My Best Friend

My best friend's name is Kim.

 But you already knew that, right? ;)

She had a birthday and has now been on the earth for 23 years... We're waiting for Taylor to write a song called "23"... C'mon Tay....

Kim & I met in high school, but didn't talk a whole lot. We had a class together, but she was one of those girls I thought was way too pretty and funny to want to be friends with me, even though I really wanted to be friends with her. Stinkin' high school thinking, glad that's over with.

 Us on graduation night. We so little!

A couple years after high school, I started lap swimming at the fitness center where she works. She'd check me in once a week or so. It was those kinda awkward 'I know you, but I don't know you, and I don't know if you know that I know you' type deals. So we'd smile, say hi and leave it at that. 

Eventually we became better acquaintances, chatting now and then at the fitness center. Then one day, she was having the worst time- worst time, people. Luckily, her work was slow, so we sat and talked about it for a while. My heart broke for her. She was experiencing a serious challenge that wouldn't be over for months and months.

After that heart-to-heart, we basically became bffs. She's the greatest.

Having female friends as a female yourself, can be kind of challenging. It's not hard to find someone to be 'friends' with, but to find someone who actually is a friend, is something else. Throughout my life I've had 'friends'; 'friends' that have said,

"Geez, Karinne, you're so skinny", as if my smaller frame was an awful thing... 

"Oh you like that boy? Well he said he liked me, not you."

"Why do all the boys like you? It's kind of annoying."

& when I was struggling with something so heavy and had called, sent texts poured my heart out, asking for help from the one I considered my closest friend, no response until 2 days later; a text saying, "I'm sorry." Period. That was it.

Some of those words were said to me post high school graduation. All that girl silliness doesn't stop after the diplomas are handed out, sadly. Luckily, Kim is the opposite of those girls. She is happy for me when good things happen to me. That sounds so silly right? Well duh, she's your friend, she's suppose to be. I've had plenty of girls be envious and mad when things go my way. Not Kim. That's one thing I love so much about her. She genuinely loves everyone and wants good things to happen to every human being on the earth. She has such a big heart. One of the biggest. When she loves & cares for people, she's loves & cares for them deeeeep. It's quite a gift. I hope one day to have the kind of heart she does. She'll say she cries too much, but I don't think most people cry enough. Tears equate to love. & she is full of love.

At her work a patron was mean to her, telling her boss she wasn't very nice (if you know Kim at all, you know she hasn't a rude bone in her body.) I was mad that the patron would say that, because it was just plain silly, kim tries so hard to treat everyone with kindness. But Kim's response was, "I wish I knew who it was so I could apologize for making her feel bad. Tomorrow at work, I'm going to be so nice to everyone that walks in the door. I'll have to biggest smile on my face all day." & she did :)

 

This is her motto.

She doesn't just say it; her life reflects it.

She's the least judgmental person I know. She doesn't care what people's backgrounds, beliefs, or lifestyles are; she'll love them. She doesn't speak unkindly about people; she's a breath of fresh air.

The second I need her, she's there. She's there; she listens, relates, and offers her advice & serious infinite wisdom. Last year I had an awful day and was texting her about it. She had just got off work and came straight to my work to see me. I thanked her for dropping everything and coming, and she looked at me like I was crazy and said, "Well yeah Rinney, that's what friends are for!" Because to her and her kind heart, coming and seeing me was the only option. She stayed for such a long time, talking things through with me. She helped lift my spirits so much.

 

One of the things she's said to me, that has impacted me the most goes as follows;

Once upon a time, I had a little romance going on. & I was really excited about this boy... I had liked him for so long, and had waited for the timing to be right for suuuuuch a long time. Finally, I felt like it was our time, and I thought he felt the same. Turns out he wasn't as excited about me as I was about him; he had a girlfriend, but hadn't bothered to tell me & continued to act as if we were starting something. So there I was, feeling so stupid, so used, and so foolish. I was texting kim about it. & I'll never forget what she said. She said, "Rin, he's going to come back to you, he is. You just make sure when he does, you don't take him back, don't make it easy for him. If he truly wants to be with you, he can prove it to you. You deserve the best. You deserve to be someone's first choice, not to be someone's backup plan."

