Where It All Begins

I believe in quaint.

So Busy You Forget to Go to the Bathroom

You know when you're a kid and you're just too busy to remember to use the restroom?
We've entered that state once more.
Being kids again, I find myself and my husband doing a slightly more grown up potty dance.

Sorry hygiene, we're too busy playing....

SD

I'm trying not to pee my pants I'm so excited.
We take off to South Dakota in the morning!
That's where Dave grew up btw.
I haven't even been officially a part of this family for very long but this vacation is one of my very favorite places because of the inviting comfort that surrounds the area.
Being near nowhere with the Fesler family awakes freedom from daily worries.
Plus, babies.

I believe in reunion.

Garrett and Jodi Wedding

Garrett is my brother in-law's brother who is the same age as I. Since I recently got hired to do a wedding, I've been researching a ton about bettering my photography/videography to guarantee my clients my best work. After all the research, I decided I needed to put it into practice and scouted out as many weddings as I could to practice on. Garrett and Jodi just happen to be the couple I know the most, making it the least creepy that I took tons of pictures.

 

I believe in lace.

Gymnastics

I believe in Outlandish.

Easily Replaced

In action movies. Receptionists die first.

And NOBODY CARES.

We are the easiest to be disposed of and weakest link.

...I bet none of those bad guys have had one of my killer heating-pad attacks. 
Bring it.

Amusing

They are created to entertain/contain the young. 

And we were quite amused to fall into the category.

Jong Han is always singing.

Dave gets  Conan O'Brien hair.

I have a blood curdling scream at only one sound level. Loud.

JiHye constantly held on to the nearest restraint for dear life. 

I didn’t realize until I got to Lagoon that I had so many childhood fantasies I wanted to accomplish. For example, I’ve always wanted to be kissed on the sky-ride and the Ferris wheel (at night.) I’ve wanted to hold hands throughout an entire roller coaster ride and other silly things like that. It didn't help that Dave seemed so attractive there, maybe my youngin’ hormones were kickin in again but he just seemed so mysteriously tough. I knew that in reality, he wasn’t really being extra chill on purpose and rather he was probably just so exhausted from walking around all day. But the less he talked and the more he swaggered around while getting tanner, the more my heart would skip a beat. He of course had no clue. That is, until I’d try really hard to kiss him anytime the Parks turned their heads the other way. I felt like I was 3 again, chasing a boy with my lips.

she stayed in the middle that entire ride.

I felt like my mother making such expensive spontaneous decisions but they were worth it. I swear I still wake up shocked that a warm body is next to me or I'll just look at Dave and think "we're married?!...WE'RE MARRIED!" I feel so young...and Lagoon just emphasized those feelings. Ironically, Lagoon was my Grandparents first date as well so I can say we paid tribute in many ways this weekend.

Yesterday we went and did fancy things like ride bikes and eat at Magleby's.

We laughed way too loud and biked too fast to be 'grown ups.'

A day of firsts: July 7, 2012

Celebrating our First Anniversary, 

First Lagoon trip for Hairy Chest,

First time paying for it all by myself,

First time not wearing my wedding ring all day, (felt weird...)

First kiss on several rides--I felt like a giddy teenager,

First time JiHye went on The Rocket (she was not happy)

Several childhood dreams came true Saturday.

Day of repeats: July 9, 2012
Magleby's
Bike Rides
Backyard Stargazing

ANNIVERSARY!

Life goes on...

when your plants die because you forgot to water them.

If your food rots from neglect.

Heck, even if your cat dies unexpectedly by a cranky neighbor.

But never, never, ever let love die. 

Love is one of the few things that was pre-destined to be immortal. Nobody can take it away from you.

Dave has learned a lot about me this past year. The secrets about my road-rage, my embarrassing drooling habit, my deep fear of mucus and inability to waste time are out. Yet, each sentence from his mouth still sounds like he got it from a romance novel. It's hard not to get jealous of him: everybody likes Dave, he says the right things and he has endless patience with me. We both have wondered if a hormonal imbalance makes him happy every moment of the day. My investigations point to yes. Here are some of our favorite love songs, click on them to hear them.

"She threw it out the window, the window, the second story window..."

"All I really want to do is to Thank You even though I don't know who you are."

"I like to think I was created for a special purpose. What's more special than you?"

"The image of your face comes to me when I'm alone in the dark."

"At last, my love has come along."

"You're the perfect man for me, I love you I do."

I believe in marriage. ッ

Fire in the Sky

There's just something about happy babies and lighting the sky on fire that makes July magical. If you believe you've seen all you can in Provo, UT but haven't been here for the 4th of July, you are sorely disappointing the locals. We OWN this holiday.

Next Time--Your MUST-DO July 4th Activity List:

-Watch the Hot air Baloons launch 6am

-Run a 5K 7am

-Parade 9am

-Eat food with family (or someone that feels like family)

-Wander around the Freedom Festival on Center St.

-BBQ

-Zipline at our place

-Swim or get extremely wet in another celebratory form

-Dance Party

-Go to the Stadium of Fire

-or cheaper option: nearby the stadium lie beneath the fireworks and watch them fall upon you

I believe in America.

Trademarks

Trademark: Heating-Pad

Erika says that if you want people to remember you, you should have some type of eye-catching accessory to differentiate you from the others. I, unintentionally, am known for always having a heated pad on me at all times here at my new job. I'm on the fence whether or not I like this new trait. But hey, it's not my fault entirely that the air conditioning blasts and I inherited mother's slow heart.

