Baby Hungry

No, I'm not pregnant. 

But just look how cute they are? 

Someday. Someday soon? Someday.

Our Little Weekend

Weekends here at the Gringeris are hardly days to lounge and relax.
This weekend I feel like we were particularly busy.

Friday my weekend started when I finished a huge kanji quiz.
(let me just say, Japanese is taking over my life this semester).

I think I got an hour at home to eat and unwind before we met Lauren and Ryan at The Quarry for a few hours of climbing.
Ryan was pretty good for his first time; he climbed a V2!
Although word on the street is they're still sore :)

I needed a little study time when we got back followed by homemade mac n cheese and a candle lit date night :) Ben's the greatest :)

Saturday I as gone from 10 to 5, busy but great.
We started the day at a stake relief society event where we could pick between so many different classes.
Things I learned:
1. I will NEVER have enough time to be good at couponing.
2. You have to strain the batter to make a perfect crepe.
3. Date nights are super important, even when you're married.
4. Nutella is my favorite (that wasn't new).

Following a lovely morning with Brooke and Carly I headed to campus for a last minute review before my first Japanese Midterm (yes, I had a quiz and a midterm back to back).

After the midterm I met up with two of the cutest bloggers, Hayley and Brooke, to get started on this BYU Blogger Meet-up. Let me tell you guys, its going to be great! We are having so much fun and I am really looking forward to meeting all of you  :) Watch for an announcement this week about a few of the details we've decided!

Saturday evening we headed up to Salt Lake to climbing, coldstone, and fabulous company before collapsing into bed sometime far too late for me :)

Sunday Highlights:
I opened a package from a giveaway I won ... stay tuned for more info on that!
We also got to go to our friend Ryan's mission farewell (yes, the boy we took climbing :). He will be serving the Lord and the people of Argentina for the next two years! After church we headed back to his house for lots of delicious food and dessert. Oreo frosting? Yupp, I'm obsessed. I'm going to have to start experimenting with a recipe.

We'll miss you Ryan!

Is the suspense killing you?

He's a dork. 

And then there was lots of letter writing, nap taking, friends, and crepes...and an alarm that went off much to soon this Monday morning.

I hope you guys all had a wonderful weekend!
Love,
Elisabeth

Some Quotes for Sunday

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. 

Its been crazy here.

But I'll be back with updates, don't worry :) 

Happy Sunday!

Currently Obsessed: Plug in Stereo

I got a facebook message while I was studying in the library yesterday:

"somehow I am convinced you'll like this."

understatement of the century, or at least the week. 

Its all I've listened to for the past two hours as I lay in bed and blog, read about burundi, and devour the rest of the vanilla almond special k.

I apologize for the language.

(although I'll point out they're literally talking about hell) 

The rest of their songs are great too.

Not the "rock out in your car" kind of great,

or the "dance around your room in your underwear" kind of great,

or even the "get pumped to go running" kind of great. 

But they are the "relax in your bed" kind of great,

and the "catch yourself smiling when they're on" kind of great,

and the "you know the chorus after listening to in once" kind of great,

and the "i could listen to them all day" kind of great.

Check it out. Let me know what you think. 

You seem quite nice for a girl with good looks 
And I’m the kinda fellow that’ll make you feel better when your life gets shook
So give it a chance according to your plans 
I bet I'm not number one on your list to kiss, but please understand 

On Writing

Writing is beautiful. Its cathartic, cleansing, revitalizing, rejuvenating. Its like if i can just manage to get it all out, in a way that at least makes sense to me, than the emotions can stay on the paper, i’ve released them, they no longer have to control me. 

Writing is healthy. It helps me think clearly. It gives me perspective because for some reason its so much easier to look at a situation objectively when its written in front of me instead of being turned over and over in my mind or my heart. 

Writing is good. Free writing is helpful, and blogging its special too. I write in a journal often. A blog can’t replace that. But its a different kind of writing. Its not just writing for me, but writing to be understood. to be heard. Its a trained kind of writing. Sometimes its an appeal to be noticed kind of writing. And sometimes, its just truth. 

