oopsies.

Yes, it has been a very long time since my last post. I am so boring! However, much has happened since then - and the most recent thing is my investment in my trusty little Macbook Pro here... Yes I am using her right this second to type this post. I am not quite sure what to name her yet... any thoughts? Keep in mind, she is slim, sleek, silver, and pretty dang sexy. However, she does love to rock her purple case and sleeps in her lime green sleeve at night. I am thinking Esmerelda, but I can't be too sure right now.

Anywho - the past week I have been finding myself staying up way past my bedtime because I just can't get enough of my computer. I don't even do much on it - so maybe I can put some of that energy back into this quaint little blog of mine!

Stay tuned for some more posts - I promise they will come. :)

meet pascal.

Part 1. Introductions

Well, it has clearly been quite a while since my last post. oopsies on that one. Well for those of you that are not already aware... I bought a new car! He is a lovely little guy and his name is Pascal. Very quickly - meet Pascal. You two go ahead and get better acquainted...

isn't he such a babe?!

Oh yes, of course. Are you wondering how he got his lovely little name?!  Has anyone seen Tangled?! Yup. That's where I got the name. That sweet little chameleon - 

I have always had a soft spot in my heart for sweet little creatures like him. They are the little creatures in family movies that don't actually talk, but you feel like you know them so well just based on their wee little animal sounds and facial expressions. Like Pip from Enchanted.

Anywho - now you have met my new car Pascal. However, introducing you to Pascal is only the first part of this post. Enter second part....

Part 2. Pascal's first bath - and the aftermath. 

As with any road trip - Pascal got very dirty after his first trek to San Diego (my topic for my next blog post). So me being the sweet mommy that I am I took him to the car wash for his very first bath. It was a special moment for both of us really. Sweet  Pascal getting scrubbed inside and out and then being all nice and shiny for me when he came out. We drove out of that parking lot happy as can be! I took him home and parked him right in his favorite spot in my driveway and he had a peaceful night. 

This morning I go to hop in Pascal to get myself a movie for my day at home sick on the couch - what do I find? An enormous amount of bird poop all over Pascal. 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and a massive number 9 right in the middle

don't forget to take a look at the two large plops on the roof...

Now riddle me this - how did those birds manage to have such impeccable aim as they flew over sweet and innocent Pascal...?! Because let me tell you this - there is absolutely nowhere for those birdies to perch themselves. No trees, roofs, telephone wires, lamp posts - N O T H I N G. 

That's just my luck though friends. There is nothing surprising about it really. but I guess my next question would be - do those 48 hour rain check policies at car washes cover bird poop rain too...?!

Much needed.

I really needed this, so of course I somehow came across it last night. Maybe you need it too...

Oh then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need. Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

Mormon 9:27

poetry.

Upon moving to my new casita, I discovered a nike shoe box titled "Sara's Memories". Inside this fancy little treasure chest was an array of different items. Among them a little gem titled: 

Poetry

Notebook

By: Sara Waddell

Mrs. Carson

Language Arts

Naturally, I skim through this little gem of poetry and find an absolutely incredible number on page 19. There were a number of pathetic spelling errors, so clearly I changed those to allow you readers to actually understand what I was trying to say. Anyways, it is as follows:

Tiffani and I

(Free Verse)

A long time ago I met a girl named Tiffani.

I met her at a basketball draft.

They were putting together girls 

That went to the same school, 

And we were in the same group.

And I remember saying to her:

"Hey! You go to Colina, don't you?"

So I ran over and told her to come sit in our group.

She was pretty shy at first, 

But then she lighted up.

We became really good friends.

We also had a great style

And brought some nice trends to the school!

Well not really.

Our style was original and unique.

We were kind-of tomboys in fourth grade,

But we grew out of it.

When we played our basketball games, 

We would put a gallon of gel on the top of our head,

So our ponytail would be nice and slick.

Now-a-days Tiffani and I dress normal, 

And we have normal hair.

Wow. That is really something isn't it?! Its obvious that I grew up to become an English major...and clearly no poem I have ever written or ever will write will top this one...

latest.

I feel like I have nothing to share - but I do. It just doesn't seem too entertaining, so let's just get this over with...