Here they are, squabbling at my defenselessness.

Actually, they were laughing at something much more deserving. My family is the bomb!--Like the explosives we will momentarily let soar through the skies tomorrow. 

Shark bait ooh ha ha!

The Floor Whispers Out

The floor under our feet whispers out.

Climbed up to the top with worn out shoes.
She ran down. She ran down.
-Of Monsters and Men

I've always learned that special buildings have a certain feel to them.  Temples and churches sometimes seem to have thick air.  Like some kind of divine residue that is left over after a visit from angels.
- Jessica Cooper

We moved. 

I believe homes have a personality of their own. 

I hope that angels will visit our home enough to leave their residue.

On the Mind

Isaiah 61:1-3 [In parts]

" ...the Lord hath^canointed me to ^dpreach ^egood tidings unto the ^fmeek; 

-^gbind up the brokenhearted

- ^bcomfort all that ^cmourn;

- ^hproclaim ⁱliberty to the ^jcaptives

-give unto them^abeauty for ashes

- ^bjoy for mourning

-praise for the spirit of heaviness;"

I choose to accept it.

Sunnnnnnnnnnday

Happy 1 year.

Happy 61 year.

I believe in sparkling eyes.

Some Gabba.

Bahahaha!

Oh cousin. 

"We Can Do Hard Things"

New household phrase. Constituted regularly.

Try it.

Why?

Because we CAN do hard things.

We can set up a Drive Inn movie event,

We can talk to really scary police officers,

We can make cardboard cutouts of people,

We can clean our ridiculously cluttered room,

We can screen-write and direct a fiction piece

We can compose, choreograph, dance, film and animate a french film,

We can log long interviews,

We can run 7 miles in one night,

We can work 30 hours a week,

We can learn statistics,

We can live through nightmares,

We can breath, thus, we can survive.

Inspired by this. Implemented by this. Held together by this.

Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans?

The answer is yes, Louis, yes.

A city of romance.
Photo credit: Merk.

A city of music.

A city of poise.

A city of rebirth.

A city of mischief.

and more mischief.
Photo cred: Merk

Mercanbrack mischief.

You get the idea.

I believe in Louisiana.

Alden LeGrand (Buddy) Richards

"It is not easy carrying the name of a legend.

Let them be responsible for their own problems.... For this reason, I never attempted to rebel in the name of individuality. I will carry my name in pride and let others worry about their misinterpretations if they wish."

Papa's journal

January 1983

I believe in father figures and patient daddies.

Internship

I was SURE I wanted internship. I blocked off the time, I worked around a schedule, I budgeted out the expenses, I informed those who needed to be informed and then for some reason it still didn't work out.

In an ideal world, I would be settling into a nice studio apartment in either California or New York right about now, ready to start what I call "internship" at a great company. I prolonged graduation for this opportunity, I didn't commit to anything over the summer and I made sure I wouldn't get preggers until after the experience. Yet, somehow, I'm sitting here in my Provo apartment typing you that yes, I'm quite disappointed in myself.

I've loved the opportunities that have risen to take the place of internship but oh how I long to be doing what Bri Borup, Greg Barnes or even Ashley Moser get to do. I'm VERY happy for them but at the same time, wish I were sharing a similar experience and had one of those irresistible personalities. Most of all, I don't break commitments. It's not my personality. Guilt succumbs me. So I feel morally obligated to regretfully inform you that nobody wanted me this summer. Little do they know, I don't give up so easily.

HOLD UP! There are a plethora of reasons to celebrate.

I'm still lame but if I WERE in California, I wouldn't have all of this:
-A job I adore at the Motion Picture Studio
-A new spacious apartment
-As involved with our Louisiana project
-The time to make a United Way video
-A chance to finish animating Sophie
-Sleep
-Money
-A Fesler asleep on my bed


New plan:
Attempt to prolong graduation (again.) Either continue teaching film, attempt to be awesome in SFA, intern with Yo Gabs, get a non-student job (somewhere like Campaign for Real Beauty) or get pregnant with a beautiful baby boy named Elliot.

If none of those work out you can officially deem me boring forever.

I'll design the trophy.

You lived today, look at the progress we made.

Everybody is asleep. 

-Erika.

Taste of success.

Super Secret [Agent] Project

Unless you heard the pitch of my capstone idea, you probably have no idea what it's about.

And in some ways that is rightly so. 

I give the wishy washy answers when I tell people about it because the subject is quite delicate. Also, I find more people surprised that I'm a non-fiction student who is successfully shooting a documentary capstone. I don't know why that's unheard of but I can definitely see that it can be a daunting task to accomplish.


I've got to get over the secrecy though because capstones are supposed to show our peak of artistic expertise. Usually you flaunt your project; make websites, fan-pages, youtube trailers and have multiple screenings. But this isn't just any story. Real hearts were broken, families torn apart, regrets left to live with, ugly controversies to choose from and for a reason (that is beyond me,) God trusted me to document it.

It had to have been from a Supreme Power because He gave us intuition. Intuition recognizes authenticity which leads to an open heart. These ladies now trust me and I hold power that I can hardly handle. My next step is off a cliff. . . and all I can pray is to fly.