Better late than never...

Sorry Kat, this picture was too good NOT to post.

Not pictured: Christmas eve/Christmas day.

 As you can tell, this year has been an epic fail at documenting holidays (that last word was unnecessary), so I guess that's another thing to add to the resolutions list for 2014! If it goes anything like my past resolutions have, you can expect a buttload of pictures for the first week of January. And by week, I mean the first three days... if we're lucky. But guys, I really am going to start working out more this year..... 

This holiday season was a success for us! We got to go to River Woods, Thanksgiving Point, and Temple Square to see the lights (that's all I wanted to do last year). And since we weren't brand spankin' new newlyweds this year, it just felt more like Christmas (and looked more like Christmas since we were able to put a few more presents under the tree this year). We also got to enjoy juggling two families. It felt like we had one party after the next, but we ain't complainin'! Especially after winning $9 in quarters at the Gourley game night, almost all of which have been spent at Swig. 

I think the highlight of my Christmas this year was going to visit my grandma and grandpa Sanderson. Seeing their faces light up when we walked into their house just really made me remember what Christmas is all about. If there is one resolution I want to keep for 2014, it's going to visit them regularly. There is definitely a special feeling in their home. They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met.

Anyway, before I get too sentimental here, I'll just end with saying how blessed we are to have such amazing family and friends that make this time of year the best! Here's to many more Christmas seasons!

PS! Let it be known: I have remembered to wear a bra every day since December 20, 2013! Glad I could get that off my chest... (see what I did there?!) 

That awkward moment...

...when you've been sitting at work for an hour before you realize you're not wearing a bra.

Yep. That happened today.

SO EMBARRASSING.

Now, I know what you're thinking: HOW? How could you not remember to put a bra on?! Trust me, I'm asking myself the same question. I do have some theories though... Maybe I'm still suffering from finals week brain? Or maybe I was just so focused on actually doing my hair today (sorry, topknot... I'm sure you'll make an appearance tomorrow...and the next day...and the day after that). Or maybe, just maybe, it's because I was more worried about shoving candy cane kisses in my pockets for breakfast? I don't know.

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that today also happened to be the day I decided to wear a white shirt? Or that today was the first day in weeks that I was assigned to be up at reception at work? Which meant no hiding behind a desk for this braless girl. Nope. Just constant walking students to the testing room. I'm sure they thought covering my chesticles with their test was normal, right? And I'm sure my coworkers thought I was just trying to be really reverent walking down the halls with my arms folded like the little sunbeams* I teach.

Thankfully, I had a lunch break to go home and cover the ladies up! Man, I never thought I'd see the day where I'd actually be excited to put a bra on. I came back from lunch a whole new (more shapely) woman!

Needless to say, bras are going in the gratitude journal tonight.



*That was a lie. My sunbeams are little crazy humans. But I love them. Most of the time.

I'm educated....feel bad for me!

Guys, I'm happy to report that I made it through finals week. 

...barely.

This week got ugly. 

Like, haven't-showered-or-slept-and-I've-already-consumed-180 oz-of Dr. Pepper-and-holy-crap-it's-only-Tuesday! type of ugly.

There's also a permanent indent of my bum on the kitchen chair currently surrounded by an embarrassing amount of wrappers from the candy cane kisses consumed during my seven hour retreat there yesterday.

But I guess I can't complain too much... after all, it was my fault for procrastinating. Chris was even nice enough to say, "We have such different studying styles, babe. I would have studied the week before finals" instead of just calling me out for waiting until the last minute. (But guess what, babe? You're not human!)

But hey, at least now I can finally say that I'm done! And I can do the important things I've been meaning to get around to all semester... like starting Vampire Diaries and working out  painting my toenails.

Happy finals week to the rest of you who put the "pro" in procrastination out there! 

Oh, hey aunt Flo!

....all men stop reading NOW. Or don't unless you like hearing about lady parts? Actually, just keep reading. I don't mention any lady part words that make you cringe.

I should have known a storm was a'brewin' down in my lady parts...

This week has consisted of me pounding down food. Seriously, pounding. And then asking Chris every night "Umm.. can we go get food??" And holy #*%# I need some chocolate!

Poor Chris...

Who also had to deal with two huge vent sessions from me today: 

"I don't care if breastfeeding is "natural!" It makes everyone uncomfortable when you whip out your boob in public! I don't mind if you cover up and feed in public, but oh my gosh, no one needs to see your breasts in public! I fee like those women are just trying to make a point! Don't you agree with me, babe? Don't you?!!" (this may seem like a random topic, but we talked about breastfeeding in my women's health issues class--I promise I don't just randomly start debates about boobs...most of the time) 

"Ugh, I am so sick of everyone on Facebook complaining about Elf-on-the-Shelf! If you don't like it, just don't do it! Don't make other people feel bad for doing it!!  -By the way, I don't even have an Elf-on-the-Shelf. 