To a sister

Dear Madison,  

I still remember the morning there was ice in the milk. Frustrated I went upstairs to get Mom, who fixes everything, but their bed was empty. I went to go wake up Caleb, and saw a strange dark tuft of hair peeking out from the bottom bunk! I guess I had to deal with my frozen milk, you wanted to get here already :) 

It was so fun having you as a little baby, but its even more fun now that you're a friend instead of a play thing. One of my favorites might be sharing a bathroom with you (don't you love how when I come home and stay in the guest room I still insist on using - and messing up - our bathroom?) "Dance, dance, dance..." ;)

You have become a beautiful young woman, far beyond her years in maturity. I remember when I called you freaking out about what to wear for my engagement pictures, and as my maid of honor you calmly gave the comfort, "it doesn't really matter lizzie, you'll look beautiful in anything." Thank you Maddie. Thank you for listening when I call. Thank you for putting up with my craziness. Thank you for being the kind, brilliant, and wonderful person that you are. I miss you, when you're so far away, but it makes me so, so happy, that we know families are forever.... because try as you will, you can't get rid of me. Remember, no empty chairs. 

I love you Maddie, and I hope you have a wonderful fifteenth birthday.

You're the best.

Love,

LIzzie

P.S. What girl goes to Vegas for her fifteenth birthday? :P 

The Maintenance of Friends

Everyone says you drop off the face of the earth when you get married,
that you have no friends.

That is silly.
And not healthy.

We love friends.
They make our life so much richer,
and entertaining.

While Ben may be my best friend,
having a husband doesn't replace having girlfriends.
Ben may be all I need,
but in the wise words of C.S. Lewis:



Today I had lunch with these lovelies.
They're my favorite.
And I still call them my roommates.
And they always make me laugh. 

If you get married, keep your friends.
Make new ones too, we love doing that.
But call your old ones.
See them often.
Don't drop of the face of the earth.

-----

P.S. If you didn't see the super exciting news yesterday, check it out :) 

BYU Blogger Meet-up

We've picked a location and time .... 

FOR UPDATES CLICK HERE!

I am so excited to announce a Provo area blogger meet up! 

It will be a fantastic evening of new friends, delicious treats, and fabulous conversation :) 

Reserve the night of March 8 (a Thursday) to come meet up with some great Provo bloggers.

We are still finalizing things pertaining to the venue as we wait to see how many of you lovely ladies want to come. 

I'd also like to introduce my lovely cohosts, Madison and Lauren from Awkward Girls, who are anything but awkward ... and Brooke who blogs over at Silver Lining. We have had so much fun planning already and can't wait for March 8th! Go check out their blogs and fall in love with them like I have :)  

If you want to come (which you all do, of course)  email me at BYUbloggermmetup@gmail.com 

We have decided to charge a small fee to cover the venue and the food. 

We will be taking care of all of that BEFORE the event so on the day of we can just come and enjoy. Email me so I can send you the paypal invoice and reserve your spot!

Also, be sure to grab the button (on the left side bar) and spread the word because the more the merrier, right?

If you know of bloggers in your classes or that you blog stalk that go to BYU be sure to let them know :) And get excited for an evening of new friends, treats, and great conversation. 

PS: I hope you're having a lovely Monday!
PPS: If you're living in Provo or the surrounding area, or already graduated, and want to come, don't feel like you can't because you don't go to BYU, like we said, the more the merrier!

CALLING ALL ETSY SHOPS/ BLOGS: If you're interested in sponsoring the BYU Blogger Meet-up check out this post and email me!

My little brother

I have a little brother. His name is caleb. He is currently serving the Lord and the hispanics of northern Virginia. 

Caleb and I have gone through a lot. 

When he was little, I swear his ultimate goal in life was to make mine miserable.

We fought. and fought.

I'm glad we got over that. And that my mother still loves both of us.

By high school we were best friends. 

Caleb has an incredible love for people. He can connect with people better than anyone I have ever met, and he somehow knows how to make them feel at ease, regardless of the situation. Me, I always felt like I needed a written invitation to talk to someone, but Caleb, he was brilliant. He had more friends than anyone I knew and he made $2000 selling candy bars out of his back pack in the seventh grade to go on a sailing scout trip. 

I got a letter from Caleb today. I get one every week now that he is on his mission. He has changed so much, but really he is just being polished, into a more shining version of the brother I've always known.

Caleb inspires me to be better than I am, because he knows I can be. 

Caleb inspires me to love the Lord and the people around me because he does.

Caleb inspires me to get off my butt and get to work because he does, at 6:30 every morning. 

Caleb inspires me to try harder and be positive because while doing the hardest thing of his life, he is strong, happy, and inspired. 

I love you, Caleb. 

Thanks for being the best brother and example I could ask for. 

Thanks for inspiring me.

And now that I may or may not have teared up writing that, here's for the link up:

It can be a new or old post.

Just be sure to link back to this page with the button so we can share the inspiration. 

<center><a href="http://lavitaebella-elisabeth.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc436/emearnshaw/blog3-040-1.jpg"/></a></center>

Insta-update and Sunday INSPIRED linky party!

