Such fine specimens....

Don't worry... Spencer and I can easily entertain ourselves during long snowy car rides!

{LOVE} this kid!!

The year I got to celebrate Christmas twice.

1. St. George with Lindsay, Greg, and the Perez's

2. Denver with the Jezek/Randall clan

Both Christmas-es were so much fun and I was extremely spoiled by my wonderful family!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from Denver!

Lindsay and Greg are here.

I love them.

Life is just splendid.

I really just love monday nights!

Cause that means Jay Leno's headlines!

Sometimes they can be a tad bit sketchy, but for the most part they are quite hilarious!

Homework is turned in...

Finals are done....

Semester is over....

Devin is in Florida...

What do I even do with myself these days?!

Apparently snow cones aren't popular in December....

I don't know who was more amused: Me, or the Swig employee.

Probably me. The Swig employee did have to go out back to get a block of ice to make my snow cone. So they probably didn't really like me, or my absurd orders. But I don't care. My strawberry and blue coconut snow cone brought great joy. And was delicious. Best $1 and no tax purchase of the day.

Maybe I'll go back tomorrow and make them go get another ice block.

50 loves for my 50th post:

{In no particular order}

1. My Family
2. Baking
3. Music
4. Shoes
5. Yellow

6. Balloons
7. Phone calls with Lindsay
8. Meringue
9. Boston
10. Hedgehogs
11. Keys
12. Fruit
13. Nail Polish
14. Necklaces
15. Polka dots
16. Cupcakes
17. Bill's pizza
18. Hot-air balloons
19. Sourpatch watermelons
20. Lake Powell
21. Coke
22. Sleeping in
23. Rollercoasters
24. Peanut butter pretzels
25. Long showers
26. Fairytales
27. Cereal
28. Craft projects
29. Afternoon naps
30. Slushies
31. Puppies
32. Forever 21
33. Traveling
34. Paris
35. Chocolate covered cinnamon bears
36. Mary Higgins Clark books
37. Exploring
38. Fluer dis leis
39. Psychology
40. Orange
41. BBQ's
42. Owls
43. H&M
44. Raspberries
45. Flowers
46. Breakfast
47. Disney Movies
48. History
49. Target
50. Devin

If you're a girl, I think you'll enjoy this...

We like...

...mustaches!

Happy Thanksgiving to...

...you!

{Make sure to eat lots}

Happy Birthday Devin Jay!!

20 on 20!!

{Such a handsome old man}

So I had wonderful plans of taking you skydiving on your 20th birthday. It was going to be a surprise. And I was so very excited. But of course there is beautiful clear weather all week until today, your birthday, the day of skydiving. Now it must rain. However, we will reschedule, and I hope that you have thee best experience!

I hope that you still enjoyed your birthday! I hope it's the best 20th birthday you'll every have!

Breakfast was:

scrambled eggs

hash browns

bacon

biscuits

guava juice

Watched some Pawn Stars

Took max for a walk

Cruised Best Buy and Target

{probably our 2 favorite stores}

Lunch was:

pigs in a blanket

vanilla coke

Squeezed in a quick nap

Dinner was:

Olive Garden

Fetticuine chicken alfredo {for you}

Grilled Salmon {for me}

Went to the movie Unstoppable

{It was very intense, but also very good}

Finished the night with a homemade {lemon-strawberry} birthday cakeroll

{Please crop me out with your eyes and just notice him and his handsome-ness. Thank you.}

You opened your presents from us Randalls through-out the day.

New Boston wallet

Xbox control charger

Grapefruit gelato

Hurley sweater

Chum Lee shirt

40 bags popcorn

Quicksilver jacket

I really hope you enjoyed your day sir! I tried my best to spoil you! Because we know you won't let me spoil you at all any other day! And also because I really quite enjoy seeing you smile! Cheers to 80+ more years! :)

What made me happy today...

Cranberry-Pomegranite juice
Sociology Paper done and turned in
Dark is the way, Light is the place
Signing up for a college bowling class
Divine Twine: Mandrian, Carribean, Lemondrop
Tootsie rolls
Planning birthday suprises
Club crackers
Phone calls with Lindsay
Baking with my mom
Taco salad
Painting my toenails

Today was bad to say the least.

But thank heavens for loud music and warm showers to make me feel better.

Can I just say....

...this kid sure does make me smile!

{P.S. - He turns 20 on Saturday!}

Right Now I'm...

...sitting in the dark

...freezing

...watching Top Chef Deserts

...eating peppermint bark

...drinking vanilla coke zero

...avoiding homework

...adoring Sylvia Wienstock

Lovely Letters

Dear College,

You are killing me!

Dear Sister,

I miss you!

Dear Spider,

Thanks for the gnarly bite on my shin! {NOT!!}

Dear Diabetes,

It's your month! So I'll try to be better for you.

