twenty-three!

{my 23rd birthday ~ november 26, 2010}

if you don't count the day i was born . . .

{and i don't}

. . . thursday marked exactly twenty-three thanksgivings celebrated in my life, to date. friday was the twenty-third anniversary of my birth on that snowy thanksgiving afternoon in colorado.

at times i have questioned God's reasons for sending me to earth, to this specific place, at this specific time... wondering if there had been a mistake and i had "slipped under the radar". in my heart i know the truth, and i am so glad that i was born on turkey day into the very unique and amazing and crazy family that is mine; i wouldn't want a different one.

twenty-three things i am extremely thankful for:

1. Heavenly Father and His plan
2. my Savior, Jesus Christ
3. the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored in its fullness by joseph smith
4. daddy ~ always there, always strong, goofy smile, sweet and pure, sacrifices
5. momma ~ tender heart, creative soul, good ideas, sacrifices
6. happiness ~ big sister, big soul, big heart, big future
7. sundy ~ big sister to admire, love, be comforted by, learn from, follow, and oftentimes imitate
8. tyler ~ brother-in-law who is patient, kind, loves, doesn't judge, gives good advice, accepts me as i am
9. paul ~ little brother, so sweet and tender, helpful and inspiring, humble
10. crystal noel ~ cousin who brings joy wherever she is, spreading seeds of love and kindness with each step she takes, her infectious laugh, *let the good times roll...
11. precious ~ a dog has never meant so much or been the source of such love and joy
12. friends ~ i have some of the most delightful, helpful, wonderful, kind, fun, heart-warming friends a person could ever ask for... and they truly are all answers to prayer {lots and lots of years of prayer}
13. school, because as hard and torturous as it can be, i love learning new things and being able to teach those new things to other people
14. goals and other things that breed progression because progression makes me happy! desires of the heart, hopes and dreams, and "shooting for the stars"
15. "rainy days" {aka hard times} because they help me enjoy the good times so much more
16. butterflies: the symbol of recovery, progression, hope, growth, and a reminder that perfection is not something that i can ever hope to obtain in this life
17. music, of course, because growing up in my family it is an integral part of my life; i believe music comes from our souls, which is why it knows no bounds and speaks to all people
18. art ~ i could spend endless hours looking at art because it inspires me and fills me with so much emotion... but mainly hope
19. crafts are the essence of creating for me, and doesn't everyone desire to create? crafting includes paper folding and collages to sewing and knitting, i'm thankful for crafts
20. memories are my most treasured possession, for we are our memories; i get the greatest joy from remembering sweet shared moments with family and friends
21. holidays are the perfect opportunities to create memories, spending time with the people who matter most; i am extremely thankful for these times of year that allow for us to do that
22. modern medicine ~ as nerdy as that sounds, i am so incredibly thankful for doctors and specialists and medical procedures and medications that help me live life to the fullest
23. thank you to my sweet s & t for the most wonderful birthday i have ever had, all because of you! the most wonderful birthday ever consisted of:

breakfast in bed

{pumpkin pie for the birthday girl born on turkey day!}

shopping in multnomah village

*hit the jackpot here*

{got a variation of one of these}

went to lunch at one of the best restaurants ever! 

{i had a yummy bbq pulled pork open-faced sandwich}

went to the pittock mansion, which was all decorated for christmas! we took tons of pictures of all the fabulous rooms and decor... just for future reference.

{my most favorite time of year}

then more shopping, of course! this time on 23rd avenue at some wonderful little shops.

then, after all the wonderful things s & t had already done for me, i arrived home to a surprise! presents and a whole spread of dinner, cake, and ice cream from trader joe's {oh how i adore that store!}... i was floored!

sundy gave me this beautiful gift that i will always treasure.... it seriously means so much to me:

{peace on earth}

she says it looks just like me, and well, it has other sentimental meaning too.

isn't it precious?

i love it with all my heart.

tyler gave me one of my most favorite children's books i've been looking for, snacks, and a ticket for harry potter 7 for that night {yes... i sneaked the snacks into the theater. shhhhh! don't tell}

best birthday ever with my favorite people ever!

done and done.

here's to another year older...

and maybe hopefully a little wiser, too.

belle of the ball

ok, i have sooooo many posts lined up and waiting for finishing touches so they can be posted. what can i say? i have been extremely busy! you'll see. but in the mean time, i hope everyone is enjoying this wonderful fall season!


so as fate would have it, i got to play princess for the night on october 22 because my mom went out of town for business.

lucky me!!

my dad is part of the the dick losee band - they play the most fabulous 'big band' music that makes you want to move to the beat and swing dance with the best of them!

i've been watching my parents get ready for the president's scholarship ball for something like ten years, dreaming of what it would be like to join in on the fun. everyone wears formal-wear and scrumptious hors d'oeuvres served with glasses of martinelli's (it's utah valley, people... what do you expect?).


and then the big affair ------ dinner. a six course dinner, to be more precise.