That hit me like a ton of bricks.

She knows me. She knew I was weak in that spot. She knew how much I wanted to be with him, and knew that if he asked me, I'd take him back. Because when I'm in something, it's hard for me to see anything else- I'm working on that. She knew that, and knew how to stop me from making a mistake. She's a gem.

She is one of the funniest gals I know. She's always saying, "I don't know why you're friends with me, I'm such a weirdo." Kills me haha. This is basically how we look 98% of the time we're together....

 Not even kidding.

Even when you lock your keys and her keys in your car, in the middle of f.r.e.e.z.i.n.g winter & you don't have a spare key to your car, so neither one of you have your car, purse, or wallet for a day, she forgives you & laughs it off.

Kim is such a strong woman. She needs one of those shirts that read, "small, but mighty". One Sunday she came to my ward. I was teaching Sunday school, and I think we were discussing faith. We were talking about the trials in our lives, and how we can stay strong in spite of them. She made a comment with some serious passion. She said how grateful she is for all of her struggles, because she knows by the end of it, she'll be so much stronger- it's a strengthening process. She's glad she has trials, because it gives her an opportunity to grow. If that's not the best outlook on the hardships of life, I don't know what is. She's had her fair share of struggles, trials, hardships, whatever you want to call them. & she always comes out on top, like a champion. Even in the midst of her hardships, she thinks of other people. She'll say, "I'm so selfish. There are so many people with problems worst than me." or after we've been talking about hard things she's dealing with, she'll say, "Rin I'm so sorry, I didn't even ask you how you are doing!" She's a doll.

She focuses on improving herself. I think for some reason, a lot of people think when you're 'an adult' you're done growing. You're an adult and that's it, you made it! When really, we all should be learning until the day we take our last breath on this earth. Kim strives for progression. She works on things to improve within herself which is something I admire so much about her.

Basically what I'm saying is, Kim is some serious sunshine in this world.

 Happy birthday Kim! You're the best best friend a girl could ask for!

Long live the walls we crashed through, I had the time of my life with you.

 Love you bff.

Heeey there.

Hello dearests,

Summer is a lovely time, isn't it; sunshine, barbecues, weddings, trips, hiking, swimming, friends home from college, so much goodness :) My brain has had a doozy of a time trying to keep up with everything. There's been so much to digest; so many changes and events have occurred, so many things I could write about. For now, this will have to suffice. I saw a few of my followees did this months and months (maybe even a year?) ago, here's mine :)

I love instagram. I'm realitively new to the smart phone world, and this app has been my faaaaave. I love being able to connect with people in that way. I can see little glimpses into the lives of my loved ones I haven't seen in years. And at the same time I can see what Taylor Swift is doing, or the work of a struggling photographer. So cool :) I find it interesting to see what people post about; what they want people to see, what they want to document for themselves. It's neat finding out things about people I didn't know before.

I realized I hate flip flops. I hate them. & I'm not one to throw the word 'hate' around. Just the name alone, 'flip flop'?? Eww. No offense to you flip flop lovers, I just can't do it. The only time I wear them is to the pool, or to get a pedicure. I feel weird wearing them. I feel all exposed.

I miss those people I used to be close with but due to history and circumstances, I have no communication with them. It breaks my heart. Know those terrible parting of ways, yet you still long for that time when you laughed uncontrollably with someone, or could give them a look and knew just what the other was thinking? I don't dwell on those times, or on missing them, because what's done is done. But there are those times where something reminds me of them, and my little heart hurts.

I want a baby. No big deal, right? I don't know why! I'm not even close to having one. I've just been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my life, why I'm here, what I have to offer. & 'mother' is what keeps coming to my head & heart. Perhaps one day if the stars align for me, I'll be able to have a few to teach & guide. If not, mother opportunities are still around me; I've got the sweetest little nephew you ever did see. I am an example to him.