Dear CS 1400,

Why did I think I would understand you?

Dear Joy Williams,

Your song 'One of those Days', speak to me more days then not.

Dear Coke Zero Vanilla,

Thanks for keeping me awake. You are maybe too good at it.

Dear Anywhere But Here,

You are tempting me so badly right now.

Dear Fingernails,

I'm sorry that I've chewed you down nubbins. Blame college.

Dear Self,

Hang in there. This to shall pass.

Baking Days = Favorite Days

I've really been wanting to experiment with some new cupcakes, but I just couldn't get myself to bake up a whole load for no particular reason! Luckily, my dear mother Jan needed some cupcakes for a relief society tailgate party. So...... this gave me the most perfect excuse to pull out every bowl, rubber scrapper, and measuring cup in my house and make my kitchen into a giant flour covered mess! {I did end up making some cupcakes too} Here's what I made:

• Salted Caramel Cashew

• Peach Cobbler

• Nutella Banana

I also made a lemon angel food cupcake which tasted delicious with whip cream and raspberries! The tops of the cupcakes looked so cute and perfect when I pulled them out of the oven, but unfortunately after cooling they looked more like flying saucers then cupcakes. I'll work on perfecting this recipe the next time I get a chance to bake!

{Unfortunately I only thought of taking a picture of my cuppycakes AFTER we had given all of them away! Curses! Better luck next time!}

Pretty Princess & Superhero Friend

In honor of October and Halloween, Devin and I painted ourselves some pumpkin friends!

{Can you guess who is whose?}

Twas a grand week

Sunday:

• Pajama Sunday
• Perez's for breakfast & dinner

Monday:

• Anberlin Shirts in the mail

Tuesday:

• Drive to Salt Lake with Devin Brower, Lance Corporal Marcus Blanchard, and Courtney Garciolett
• EPIC Anberlin Concert
• Devin saving my life from a mosh pitt of burley men
• Del Taco scraggly mustaches
• Night at Aunt Margy's

Wednesday:

• DELICIOUS breakfast feast! German pancakes, fresh fruit, bacon, and eggs
• Youtube video fun
• Drive back home
• Lunch at Larry's in Filmore
• Tarzan at Tuacahn

Thursday:

• Messenger bag sewing class with Jasmine
• Project Runway
• On the Road with Austin and Santino

Friday:

• Doing A LOT better on my Chemistry test then expected
• Lindsay and Greg come
• Late night chats with Lindsay

Saturday:

• Waking up to Greg tickling my nose with a fuzzy yellow pillow
• Walker and Wixom wedding reception
• Eddy and Mitchell wedding reception
• Bowling 2 games with Devin Brower, Marcus Blanchard, Chelsey Ence, and Courtney Garciolett
• Bowling another 2 games with my family

Dear Diabetes Police-

I know that you think you are all knowing..... BUT..... I'm sorry to tell you that you are just annoying! Seriously folks!

• First of all there are two kinds of diabetes that are very much different! And most likely things you've heard about diabetes is for type 2, which is more common.
• There's no way to prevent type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes does not come from unhealthy habits or too much sugar when I was young. It is an autoimmune disease.
• A diet, herbal tea, or medicine man in Africa will not cure me! There is NO cure!
• I am capable of living a long and healthy life! I plan on outliving millions of non-diabetics!
• I am not a "danger to society" because of my illness! Any person regardless if they are diabetic or not can be a danger if they do not take care of themselves.
• I can and will eat anything I want to! It's not 'bad' for me to have sugar. I just need to give myself insulin according to what I eat.
• I can do anything I want to! Diabetes does not limit me! Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia may make somethings harder but it does not make it impossible!

Unsolicited advice and outrageous 'diabetic knowledge' is not what I want or need! Diabetes is hard enough without your 'help'. Thanks but no thanks!

Sincerely,

Type 1 Diabetic

Aliza Randall

See these beauties:

I'm quite excited for this event! I haven't been to a concert since Mika, and that was years ago! I'm mostly excited to get to go with Devin. Anberlin is his favorite band and I know how super excited he is to go!

After:
2 quizes
5 assignments
55 + hours worked
a few meltdowns
and very limited amounts of sleep

I have officially survived the first two weeks of college!!

Now only 15 more weeks to go......

Dear Dixie State College,

First of all I must say that I am very frustrated with you! Raised tuition, student fees that seem to cover nothing, outrageous textbook prices, and now 25 dollars for every single computer class!! Well what if I want to get a bachelor's degree in CIT?! Oh yep... I just have to pay 25 buck for every single class I take towards my degree!! That means I'm paying around $500 more then an english major, or a business major, or a math major!! Practically all other majors! How is that fair?! I especially love paying $25 for a computer programming class that doesn't even have computers in it! Oh yep... I love doing that! I believe that you should really rethink your ways Dixie State or I won't feel one ounce of remorse leaving you!

