Staycation & Recent Happenings

WARNING! 

Picture overload

Today I told Jayden that the day felt like a staycation. The reason being, we got to spend the whole day together and we did fun things that we usually don't do! First we slept in together and then watched Pawn Stars. Then we met up for lunch with Jaydens parents at Macaroni Grill. Then we went to the Hill Air Force Base Museum, which was so cool! I have a fascination with planes, and every time we pass it, I mention how I want to go there. After the museum we had to pick Jaydens car up from the Nissan dealer and tried to complete a drive cycle so we can get it inspected. To complete a drive cycle you have to drive it around for a certain amount of time and going different speeds. We drove around in the canyon for about two hours. It was really pretty and I had my camera with me so I took some photos. Then we headed down to Gateway, where we went to dinner at Thaifoon, which is an asian restaurant. We have been wanting to try it and it was really yummy and didn't cost that much. I LOVE days off and when I get to spend the whole day with Jayden.

Other recent things:

•  About a month ago we went to the Auto show which was a lot of fun. ( I just uploaded the photos so I forgot to post about it)
• Valentines Day weekend, Jayden surprised me with a couples massage
• Jayden started a new job and loves it!
• We managed to finish all 40+ episodes of pawn stars in a couple weeks
• We are going on a cruise next month
• Jaydens car is drivable again ( after 2 months of being out of comission!)
• My mom and I saw a film at the Sundance film festival up at Sundance

Pretty rose Jayden gave to me when I was sick on valentines day

At the Auto show

Jayden's girl in a brand new truck.

Up at Sundance

Before our valentines day couples massage

Eating at Thaifoon

Valentines Day

I woke up this morning with the chills, an achy body, a stuffy nose, and a fever. I felt like CRAP. I took a warm bath and could hardly make it back to bed. Jayden came home from class and gave me some medicine which has helped me quite a bit. I have been on the couch the whole morning and can't stay up for very long before I get too dizzy. I was supposed to work today, but that is out of the question, and I don't have classes so I am getting comfy with netflix today. Jayden came home for lunch and made sure that I ate my chicken noodle soup. I am so grateful for him and that he takes care of me when I am sick. He is the best.

I am glad we celebrated Valentines Day over the weekend so I don't have to miss out today. On friday afternoon, Jayden surprised me with a couples massage. I have always wanted to get a professional massage, and it was so relaxing. Friday night, we went out to dinner and to the Jazz game with my family. Saturday I had to work, but we picked up groceries and made dinner together. It was a great weekend.

Richard Avedon

Richard Avedon is one of my favorite photographers. I have always been fascinated by his ability to capture the human form. In my studio photography class we watched a documentary on his work and I was blown away.

Staying Warm

Today I have yet to go outside. I am grateful for a warm apartment to stay inside of all day. I avoid the cold at all costs. Today I bought a backpack online! I have these hugs purses I always bring to school and my shoulder hurts pretty bad by the end of the day. I decided it was time to get a backpack. Being at school for 10 hours straight, I need to bring a lot of gear ( and food). Let me know what you think of the backpack I ordered:

Image via Dakine

PS. I ordered it from zappos, which I love because they always have free shipping! Sometimes they will even send it overnight for free. I also ordered my wedding shoes from here.

Before Jayden and I got married I had another personal blog, I don't use that blog anymore, but I came across this post from last year:

I just finished reading an incredible book, Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. The book is about women across the world and the harsh realities of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender based violence, and maternal mortality. After you read this book you will not look at the world the same way. I am grateful for my freedom and the country that I live in. We do not realize how lucky we are to have the freedom that we do. Many people across the world are not free. We have so much and we have so much to be grateful for. I want to share a couple of statistics from this book to give a glimpse of what I am taking about:

• 39,000 baby girls die annually in China because parents don't give them the same medical attention that boys receive- and that is just in the first year of life
• In the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 5,000 women and girls have been doused in kerosene and set alight by family members or in laws - or worse seared with acid
• It appears that more girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century.
• More women die in childbirth in a few days than terrorism kills people in a year
• 2.7 billion people (40% of the worlds population) lives on less than $2 dollars a day

One of the most heart wrenching stories was the story of a girl from Cambodia named Meena. She was eight or nine when she was kidnapped and trafficked into sex slavery. On a typical day they forced her to have ten or more customers a day, seven days a week. If she fell asleep or complained, she was beaten. In the brothel that Meena was enslaved in, they did not use condoms. This is common for a lot of brothels, leaving these young girls pregnant and with AIDS.

The reason why I am telling you this is because this is happening right now. There are women all over the world that live in slavery, poverty, discriminated, and are uneducated. I believe that education of women is key to taking steps to overcoming these problems. In Half the Sky it says, " One study after another has shown that educating girls is one of the most effective ways to fight poverty. Schooling is also often a precondition for girls and women to stand up against injustice, and for women to be integrated into the economy. Until women are numerate and literate, it is difficult for them to start businesses or contribute meaningfully to their national economies." We as women need to take a stand for women across the world. One of my favorite quotes by Marianne Williamson says,

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?"

Be the difference

Happenings

Things that have been happening lately in our life:

• Jayden applied for the Masters program here at the U
• I survived the month of January (my least favorite month)
• Jayden and I are taking a watercolor painting class together
• We celebrated our 6 month anniversary by going to Market Street Grill
• I am slowly getting over my fear of portrait photography ( see below)

Doesn't he look so handsome?!

I am so glad that January is over. January to me is so boring and cold. Everyone is kind of in a funk and I get the winter blues. Now that January is over, it will get warmer from here on. 

PS. Does anyone read our blog anymore? If you do, I would love to follow yours!