I moved. 

Back to Tempe. 

No more late night drives back to Gilbert = fantastic.

No more Busby boy time = tragic.

I'll miss those little boogers...

My new roomies:

Four lovely ladies in my ward!

I am transitioning from four boys to four girls...

I will keep you posted on that sitch.

I got a new job. 

A "real" job. 

The whole sha-bang.

Forty hours a week. 

Business casual. 

With casual Fridays.

Co-workers that are all older than me.

I like it though.

I feel accomplished when I come home from a "long day at work".

Kristin and I had our first official photoshoot for B&D Photography!!

So much fun - that's a fact.

For those of you that may be confused - 

The D stands for Dell.

Check out our website.

B&D Photography

Catch you later this week...

I promise I will have a good story for you then. :)

Giveaway!

Hi, our names are Sara and Kristin. We have been best friends since middle school and have found ourselves venturing off on a photography journey together. We both enjoy taking pictures and figured doing it together would make it a million times more fun. So that is why we have decided to start a photography company where we can both share our love and joy of photography with YOU. 

We want to start off on the right foot and what better way than FREE PHOTOGRAPHY...

We are going to start with a drawing for free sessions!!

Yeah-we said it FREE SESSIONS.

We will be doing a drawing for not one, two, or three but FOUR free sessions; family, engagement, senior/individual portrait and children.

All session will come with a cd of 20-30 edited images.

If you want to get in the action you just need to do a couple of things first.

1.Become a follower on our blog (up there to the right)
2. Post this drawing on your facebook, blog or twitter account (man alive, that is three entries in one and YES we will check ;) )
Total entries available = 4 entries

Drawing ends April 8 at 6:00 p.m. and the winners will be announced April 9.

Ready, set and go... we can't wait to see you from behind the lens.

delightful reunion

This past weekend I partook of a journey... a journey to California to spend the weekend with my bestest friends in the whole wide world:

Yup, that sums it up right there. ha

The weekend was filled with all sorts of frivolity and happiness. It included a LOT of baby loving. Basically, we just hovered over those little angels and all turned into really really crazy and smothering aunties... in all the right ways. 

 Logan just started eating peas... and he really really seems to enjoy them. Aunties Cat and Tiff fed him in the back of the car on our drive to Cal. Aunties got a little bit messy, but I would say it was a huge success.

 Blythe Rivers Hatton - wow. Is this girl beautiful or what?! Yes, this is now the background of my phone and I find myself staring at it all too often. 

 Look at that face?! Isn't he just so yummy! 

My little baby B just loved for me to help her fly in the air... we all believed it was because she felt so safe in my monstrous man hands. 

 I feel like I learned a lot this weekend - but the number one thing is that I absolutely positively LOVE being an Auntie!! I am gonna be honest, I think the other girls were a bit surprised at my ability to handle an infant. Let's just say I look good with a baby on my hip...

...did I say a baby. Oops, I meant two babies. twins in the future...? haha

A vacation with two babies was a very different sort of experience for us - however it was a delightful change. We spent a good amount of time fantasizing about our future family vacations that we will be taking once a year. Us five girls - husbands (future husbands) and babies (lots and lots of future babies) in tow - will be traveling all over the place and making all of our dreams come true. Whether it is a road trip to San Diego or a DISNEY CRUISE, we will rock the socks off of those vacations.

Here are just a few more little picture moments to help you see a little more into our weekend getaway...

we can't forget about jayshady09... our greatest photographer ever

ugh, I can't get over it - and I am sure you get the point:

I have the best. friends. ever. 

i need pants.

It's Saturday morning.
7:43 am.
Gage taps on my door
(that I always keep locked)
I roll off my bed to open it up
hey
hey gagey.
whats up
nothing. sleepin. im really tired.
ya, me too.
I'm all back curled into my bed within seconds of opening the door
I assume Gagey just wants to grab something
perhaps some of my socks
or maybe he left his shoes in here last night
there is a tug on my comforter
Gage is climbing into my bed
scooting under the covers
he is the big spoon now
arms wrapped around me
my sweet little cuddle bug

oh shoot.
I am instantly awkward.
I was so tired last night.
I threw on an XXL tall tee
no pants.
Gage is the big spoon.
I have no pants on.