Its a rainy day here in Provo.

It was hard to get out of bed. 

Its a blogging and hw kind of day.

Exciting News: I have an iphone               Soon to be Exciting News: It will actually work as a phone. 

(We got an iphone 4 but are waiting for the unlock to come out so we can use it with tmobile)

I still use it to play bejeweled before bed or in the car - and am already addicted to instagram!

Here are a few life updates:

(left to right, top to bottom)

1. Back to DANCING! Since I sprained my ankle in October I haven't been able to dance, and being back is wonderful. Let me tell you. (This was taken after we got back from class 1, and were so excited we came home to do abs :P)

2.  Benjamin has clothes I really like, including this banana republic pink sweater. He's a stud.

3. But he also studies way too much, and by he I mean we. This semester is a killer.

4. He DOMINATED (and by dominated I mean climbed super well and placed second) in a climbing comp last weekend. 

5. What youtube has done to socialization.

6. My closet. Its a disaster. Its gotten some work since that picture, but not what it deserves.

7. Ben warming up for his basketball game this morning :) 

8. Dave turned 26 yesterday. We started dating the day he turned 25. If you haven't read about our first kiss story - its rather entertaining :) 

---------

In the meantime - WHAT has INSPIRED you this week?

Tomorrow is the second day of the link up - we had 10 last week...lets see how many more INSPIRED stories, quotes, and pictures we can share!

Hope you're having a lovely weekend,

Elisabeth

PS.  If you blog at BYU (or some school close by) - be sure to check back on Monday for an exciting announcement ;)

PPS. Janna tagged me in this and while I already did the 11 fact/ question thing..I thought I'd still answer her questions:

{1} Where were you born?

Tokyo, Japan

{2} Who influenced you the most as a child?

My mom, obviously :)
{3} Is there any significance to your name?

I am named after my great-great-great grandmother, Mary-Elizabeth Rollins. Her and her sister Caroline risked their lives to save pages of scripture when they were thrown from a burning printing press. They hid from mobs for hours in a cornfield before delivering them to the prophet.

{4} What's your pet-peeve?

Cracking joints.

{5} What is your favorite color?

Blue - but to wear, Red.
{6} What song inspires you the most?

Wholly Yours by David Crowder Band (not the most but its a fantastic song)
{7} What is your favorite book?  
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
{8} What is your best piece of advice about blogging?

Post about things you love, and that are important to you, not what other people want to read. Blogging is about connecting and recording, but to do that you need to be true to yourself.
{9} Where do you see yourself in ten years?

Still happily married, a lot smarter, a little more mature, with the cutest little children you've ever seen. (and hopefully a few steps closer to saving the world)
{10} What makes you, you?

I believe I am defined by what makes me happy. Right now, thats God, my family, school, dance, traveling, and food.
{11} Do you like me?
Circle:

YES                           NO

Go check out her blog, she's great! And be sure to come back tomorrow for sunday's INSPIRED!

PDA WARNING: Last First Kiss

that moment, when your faces are inches apart, and you have to hold your breath so they cant tell how fast you're breathing...


Yupp, you guessed it. One year ago was the first time Ben and I kissed (sorry if thats TMI).Its also the day we officially started dating. Oh what can happen in a year 
Funny story: It was Dave's birthday. Dave was a newlywed to Sarahjane and they lived in Salt Lake. It was a Thursday night. Ben had asked me to come to his best friends birthday on Tuesday. I was rather intimidated. 
It was a small party, just Ben and I and family. The night ended up with the four of us on the couch, the boys in the middle, talking and looking at rock climbing pictures (I should have known then...).And then the Spanish started. Ben and Dave served spanish speaking missions together.
Unfortunately for Ben and Dave, what they didn't know was I'd taken 5 years of French, and lived in Italy and was pretty good with cognates. The conversation went something like this:
"So dude - have you kissed her yet?""no...not yet.""WHY NOT?""Well we went on a few dates and then she went back to NH for Christmas...""You need to get on that." 
I just about died. I sat there, feeling very smug with myself, saying nothing.And then two hours later as we drove home....I mentioned that I might know a little more spanish then he thought I did.... 

10 Most Exciting Things This Semester:

Cher Kate,
You asked what the ten most exciting things that have happened to me since break are...
note: listed in no particular order :) 
1. Jen came to visit! You can see more of our adventures here... but I had lots of fun taking pictures of her :) 

2. I attended my very first Zumba class with my favorite Carly. Let me tell you, its a workout. 

3. I almost climbed a V4! (It was going to be my first - and they then took it down.)

4. Ben and I skipped 8 am class - just os we could snuggle. I love lazy mornings. (sorry if thats tmi for you and your non pda self...but cuddling is okay in our apartment right?)