I had the sweetest moment with him. He was over one night, and we were outside looking for bugs. He said, "I wanna hold you" so I picked him up, and he asked, "Do you have fireworks, Karinney?" I replied, "No, we don't, sorry man." Then he looked up and said, "Do you have stars?" I watched his eyes look up over the sky, smiled, and said, "You bet, we have all the stars you could want." I don't know why that hit me so much. Maybe because everything that kid says or does I fall in love with. Or maybe because at 3 years old, he's teaching me how to live life better than I can teach him. He looks at everything, takes the time to ask about it, learn about it, remember it, and appreciate it; whether it's bugs or stars.

I wish I could live in the mountains. I just want a little cottage. Know the one in 'Sleeping Beauty' that the 3 fairy ladies live in? I want that one. Then I'd sing and dance with birds.

I'm trying to date more. If you know me at all, you know I don't enjoy it. I find it very stressful and nerve-racking, which is silly. Mostly I feel this way because I don't like attention being on me. I don't like the fact that someone's focus is solely on me for a few hours. Eek. I signed up for online dating. Yipes. But these words kept popping in my head, If you want something to happen, you have to make it happen, so I felt obliged to sign up. It's been interesting so far, to say the least. It's only been a month or so, we'll see how this adventure goes :)

I dislike television. The fact that most living rooms are centered around the tv makes no sense to me at all. It’s called a living room. Yet we’re sitting and watching other people live in it (thank you 'reality' tv) for hours on end… am I the only one confused by this?

I dream. Literally. I've had 2 almost identical dreams within the past few weeks; one involving T Swift, the other, Nicolas Cage. In both dreams I meet each celebrity, and try to take a picture with them, but the camera on my phone won't work, even after hours of trying to fix it. So they leave, and I don't get a picture with them, and I am so sad (heart broken over Taylor, bummed about Nic, because Dal would have been so happy to see that pic ;))

 So weird, right? Anyone interpret dreams?

I can finally work out how I want to! :) Once upon a year ago, I hurt my left knee... which put a damper to exercising, which I need in my life. I took it easy for a while until it felt back to normal. Then a few months ago, I hurt my right knee... oh the joys. I was so very bummed. It's so frustrating to lose all that progress, you just watch it go. Technically, I've lost weight since then, but along with it, I lost my muscle (see ladies, it's not all about that number on the scale :)). So I've f.i.n.a.l.l.y been able to start upping my workouts, and it's a beautiful things :) Lessons learned: 1- Take care of my body; stretch, warm up, cool down. 2- Be grateful for a body that functions just how I want it to. 3- Pay attention during workouts; focus on what my body is doing and why.
  
I question my past decisions. That moment when you're in front of someone you used to have feelings for, and he's completely taken and all you can think about is what a catch he is and how you let him go... Worst. 

I’m taking 2 classes in the fall. I’m kind of excited about them. I decided to take classes I’m interested in, rather than required classes. It may seem like a waste because those credits aren’t going to a certain degree at the moment, but I think it's what I need. Who really has a plan for school and sticks to it? Maybe like 3.7% of the population... So hopefully this semester will be different than my past school experiences :)

I listened to Katy Perry's new song Roar... my new anthem :) I'm not her biggest fan, but this song is a yes, I got the eye of the tiger, the fighter, dancing through the fire 'cause I am a champion and

How's your summer been?

Whitney's and My Wonderful Adventure

My dear friend Whitney and I went out on a quest last month; a quest to see the great outdoors, and John Mayer himself :) Whitney had some sweet concert tickets and invited me to join her, sweet little lady :) It was a blast! We spent the first 2 days in Yosemite. Neither one of us had been there before so we were stoked! It was a place I'd always wanted to visit.

Day one started with this nice hike that let to a little river. It was so relaxing; the weather was perfect, people were fishing, kids were playing in the water, just a delightful place to be on a summer day :)

Love that greeeeen.

 Didn't want to leave...

Loved these little pine cones :)

We ate some lunch at a viewpoint. It was gorgeous. These granite mountains & cliffs were incredible.

Then we hiked some more!

 One of my faves <3

 *happy*

 ...sunshine...

Can you spot the falls? :)

Unfortunately the water levels were low this year, so the falls weren't as big. But! Because they were so low, we were able to take epic pictures on rocks closer to the falls:

 Cute Whitney! She's a gem.

This is my 'Price is Right' pose.