Let's just say that'll be the last time that happens.
I can lock my door all I want.
But I'm not even safe in my own room with no pants.

gerbils.

Did I tell you I had two gerbils?
Well, I had one, and my sister Julie had the other.
Chewy was mine. Black Beauty was hers.
Chewy had to live in a fish tank.
Why?
Well, look at that name of his.
He chewed through everything.
Plastic tubes. Those running sphere thingys. Nothing could stop him.
One time he escaped - he was gone for 3 days.
I found him behind the freezer.
Chewy!! Your'e alive!
chomp.
He bit my hand so hard.
Blood...everywhere. Thanks lil' guy.
Then we got that fish tank.
No more breaking out of that sucker.
His "toys" were wooden blocks.
He probably ate one a week.
It was freaky.
Eventually he died.
Probably from wood overdose.

Black Beauty.
She was black - clearly.
Nothing too great about this lil rodent.
One day she was just chillin in the doll house.
Moments later she collapsed at the top of the stairs.
Later Black Beauty.
That was the end for her.

I'm glad I shared this with you.
Gerbils are freaky.

chaos.

I got to sleep in till 10 today (surprisingly this has been a rarity for me lately). 

The kids got home at around 2:40. 

Gagey has his final zoology project due tomorrow.

Poster time.

What are the differences between squirrels and chipmunks?

Well, I now know the answers to that question... but I will spare you the details. 

...

I think my name has been yelled throughout the house about 27 times this afternoon. 

By all four children.

So much screaming. 

Xbox game playing.

Fighting to get homework done. 

...

The two youngest recently learned some not so great phrases today.

One of them is "shut the fudge up". haha

Well, great.

That one is going to need to be nipped in the butt right away.

...

I am tired. 

My patience is running exceptionally thin with them today. 

I hate it when that happens. 

No worries though, I love my boys. 

...even if they are absolute chaos. 

...guess I should stop hiding and head back downstairs...

wish me luck

my valentine.

My Valentines Day this year was not showered with romantic affection by a significant other. However, my Valentines Day was still spent with some of the people I love the most - focusing mainly on this beautiful woman below:

Grandma Waddell. My 102 year old grandma! Yes, you heard me, this black haired beauty is one hundred and two years old and looks not a day over 82, right?!

Oh real quick, let me note the box of chocolates pictured above. Grandma loves chocolates. I promise you, she would eat that whole thing. Oh wait, too bad her grand daughter left the chocolates upside down and in the car so all of them were melted and stuck to the lid. I scooped one of with a spoon and fed it to her though.. don't you worry.

Anywho... a friend and I went to visit grandma at her nursing home to share a little valentines love with her. Let me just highlight a few moments from that day and really paint the scene for you.

We walk to her room to find it empty - head to the nurses station and ask where she is. Oh, she is probably in the cafeteria! They are having a little party in there! Fantastic. A Valentines Day party...I am so down. We walk in to the cafeteria to find a room filled with old people and some sort of old fashioned music blasting. I mean this may be a bad joke, but everyone looked dead. Nobody was talking, moving, nothing. I am appalled, why are they not partying at their big party?!

What do I see next...? If you guessed a wrinkly diva old lady with a red sequenced shirt on with a microphone in hand belting out those old jams singing passionately into the face of one of the fellow party goers then you are right! This is exactly what I saw. ...that explains why everyone was so quiet. There was a star performer roaming between tables belting out classic love ballad impersonations.

What a fantastic way to party...however we were lucky to arrive just as the party was ending. We then proceeded to take grandma for what she calls "a ride". A ride entails me pushing her around in her wheelchair throughout the hallways and then most likely heading out to the patio for a little chillin time. What was the best part of our ride, you ask?

Traffic jam in the hall. Some sort of medical cart situation to the left. A resident in their wheelchair to the front - using their feet to scoot through the hallway - entirely unattended - 4 feet ahead of us. Clearly we can't really say anything to a slow old person. But wait, a fellow old person can. Suddenly we hear grandma say beep beep!. Thank you grandma for using your sweet little voice car horn situation to settle that problem.

