Welcome to my BBQ, where we pig out and dream anew.

Would you look at that? I only posted on the first day of the month and now the second to last day of the month. I guess I should probably tell you about all the days in between and how September has been my favorite month so far of 2011.

Remember how I can be a sensationalist? How I tend to exaggerate my love for things? Like my host family in Mexico? Welp, I certainly haven't changed one bit since then and probably won't ever. Deal with it!

Since I last posted, I have recently moved back to Provo. Can I just tell you a few little stories? Okay, good.  So this summer, while in Mexico, I bought a Southwest roundtrip plane ticket from Dallas to SLC for Sept 8-Sept 26 for less than $200 because they were having such a great anniversary sale. And I knew I wanted to be in Utah for a wedding, the Dirty Dash Mexico Reunion, and job hunting (because I eventually wanted to move here) during that time frame. But I also knew I wanted to spend some time at home to be with my main family peeps since I haven't been at home for longer than Christmas break for the past 4 years. I also knew I didn't want to drive my car back alone to Utah and my parents have busy lives, so we didn't think they would be able to drive back with me until sometime in October. Does this seem too complicated? It kinda was.

Then an epiphany hit! Why not use that flight credit to fly a BFFL out and save my parents the trouble?! So that's just what I did. It was the most perfect solution and I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier. But who has the time to do such a thing? Who graduated with me and doesn't have a job or school to miss? Oh, EASY! KATHRYN LEE FREAKING DERRICK.

Okay, phew. So that catches us all up to my life in my last post. I was just hanging out and loving life in Texas until Katie came to visit and drive back with me to Provo. That happened and it was fantastic. I drove the whole way because 1) I felt bad making a pregnant lady sit behind the wheel with that cute little belly so close to danger and 2) I wanted to feel accomplished after doing so because it was my first trip across the country without mi padres driving for me. We listened to The Help on audiobook and got through half of it! I still need to read the rest before I see the movie, and I am determined to do so. We ate at a Whataburger on our way out of Texas (because you haven't experienced Texas fast food without it!), had many pit stops/bathroom breaks, and received no traffic/speeding tickets! Please check FB for more pictures, because this post is already getting too long without them. 

Can you even tell she's preggo? Um, nope! Cutest pregnant girl ever!

I am absolutely, completely, incandescently, and perfectly happy with my life right now. I'm in love with every bit of it. Remember this little girl? She loves her hair, her haircuts, her dads and moms, pajamas, her whole house, and she can do anything good. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And guess what? I feel exactly the same.

I love my hair and my haircuts and my best friend Savannah and my hairdresser Shannon (her mother).

Savannah and I before I moved back to Provo. How can I not love my hair (or her hair for that matter!)? Silky perfection right thurr!

I love my dads and my moms. A LOT. Today my mom had her routine cancer check up (every 6 months or so) and I received this text from her right after the appointment:

Clean scans! Yahoo! :) 

Tell me that's not the best text you've ever seen. It certainly added cheer to my day! And my dad is also cancer free, not that he ever had it, but these days that's quite a statement to be happy about.

I can do anything good! Better than anyone! YEAH, YEAH, YEAH! I got a job! And not just any job, but my dream job! I think it's pretty safe to say that if you love what you do, then you're living your dreams. Verdad? And I really, REALLY, really love my job. I'm a personal assistant for a really cool guy and his company called Monalisa.com. You can watch some pretty cool videos about him and the company here. Part of the day I work for him at the office, and the other part of the day I go to his fun artsy home to help watch his baby. I started on Monday and I can honestly say this has been the best first week of work in my life. So far, I've done some cool stuff on the computer, ran some errands to Walmart, Costco, and Best Buy, set up 4 monitors and a printer, and became best friends with the cutest 21 month old on this planet. BUT REALLY. I am in love with this job, this family, that baby, my schedule, EVERYTHING.  Um hello, since when have I not loved doing anything on Google or spending time with perfect angel babies? Uh, never.

I love my whole house! I just moved into a new apartment last week. Can I just tell you how perfectly everything falls into place when you have faith? Amanda moved into her apartment last month and I fell in love with the place when I saw it. I knew I needed a spot in the complex as soon as I got a job. Then I saw an opening with free September rent and only half rent for October, just up the stairs from her place!   I didn't have a job yet, but I knew I probably wouldn't find a deal that great again. And I had faith I could find something before November's full rent was due. BUT THEN I GOT MY DREAM JOB THAT DAY RIGHT AFTER I SIGNED THE CONTRACT. That's in all caps because I am seriously so blessed and I need to proclaim it to the world.

I love my pajamas and all of my stuff and all of my clothes that are currently in totes/piles in my new room because I just haven't found the motivation to unpack all the way. It will happen very soon, I promise. Don't you even worry, Mom! Hopefully I can bribe Katie into helping me while she sits on my bed in her pregnant condition,  commanding me where to put everything. Cross your fingers for that option, por favor.

Picture is unavailable because my room is too messy. Later, I promise.

I just got invited to be on a BYU intramural women's soccer team today and I'm so excited! I didn't think I'd be able to join a team at this part of the season, but everything is just working out so well lately so how could this not happen? My fifth intramural season since being in Provo starts tonight at 7:15 PM! Now I have to pay a little bit more money since I'm not a student, but this hobby is worth the money. And now that I'm a working girl, I think I can manage that. I'm a working girl! I love saying that! Also, I hate the words "woman/women" so I refuse to call myself that until I'm at least 45. 

But soccer in America will never beat soccer with these cool cats in Mexico.

bomb.com team right here.

I love my new ward and my new bishop. I get to meet in a real life meetinghouse instead of some random building on BYU campus, and it's amazing. And there are cookies in Relief Society every Sunday!

I love my social life and all of the people it includes. I have some really awesome people in my life right now, and I can't help but smile when I think of them. You know who you are. And if you don't think you're on that list, send me a text and let's go get some froyo so I can add you to it. Easy peasy.

That about sums it all up, peeps. Last year at this time, I was at a pretty low point. I hid it well most of the time, but a lot of the time was hard. If you told me a year ago how happy I'd be a year later, I'd tell you you're straight up crazy. But I like crazy. And I like this.

Happy Thursday to you! And watch General Conference this weekend because some really awesome people have some really awesome words of wisdom to share with all of us! I can't wait!

Come back in October when I'll think about posting more regularly. Highly doubtful, now that I'm a working girl.

Post title references the song called "Barbeque" by ALO. Look it up. It's great. I love referencing songs for post titles. Get used to it. 


POST EDIT: EVEN BETTER NEWS TO SHARE! 
Turns out I play on Char's intramural team. She was one of my coaches at BYU soccer camp years ago, she played for BYU 2002-2005, and she's like one of the best soccer players I've ever played with. It's seriously like a dream come true to be on a team with her because I see her every season and I've always wondered how anyone can get so lucky. If I only got to play that one game with her, I'd call it a day because it was an honor! Such a fun and amazing game! So, basically this team kicks A and we won 5-0. Not all thanks to Char, but many MANY thanks to her and our captain Savannah who also dominates the field like no one's business. 


I had dinner with a lovely girl I like to call Carly Out-of-line Hyatt at El Gallo Giro tonight. It was magical and scrumptious. Truly something to write home about. Mostly because she's like the nicest girl I know and she lets me eat all the chips and salsa I want. Love love love you CadHyatt!


And Blue Bell ice cream is coming to Utah, so how can you even beat that? If you want to take me to that new parlor to enjoy such a treat, I'm sure I wouldn't be opposed. Ice cream is my favorite food dontchaknow.