Sincerely, Aliza Randall

I want to move out so badly! Don't get me wrong... (I love my parents a ton!!!) ...but i'm just ready for the experience of living on my own! I'm pretty sure I know what I want to do for the next few years, and unfortunately they do no involve me moving out. It just happens every August when I hear and see so many people moving out and starting a life on their own that I very much long for this same experience! I want to have roomates, to have a cute little dorm/apartment room, to have to rely on myself! I'm going into my second year of college, but I am yet to feel like an actual college student. Maybe oneday....

Last week of summer and I work at least once every day!

That means:

1) No lake excursions

2) No trip to Provo; visiting Lindsay and Greg

3) N0 trip to Vegas; shopping with Erin and Emily

Talk about a major bummer!

Thai food = YUM!

I am very much in love with eating at Benja's these days!

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

— Audrey Hepburn

What a wonderfully sweet summer day!

Lindsay and Greg are in town... which already made the day super great! But we actually started the day off by sleeping in and being lazy. Which was then followed by a delicious Pizza Factory lunch. Off to Target (a favorite store) where I purchased some lovely lamps to go on my nightstands! {I actually found many other things I wanted to buy besides just the lamps, but sometimes I am just a poor college woman and must resist all these horrible shopping temptations!} Then we went to Swig (which is a new favorite store) where we feasted on some fabulous shaved ice! I'm thinking that Blue Coconut and Strawberry is my new favorite flavor combo! Then we ended the day with a family movie night of seeing Inception. Even though my head hurt a little bit afterwards.... It was a really good movie!! ....Or was it?..... ;)

Sometimes I've been trying to figure out what I'll do next year.

Sometimes I don't know.

Sometimes I'm scared.

Sometimes I have breakdowns.

Sometimes I feel embarrassed by these said breakdowns.

Sometimes I just can't help it.

Sometimes I blame these emotionally experiences on being a girl.

Good excuse, eh?

Sometimes I wish I felt talented/good at something.

Sometimes I think this would help me with my decision.

Sometimes It probably wouldn't make a difference.

All the times I hate decisions.

So...

I've always loved and wanted a hedgehog! Ever since I was little! Is that just a weirdy thing?! But I just think they are so adorable! This little guy is definitely on top of my Christmas list this year! Who needs practical gifts like underwear, socks, clothes, money, school supplies, etc, etc?! When you could have a cute little friend and a snuggle-sack to carry him in?! As a matter of fact... I think hedgehogs are very practical gift!

"Sorry your pump took a dump!"

                     Yeah.... me too Dad!

So I'm back to the joys of using syringes. At least for a day. My new pump should be here before noon tomorrow. Now only if I knew my settings or had written them down somewhere... But nope! That would be much to convenient!

Back To School Shopping:

-$1,500 for Fall semester

-$275 mandatory student fees

-$25 computer lab fee

-$20 parking permit

- $100+ for each used textbook

And everything else better be priceless because you are now poor!

A BAJILLION and 2 Cupcakes

Well actually only 57 to be exact. And yes... I did count them. However I shall not bring home anymore cupcakes because I am unable to resist their deliciousness and therefore am forced to devour them! I'm getting fat. Oh wait... I already was. But the cupcakes are not helping the situation!

{But I must say that the Toasted Coconut is still my fav! Like heaven in my mouth! Yum!!}

Nutella Icecream! Do do da do!

Oh delicious goodness-ness!! I am one blessed child to have such a wonderful creative and talented cook of a mother! There are boat loads of food she makes that are truly and wonderfully a-mazing!! We are talking giant, massive, airplane-carrying, war-boat loads of most decadent foods! Last night was just an example of her incredible skills!

Try a homemade steak salad with:
grilled corn
fresh tomatoes
caramelized sweet onions
fresh green beans
baby red potatoes
steak (of course)
and "yummy" dressing
all on top of some beautiful red leaf lettuce




And if just that masterpiece of a salad wasn't good enough add to the meal:
delicious wheat rolls
a tangy grapefruit spritzer
and the most rich and wonderful tasting homemade Nutella icecream for dessert

Like I previously stated... I am one blessed child!!

National Dance Day

Gosh dang it! I missed it! By they time I remembered it was the day of national dance it was much too late and I was much to tired to even muster the slightest of dance moves.

Does this mean I'll have to wait a whole year before I can dance?!?!?!?

Curses.....

Here's a little song that I quite enjoy as of lately. See what you think...

Putting on the Ritz

Thanks to the tax payers of Ocala, Florida, I was able to spend 4 luxurious days at this beauty in Naples, Florida.

