after church and much to our surprise our parents had left us clues for our Easter baskets!  Yes we are in our 20s and still love this silly tradition!!  We were all excited!!  At the bottom of the note they left in read "This was all your dad's idea.  I didn't think you guys deserved Easter Baskets!!"  Typical mom sarcastic comment!  We loved it!!  We got yummy treats (Easter candy is the BEST candy!!) and an envelope with puzzle pieces and a gift certificate.  We put all of the puzzle pieces together and on the back of the puzzle it said that Mom and Dad were treating us to dinner and gas to get up to the new City Creek Mall in Salt Lake to use our gift certificates.  So thoughtful and we were so surprised!  We had a great dinner with our family and it was a beautiful sunny day!  We played some Bocci Ball outside and sat and talked and laughed.  I'm so grateful to have such a wonderful extended family, siblings, and parents.  I am definitely blessed.  I'm also grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for me and the rest of mankind.  I hope you all had a wonderful day with your family and friends and continue to remember Christ!

Oh, Did I mention we have Chicks for Easter?!

In 45 hours...

• Hours 1-10: Drive to San Diego arrive at 2 a.m.
• Hours 11-18: We Sleep!
• Hours 19-26: Attend the San Diego LDS Temple for my Aunt's first time through, eat dinner with the extended family.
• Hours 27-31: Drive to Primm, NV 
• Hours 32-39: Stay at "lovely" Whiskey Pete's Casino and Hotel in Primm, NV, my mom "gets her groove on" with the live band, we eat at a sketchy diner, and try to sleep!
• Hours 40-45: We drive all the way home.

Yes it was crazy!  Yes it was tiring!  But we have some pretty funny memories!!

 

 Enjoying the Sunshine outside the temple!

The San Diego LDS Temple

My cute cousin Makayla loves soft serve!! Haha!

 Riding the lovely elevator at Whiskey Pete's

 Why buy a new number when you can pencil it in?!?  SKETCHY!!

I Love To See The Temple

My dad and I have a picture very similar to this from 19 years ago!

When I turned 8 my dad surprised me with a trip to Disneyland on my birthday.

I went to the airport to drop him off & he asked me to come with him on his business trip.

Being 7 years and 364 days old, all I could think of was I didn't have a suitcase!

I started crying until my Dad told me that they had a bag packed for me already!

I spent a day at Disneyland with my aunt & cousins.  Followed by Father/Daughter time!

The next my dad took me to the open house of the San Diego Temple. 

It was my first time inside of a temple and I will never forget it!

It was fun going back today and remembering that great memory.

I love you Dad and I'm so glad to share that memory with you!

(I'll try to find the picture from when I was 8 and scan it in!)