Lastly, I cannot finisih this posting without mentioning grandma's roommate. Who is she? Well, she is a 80 something old Mexican lady who does not speak a word of English. She also is not afraid to hit the nurse people that come to help her. Oops. Poor guy just wanted to help her go to the bathroom - but he has to get slapped and just withstand the slew of Mexican jarble that gets thrown at him from this old lady. bah!

Ah yes, it was a happy day. 

A happy happy valentines day for sure. 

messy.

My room is messy today. 

I do not want to clean it. 

I did laundry on Monday, and my clean clothes are still in the baskets. 

Actually, I am not even sure what is clean and what is dirty. 

Looks like I will just wash them all over again...

good idea right?

I'm ashamed of myself. 

ha okay not really at all. 

It happens to the best of us...

...right?

happy weekend homies. :)

i miss my babies.

So things are pretty aggressive with the snow out there in Massachusetts where my mom, sister, and my two little babies live. Honestly, I am not even worried about mom and Julie - I tell my mom nearly every day that she is lucky Julie lives there with her and not me because I would not scoop one teaspoon of snow out of that darn driveway. Nope. No way. I am not down for that. Call me high maintenance or a baby or a brat or whatever you like, but that just isn't my cup o' tea. (I will scrub baseboards with a toothbrush for 10 hours straight before I stand out in the winter wonderland and shovel snow at 6 am)

Anyways, my main concern is my two little princes..Nashy and Max. They got shaved right before they left so they were skinny little fur less boys with no winter coat to protect them. I am happy to hear that their fur is growing back and they are absolutely loving the snow out there! However, there is so much snow that my mom had to shovel a huge circular path in the back yard so they can go outside and to their business. She says she has carved out about 1/8 of a mile path that just loops around the yard and the boys go crazy out there because they are so obsessed with the snow!!

Ugh, I wish I was there to have an insane snowy photo shoot with my little boogers, but luckily I woke up this morning with two splendid picture messages from my mom...yes, they almost brought tears to my eyes...

 hahaha oh my gosh, they are just the cutest little guys living the dream!!

Nashy looks like he has a giant black beard... 

things I like...and don't like

I like when..

"my kids" are being good boys.
my worst boy, Garrett, all of a sudden becomes my best
my ipod is on shuffle and the spanish version of hero by Enrique comes on
I get to write something on my desk calendar
I cross something off of my todo list...even if its an extremely tedious thing that probably shouldn't have been on my list to begin with
Gage says "I love you" to me when I drop him off at Scouts
I get new shoes
the weather is like this...sort of

I don't like when...

I go to Chick Fil A and they are out of Chick Fil A sauce
when I realize I put my yogurtland in the fridge and not the freezer
my room is freezing cold in the morning
I drop my phone at least twice a day



Luckily...my list of don't likes is shorter than my list of likes...

stimulating conversation.

Somehow, it the 2 minutes it takes to drive from the elementary school to the house, Garrett, Gage and I engaged in quite an interesting conversation. It all started because they were asking what I would do if my boyfriend cheated on me. I said I would slap him...and they proceeded to discuss the best way to slap - and the best place to ... punch?

Garrett: Gage, if there was a guy robbing a bank and he was re loading his gun, where would you hit him?

Gage: uhhh... hmm... I would probably just get my nerf gun and shove it up his butt. 

Garrett: What? No, Gage, where would you hit him?

Gage: I would just shove my nerf gun up his butt.

Garrett: Man, people always say they would hit them in the balls or something, but you gotta go for the throat. Hit em in the throat and they won't be able to breath...

Thank you boys - always - for entertaining me in moments like this with your infinite wisdom regarding such important topics...

word of the day.

In my most recent reading, I have learned something new about this word. The ability to believe is something that is implanted in the hearts of all individuals. And it is planted there by divine decree. To believe in something is more than just thinking it in your mind. To truly believe involves possessing the belief in your mind, your heart, and in your actions. Essentially, "beliefs are born of thoughts; they are then expressed in words; and, finally, they are manifest before mankind in works".

What a refreshing new insight on this word that is so commonly used. It doesn't matter if someone says they believe in something - what matters is the reality. If one truly believes, then such beliefs will be manifest in their actions.