And then I finally went to the bathroom and  all of my days of starving, crying, and wanting to just punch people in the face this past week made more sense... Um, hi aunt Flo! How nice to see you!...NOT. 

I guess having ovaries isn't completely bad... Now I can justify sobbing at this video my friend, Kara, posted while simultaneously shoving two handfuls of candy cane kisses in my mouth.

...the point of this all is that there really is no point. I have a 10 page paper due tomorrow and Chris is gone playing basketball while I sit here and watch the Kardashians. Braless.

Thanksgiving Break Recap

I feel like our Thanksgiving break was jam-packed with fun this year! So, naturally, you'd think I have tons of fun pictures to post on the blog, right? Spoiler alert: I don't. For some reason, picture-taking Shayli decided to take a break herself, or maybe she just couldn't discipline herself to wait an extra second longer to take a picture of all the delicious food in front of her before eating it? Anyway, here's a recap of our weekend! Minus lots of pictures.

Thanksgiving dinner. This year was our year to eat with my family (my family + all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins on my mom's side), which means that I got to see how hard my mom goes on Thanksgiving! Also, if you've ever been to an event thrown by my mom's side of the family, you know that there is going to be freaking delicious food. And a lot of it. Food and family... two of my favorite things! Could I ask for more?

Black Friday Shopping. I'm almost kind of embarrassed to let blog world know that Chris and I bought a TV on Thanksgiving. Especially since my last post was on gratitude...ha! But in my defense, I wasn't really planning on buying a TV--let alone a 55 incher! I also didn't think Chris had it in him to spend that much money on a TV ;) But when Chris texted me about getting a 55" TV from Best Buy, I wasn't about to say no! My favorite part was watching the guys from Best Buy squeeze the monster-sized TV into our little Sentra. Chris says it fit like a glove, so it was obviously meant to be our TV. Chris was giddy the whole drive home. Behold:

Pure joy...

The Fault in Our Stars. OH.MY. I could not put this book down over the break! I'm pretty sure I would have finished it in two days if we didn't have so much family stuff going on this weekend. I was so sure I was just going to cry through the whole thing, but I actually ended up laughing more than crying! Which is weird, since I cry at everything. Anyway! If you haven't read this book, just read it. Humor, drama, and a love story--this book has everything.

Frozen. My grandma Walker paid for everyone to go to the movies! So, not only was Frozen a free movie, but it was a good one! I loved it. I was so worried Chris wasn't going to like it because it had so much music, but even he liked it! I'm still singing the songs...

Putting up Christmas decorations. First, you should know that my mother has ingrained in my mind that Christmas decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving. Not a day before, not on Thanksgiving, only the day after. So when I didn't get my Christmas decor up, I felt like a little piece of my mom that lives inside of me died. Oh, the shame! But when I finally did get my Christmas up I was so happy! Even though we don't have a whole lot to put up, it's still fun to just sit in our living room with our Christmas tree lit up. Plus, it doesn't hurt that we bought two bags of Candy Cane Kisses to go in our treat bowl, which is half empty now (not half full...there is no such thing as optimism when there is a decrease in Candy Cane Kisses). The Christmas decorations got me so excited, that I actually attempted to take a  "Look! I put Christmas up, and me and my husband are cute"  picture that turned into an epic fail. You can see why it didn't make the Instagram cut...

Bless our hearts...

Salad and scones. Let it be known: my mother-in-law makes THE best scones. It's become a Gourley tradition to have salads and scones. Some people might think that's a weird combination, but I think it makes perfect sense. You eat a butt-load of scones, and then you eat salad to feel better about yourself after consuming your body weight in scones. Amirite or amirite?! 

I'm so glad we got to start and finish our holiday weekend with family and delicious food! I love this time of year because I get to see how blessed I am with such amazing family and an amazing husband (especially when he agrees to ride to Swig with me!). The break made me even more excited for the upcoming holiday and all the time we'll be spending with our families. 

Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving!

gratitude.

The other day in my Mind/Body/Spirit class we talked about gratitude.

Now I know what you're thinking, "Great, here comes another thankful list for November. Scroll down..." Stop scrolling! Come back! This post isn't going to be a huge list of things I'm grateful for! Promise. But if it was, would you really just keep scrolling? Why don't you like meeeeee!?