The Ritz Carlton

But more so because of the extremely generous and kind Brower family invitation to join them on their family vacation/Matt's business conference.

Our room was a sweet little suite with it's very own doorbell! We had a most magnificent view of the ocean from our balcony and were even able to spot dolphins at times! I loved playing in the ocean and taking walks along the white sandy beach. We also were able to have some very intense but mostly fun-hearted game nights in our room! And when it was too rainy to play outside we were able to entertain ourselves in the "Vue" gaming room! Mckenna and I had fun playing Rockband and Mario Kart Racing while Kyler and Devin played silly Halo the whole time! I also learned how to play backgammon from Sandi! Which I quite enjoy! There were many laughs shared (Most were thanks to Kyler! I love that crazy kid!)

I was able to meet Devin's dear Grandparents and Aunt Mary who live in St. Petersburg, Florida! Their home is a condo right on the beach! The views they see from their windows must make them some of the luckiest people in the world! They were such sweethearts and treated us to a fun day of swimming, games, and bbq's at the clubhouse! They taught me to play Skipbo which I found to be quite a fun game! An intense fuse ball tournament also went down at the clubhouse. Devin and Matt verses Kyler and me! Devin and Matt ended up coming from behind and winning but it was a very close matched competition!

During this trip I was also able to see the town of Ocala and the Brower home too. Ocala didn't seem so bad...but I guess I can't really say seeing as I was only there for a few short days. We got a lot of The Deadliest Warrior watching in, and I now know that a Spartan is the ultimate deadliest warrior of all times. We also watched some wonderful Brower family home videos! They were definitely entertaining and provided great laughs! I must say that the Brower children are all still their adorable and funny own selves!

It was such a great trip! I had a wonderful time getting to know the the whole Brower family better! And I must say that I love that family! They are quite an amazing, kind, and fun-loving family! I may be glad to be back home, sleeping in my own bed, and not living out of a suitcase, but I am already greatly missing that wonderful family and I hate that they have to be so far away! I'll never forget what a wonderful and fun experience I had!

I think I fell in love....

I often find myself day-dreaming of this beautiful country. If I ever have the chance to make it there someday I may just think I've died and gone to heaven.

Obsession

Shoes. They are just so fun to look at, and admire, and try on, and buy, and wear. It's true.... I'm obsessed. They are one of my many downfalls. This picture doesn't even begin to show how many shoes I truly have. Since my feet have stopped growing it's hard for me to ever get rid of a pair unless they are absolutely-unforgivably-unmendably broken. It's unnatural what shoes can do for me. They can make me feel fancy, sporty, casual, comfy, playful, relaxed, even business-like. They also bring me memories of times they were worn or when/where they were purchased. Shoes have been and always will be my friend!

Devininkus, Nova Scotia Ducktolling Retriever, Charlie Arlie, DJ B, Prince Charming, Dirty D, Delvin, Beast, D-Lo, My Seeing Eye Dog, Fool, Squirrelio, Mr. Brower Sir
Whoever you happen to be at whatever moment... I need to tell you thanks for being my friend! Even though you will probably never read this, (unless you are a secret-closet-blogger-man, which I very much doubt) I just needed to write down how much I appreciate your friendship! You stepped into my life at a time when a true friend was desperately needed and I don't think I can ever thank you enough for that! You are such a caring and selfless person! You always look out for those you care for, and sometimes I worry that you caring so much for others that you don't care about yourself enough!
I'm so very grateful for all of the fun times and memories that I have been able to create with you! We've only been friends for a little over a year now, yet I feel like I've known you my whole life! Probably cause that's what best friends should feel like! I'm never afraid to truly be myself when i'm with you, and I can't thank you enough for the comfort that brings me! I am horrible at opening up to people, yet I've been able to share my biggest dreams and my greatest fears and worries with you! You know me better then anyone! When I think about it I'm very surprised that I haven't scared you away! Cause I'm definitely a crazy-weirdy at times! You've seen me at my best, you've seen me at my worst, and you've seem me everywhere in between! I'll always remember when you came and sat with me all day of everyday that I was in the hospital while no one else cared! I won't ever be able to tell you how much that meant to me!!
Unfortunately neither of us like taking pictures! (Maybe that's another reason why we get along so well!) But here are a few that I was able to find:

Boston/Fleeing to the Cape

La Jolla/Your Birthday

Visits to Lindsay and Greg

Baking your favorite strawberry lemonade cupcakes

plus some others you won't try ;)

Fenway/Love of The Red Sox

Car Trips

Lake Powell

We've been able to already experience so many fun trips, exciting adventures, and happy moments together! I know I could list a thousand more fun/favorite things we've done!

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"

-Dr. Suess.

Thanks for not minding who I am and what I have to say Devin! You mean the world to me!!