You just won a waterfall!

 The view back.

 Just being

 tree huggers ;)

 Check out that squirrel guy soakin in the view... so cute.

Day 2 was a lovely :)

In spring, water from the falls, cover all those rocks, and apparently you can feel the mist from it too. Maybe one day I'll pay Yosemite another visit :)

 These trees!

So tall & gorgeous.

We did a harder hike, it turned our legs to jelly, thank you switchbacks ;)

 But it was totally worth it, they always are.

 <3

 Steeeeeeeep.

My camera isn't tilted.... crazy trees growing on that mountain, huh?

 Half Dome

Maybe I'll hike that crazy thing one day.

We made it!

 Prime picture spot.

Later that night we decided to be adventurous... We really wanted to see the redwoods, so as evening was coming in, we drove an hour down to the southern part of the park to see them. We were speed hiking to try and beat the dark!

 They are huge! Up to 30 feet across!! 

 Beauties aren't they?

 Felt like a dream, or somethin in a fairy tale.

 Tunnel tree! We walked under it.

Soooo giannnt!!

Sunset :)

<3

 Not going to lie, we were spooked! We were in the middle of the forest and the sun was almost gone... We started freaking ourselves out. Luckily Whitney being the prepared gal she is, brought a head lamp :) On our way back, we ran into a little family who had no light at all! We followed them back to the trailhead. We're pretty sure we were destined to be there. That family would have been totally lost in the forest all night if we didn't have our light and found them. There were multiple times they started walking off the trail even with our light. But the thing is, we needed them too. We were freaking out, then once we found them, our nerves went waaaay down. Funny how things work :)

Day 3 we drove to Sacramento! And by 'we', I mean Whitney. She drove, in the crazy, construction zoned, California traffic. All I had to do was sit and play DJ. She drove like a champ! You rock Whit :)

We spent the day at Old Sacramento, such a cute little place! It had so many shops and places to eat, mmmm.

We tried some taffy. Ever have the pumpkin pie flavor? It's wonderful.

 And we had some ice cream...

 It was delicious!

Then we were off to the concert! 

We saw Philip Philips (the boy with one name, but two.) He really was such a stud.

 We were so excited for John!!!

Whit got a cute shirt :)

 I got a bandana. John also wears bandanas, so basically, I'm his wife.

 He was sooooooooooo great. He really is such a good artist. Skills man, skills.

I wasn't much of a John fan a couple months ago... I thought he was a womanizer, a jerk, rude, ya know, all that jazz... Plus he broke Taylor's heart, and I'll always have her back (don't worry Tay). But Whitney showed me some of his music, and as I really listened to it, I think he's misunderstood, or at least, he's grown up now. He knows he's made mistakes and said and done stupid things. So many of his lyrics are about him being stupid, but learning from it, growing, and becoming better. And really people, isn't that what life is?

If that isn't an admittance to stupidity, I don't know what is. We've all been young and unwise.

Isn't that great? :)

He performs with some serious passion. I felt like I saw his soul. He thanked the crowd soooo many times for coming and singing along. I think that shows humility. I've been to concerts where the artist doesn't seem grateful at all, and there is a distinct difference in the feeling of the show. I think John is dream. His lyrics are so truthful. He gives me chills.

Whitney has a serious crush on him. She knows every song, every album, everything about the man. It was so fun to see how excited she was to see him. At the start of every song she'd turn to me and say, "I love this one!" It was so adorable. Know those times where it's more fun to watch other people have fun, then to be having that fun yourself? I was so happy she got to have her dream come true of seeing him in concert.

I loved hanging with Whitney for the week. She is such a good person, at her core. She's the friendliest little lady I know! On the trails in Yosemite, she'd ask people where they were from, what they were doing, all that jazz. It was so great. We met people from England, Ireland, Mexico, all over the place! (It helped me remember how lucky I am that I drove 10 hours to see those things, instead of flying across the world to do so.) Whitney is so kind to everyone. She's a gem. It was nice getting to know each other better. I swear the whole car ride there we kept saying, "Really? Me too!" We have lots in common :)

 Thanks Whitney for a wonderful tip! :)