5. Speaking of lazy mornings, Ebelskivers with the Cooks. SO YUMMY.

6. I got my Model UN assignment...BURUNDI! It was between Russia and Burundi. I am SO excited!

7. I hit 150 followers on my blog (and have already passed 180? yeah, I'm obsessed with blogging to a level that was exciting:) 

8. I got a letter from Caleb that made me cry. I have the best brother in the world.

9. Ben got SECOND in his climbing competition. He's a stud (second picture).

10. 5 months of marriage with a date night at my favorite place in Provo, Spark :)  

You have my permission to fall in love with it, because we'll be here in a few months together. 

So Kate, maybe not the most interesting 15 days of my life...but they've certainly been fun, and busy, and tiring.
And now back to the Political Science assignment I've been meaning to do all week - good luck with the two problem sets and the grant. Maybe instead of going back to Paris I should just come visit you in India this summer. Oh and Utah in two months, don't worry, I couldn't be more excited :) 
Je t'aime,Elisabeth 

 

Pinterest Pick-me-up :)

My color love for pinterest today (and everyday mostly) is red.

Its a nice bright contrast to the dreary day we're having here in Provo.

I woke up quite late. 7:10 to be exact. You know those mornings where you're rushing the WHOLE time just to leave the house on time? Yeah, it was one of those. But Ben was patient, and we made it to class 10 minutes early (yay for quick showers and little make-up).

I froze through my economics class - and now I have a morning of meeting with freshman (I have the best job ever, I've been meaning to blog about it) before japanese and dance :) 

Life is good. 

Follow me on Pinterest and I'm linking up with these two lovely ladies today :) 

PS. Savannah is pregnant (the first link up) - SO exciting...congrats girl!

PPS. That Peter Pan pin might be my favorite :) 

On Marriage

"Be willing to be inconvenienced for others, especially those you love the most."

This weekend Ben and I got to listen to Dr. Millet, a professor of Ancient Scripture who has authored over 60 books speak on Christianity and Marriage. He had a lot of great advice, insight, and inspiration. Its given me a bit to think about this weekend, especially as I've been thinking about my goals for this new year. 

"The measure of your Christianity is your willingness to be inconvenienced for others." Christ, the greatest example, was the most inconvenienced (pardon me if that sounds blasphemous, but bear with me). In other words, the measure of our love for others is how much we are willing to put aside our own will for theirs. How do you let yourself be inconvenienced?

A few other things to think about

• "Simplify your personal life."
• "Do not be driven by the tyranny of the urgent."
• "Love is spelled T-I-M-E."

His parting advice on marriage that I second with my five months of experience:

• Choose not to take offense.
• Assume the best. 

I know that as we assume the best and choose not to be offended by those we love we are not jaded by our insecurities and imperfections, and are instead able to more clearly see the love we have for each other. 

photocredit: Michele Doying, NYC 2011

A New Years Resolution

A different kind of resolution

1   Understanding that I am not perfect, 

2   

3   Acknowledging that as hard as I try this year, I will still not be perfect,

4   

5   Recognizing I am happier when I am living a balanced life,

6   

7   Further recognizing that they key aspects to that life include being healthy, spiritually intune, and 

8   academically engaged,

9   

10  Desiring an increased level of the spirit in my life and home,

11

12  Further desiring an increased level of love in all my interactions, especially my husband,

13

14  Believing that I have the power to enact change in my own life, more than I might think,

15

16  I, Elisabeth,

17

18  1.Commit to increased planning of meals to lead to higher nutrition and a happier body;

19  

20  2. Decide to make school the priority that it always should be and find out what I can do when I    21  am trying my hardest;

22

23  3. Intend to treat others with the love and allow myself to be inconvenienced by those I love;

24

25  4. Plan on creating a special time in my day to read, reflect, and commune with the Lord;

26

27  5. Resolve to each day be a version of myself that I will be thankful for tomorrow.

Spring Climbing: My Current Motivation

linking up with For the Love of a Cupcake for Motivate Me Monday.

AND thanks to all who linked up for inspired yesterday. Check it out here. It was a good little start to sharing our inspiration and the link up should be in full swing next Sunday so start thinking about what inspires you and get ready to link up!

Love,

Elisabeth

PS. The above resolution is formatted after a United Nations resolution we write in class on the regular.

PPS. How was your weekend?