There are so many things to believe in... what do you believe in?

the pogo stick incident.

It's the middle of the afternoon and naturally, I am taking a nap in my bed. 

The door bell rings. 

Brody comes in my room. 

Gage fell off the pogo stick. He is hurt.

I find myself slightly worried or something for my little Gagey -

 a relatively foreign emotion for me.

I make my way down the street of the neighborhood...

slightly ashamed because I am in pajamas with wet hair.

everyone in Gilbert is always so glam...

except for me. oops. 

I find Gage laying on the side walk clutching his arm.

A pool of tears below his sad little cheeks.

Gage, what happened buddy?

He glances back to his friends, Someone...tell her what happened. 

No Gagey, you tell me what happened. 

I fell off the pogo stick and hit my arm really bad.

Okay buddy, lets see. Come on, get up and lets go home.

I cant.

Did you break your legs?

No.

Okay, then you can walk...

Okay...

So, now we walk back to the house. His elbow is scratched from the sidewalk and it is a little bit red.

However, he is clutching it as if it is about to fall off...you never know - it just may.

Okay Gagey, go and sit in my bed and lets put some ice on it. 

I walk to the kitchen and grab a bag of frozen fruit. 

I come back in my room, he is curled up in my bed under the covers watching football highlights on my ipod.

Oh, hmmm...you look real comfy there Gage..

Okay buddy, lets put this under your arm. 

He weakly lifts his little arm as I place the frozen fruit under it.

Maybe ten minutes goes by...

.......

Gage says Okay, I think this is good. 

Yes yes of course. Let me get that for you bud.

Umm, can you put this on it for me?

Out of nowhere, Gage hands me an enormous ace bandage. 

Oh yes absolutely bud, good idea..this will help keep the swelling down.

I wrap that tiny little arm of his in the enormous ace bandage. 

30 minutes goes by...

........

Well, my arm feels better already. I dont even think I need this anymore.

I take the ace bandage off.

...good as new little guy. good. as. new.

alumni.

Well, I can officially say that I am now an ASU Alum! And, of course I have a story to go along with this long awaited college graduation. 


Most responsible young adults like to go to bed early, make sure they get all the rest they need and really be prepared to attend their graduation ceremony. Despite the fact that my graduation ceremony was at 8:30 in the morning and I am the absolutely worst morning person in America, I did not go to bed early. Instead, I stayed up watching Harry Potter till 3:00 am, then decided I needed to shower so I could have clean pretty hair in the morning. Then, the next thing you know, I am waking up at 7:15 when I need to leave my house no later than 7:30 to be at Wells Fargo arena on time. 


So, what does this mean? Well, it means I brush my teeth, throw on clothes, and throw my still wet hair into a sloppy side bun. I arrive at the parking lot, hustling to the arena all by my lonesome in the freezing cold Arizona morning. My hair is still wet and I come to notice that I am literally the only girl in my entire graduation ceremony that has their hair up. oopsies!!


However, despite my inevitable tardiness, the graduation ceremony was a huge success. And by success I mean I didn't trip and fall on my face in from of everyone! And I was so happy to have my mom, sister, and Grandma Grace fly out all the way from Massachusetts to support me...also we hit up US Egg after the ceremony for some breakfast :)

just enjoying the post graduation moments.

us waddell ladies...

grandma grace and sara grace :)

general excitement

and my overall attitude regarding ASU in general...haha

And finally, I cannot mention my graduation without noting my incredible graduation party. My mom and my "other moms" and family members all put together the best graduation party I could have asked for! It was so cute and "classy" and just the best turn out! Delicious food that all sorts of people contributed too, and of course some yummy treats that my lovely Jenny Holmes contributed. 

such lovely lighting to set the mood...

lets just say that Shelley Walsh really knows how to host a party :)

thanks to the homies for coming out to party..ha

a Waddell party is never complete without the appearance of Grandma Waddell

I would like to say that little Logan Breinholt had the most fun of all...

Even my old roommate from the dorms came to party with me! 

Bests forever...

Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this entire college experience and I am just so happy to be done...now it is time for the real world....