{our festive table setting}

the menu was as follows:

1st course

lump crab with avocado gazpacho, crispy corn tortilla, and corn shoots

2nd course

curried pumpkin soup with roasted pepitas, spiced whipped cream, curry oil, and pumpernickel crisp

{the most magnificent taste of the night!}

3rd course

poached pear salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, gorgonzola emulsion, glazed pecans, red onions, and baby greens

4th course

lemon basil sorbet

{it did not look like this picture, but it was served with a gingersnap cookie. a weird taste at first, but it definitely grew on me!}

5th course

roasted fillet of beef tenderloin with caramelized vidalia onion veal jus, smoked gouda and herb potato cake, roasted tomato, cipollini onions, seared mushroom, creamed corn, parsley buttered asparagus, and carrots

6th course

milk chocolate hazelnut cremeur: layers of milk chocolate mousse, hazelnut dacquoise, dark chocolate creme brulee, salted caramel, and mango sauce

after all that wonderful goodness, it was the dick losee band's turn. they played fabulous music for the president's "first dance" of the evening and for the rest of us to enjoy.

and although dick losee himself was unable to play with the band because of health reasons, the band played a great gig and the night was a success!

from the great food and fabulous music, what more could i ask for? and no, i could not have asked for better company!

  

it was a wonderful night! and though i know i wasn't the 'belle of the ball' .... i sure did feel like it!

**side note**: that monday i got a new crown put in and the day before the ball i got two root canals {side-by-side} and was on some good meds for the horrible pain. my dad told me there were moments at the ball that i was awake and animated and myself, then other moments when i looked like the walking dead... haha i knew what he was talking about. i could barely keep my eyes open at more than one point in the evening, but i refused to miss out on anything because it was such a 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience!

royal for real

is there any little girl who did not dream of being a princess?

i know i did!

because everyone around our house was gone for the weekend, mom and i went on a date to see the movie "young victoria".

it was delightful and enchanting!

i even teared-up in a few parts. surprise, surprise :)

as we walked out of the theater i told mom,

"i want a love like that."

she replied, "oh lacey, love is like that. if it isn't like that, it isn't really love."

that left me with a good feeling inside. one day....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

and while we're on the topic of royalty, i have been bouncing this analogy around in my head ever since general conference:

the tale of sleeping beauty is strikingly similar to the plan of salvation.

think about it!

we were born on earth, away from our Heavenly Parents and without recollection of life before now. we struggle to find out who we are and are prepared - through trial and tribulation - for life in God's presence. satan definitely tries his hardest to keep us from understanding our full potential, but in the end we know who wins. in the end we shall be kings and queens.

maybe you'll find that thought silly or inconsequential, but it has made me really ponder this last week about the purpose of life and the roles we play here on earth. i, for one, want to gain that royal title and be royal for real.

little girls are made of everything nice

genevieve is the daughter of one of my sundy's friends in oregon. her name fits her perfectly and she's not yet seven years old! she is the epitome of what a little girl should be: a princess! she knows she is a princess, though she doesn't let that translate into a hoity-toity attitude.

i couldn't pass up the opportunity to do a photo shoot of genevieve when she found a toy poodle sitting in a small room outside of the restaurant we were eating at. the dog's name was barbie and she was extremely sweet.

a princess and her pooch

little dogs and little girls make quite the perfect pair.

this made me miss Precious. a lot.

princess goes to portland

for the entire span of my twenty-one years i have had a love for the finer things in life. whether it is my mom teasing me that i should have been an only child or my sisters gawking at the number of shoes i own, those who know me best know that i am a princess.

i am a peculiar princess, however. when it comes right down to it, i have very few problems with germs. i've been known to eat food from the floor {of course i was the one who dropped it} even if its a subway train floor. i do my part ~ wash hands, use proper hygiene, refrain from touching smelly garbage, etc. However, when it comes to germs, food poisoning, organic vs non-organic, global warming and my part in it ...... i say:

PUH - LEASE!

i obviously don't belong in portland. i have nothing against the liberal concept, just some the things these liberals come up with. who REALLY cares if i recycle every item i use? is it REALLY going to matter if i eat the organic rice vs the non-organic rice? pardon me, but who came up with this crap? organic simply means it is or once was living. can we all please agree on the fact that almost everything on earth is or once was living?

that's right, i don't believe in organic diets. take it or leave it, which one is cheaper? i am not falling for the mind tricks being played just so i will spend more money and believe that makes me a better person. i do my best to help mankind, save the children, rescue the animals, provide for the needy. i am not going to hell for using plastic grocery bags instead of paper or the new 'go-green' bags.

though i don't belong in portland as a permanent resident, i envy the treasures they have at their disposal. take Cacao, for instance. drinkable, delectable, unique, and exotic chocolate.



here are some more photos of the three of us {tyler, sundy, and me} isn't it a darling shop? too bad it was rainy and bitterly windy that day, the pictures tell the story.