Anyway...gratitude! My teacher talked about how being grateful improves our health. She told us about an experiment that found that people who thought about what they were grateful for had boosts in their immune system, and those who actually voiced their gratitude had 2x more of a boost in their immune system. How cray cray is that?! I loved that we got to learn about the physical benefits that come from gratitude rather than just the spiritual benefits, ya know?

That lecture also made me realize how much I suffer from an ungrateful heart. I suffer from what I like to call the comparesies. I am constantly comparing myself to others, whether it be on social media, at school, church, or good heck, even with random strangers at the grocery store! I compare, feel bad for myself, start wanting things I can't/don't have, and then just get irritated or sad when I don't get them. I see now how not being grateful literally effects my health! Even if I do get something, it's not long before I find something else to want. It's a vicious cycle. I've realized that comparesies also makes me constantly look towards the future, instead of  just enjoying the present moment and being happy with all of the things I'm blessed with every single day.

So for this holiday season, I want to make it a goal to keep a gratitude journal and just write down some things that I'm grateful for every day. Don't worry, I won't bore you with my list on here, which I'm sure will consist mostly of food and other things like eyebrows. And hopefully this will help me narrow down my Christmas list for Chris ;) But really, I know I need to be more  grateful for what I have, and what better time to start than this week with Thanksgiving coming up?! I know, I know... so cliche. But it's a start, right?!

Also, I know I said I wasn't going to make a list of things I'm grateful for, but I never said I wouldn't say ONE thing I'm grateful for. Loophole! So I'd just like to say that I'm grateful for Swig in Provo. Oh Swig, what would I do without your Dirty Diet Dr. Pepper's?! Actually, I do know. I'd fall asleep easier, be on time to class, and save money, but that's besides the point. You can't put a price on happiness, especially the happiness that comes from a DDD and a sugar cookie.  It's the little things ;)

Here's to being more grateful and boosting immune systems this holiday season!

Date Nights!

I don't know about the rest of you married folk, but Chris and I have found that our "date nights" have turned into sitting on the couch playing on our phones and taking a break to periodically look up at the show we're supposed to be watching. Romantic, right?! Wrong! Which is why we decided that for our family night activity tonight we were going to sit and jot down fun date night ideas together.

Now I know there are a lot of lists on Pinterest for date night ideas, but have you read some of them? Some of the ideas just make me cringe and get awkward tingles. One list suggested "Have a rapping contest together," or "draw each other with your eyes closed." Yeah, umm hi! Who really does that?

Anyway, Chris and I decided to put our heads together and list things that WE would actually want to do. I'm so excited! So without further adieu, here is our list of date nights!

-Go ice skating and get hot chocolate

-Go to the Living Planet Aquarium

-Temple night + dinner

-Su Casa (it's a Mexican restaurant in Salt Lake that Chris LOVES) + a Jazz game

-Laser tag at Trafalga

-Build a fort and watch a Redbox

-Water Gardens movie + Sonic hot chocolate (Sonic keeps telling me to go try one of their 6 premium hot chocolates)

-Go see the lights at Temple Square

-Riverwoods Christmas lights + Caramel Apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

-Sledding

-Go to a BYU Basketball game

-Applebee’s bingo night and 1/2 priced appetizers

-Movie + Massages

-Game night! Cards or Strip...yahtzee? Err something...

-Build Gingerbread Houses

-Thanksgiving Point for Ice Cream and Turkey lookin’

-Bake something together and drop it off at a friend's house (be nice to us!)

-Decorate mugs together with Sharpies

-Video game night (Chris is way too excited about this one)

-Babysit for someone (again, be nice to us! hehe)

-Find a deal on Groupon and do something

-Food Crawl (drinks (most likely Dirty Diet Dr. Peppers from Swig), entrée, and dessert from all different places)-I'm so excited for this one!

-Bowling

-Nickel City 

-Write down New Year’s Resolutions together

-Plan our 5 year anniversary vacation

-Go shooting

-Window shop at Home Depot (this is nothing new for us)

-Go GeoCashing! Because I've never done it.

By the way, we are aware of the fact that most of our dates consist of getting some type of food. The couple that weighs together stays together?

They say the first year is the hardest...

Chris and I celebrated one year of marriage this past weekend! Our anniversary was on Saturday, but we both took Friday off from work and decided to make a weekend of it. We started our anniversary off with some Cheesecake Factory and holy shiz... it was SO GOOD. Like, make-Chris-order-drinks-appetizers-AND-dessert good (that just goes to show how much Chris loves me... he hates spending money). After waddling out of Cheesecake Factory, we drove up to Park City to stay in a hotel that Chris got a deal on off of KSL. To say that Chris was disappointed with the hotel when we got there would be an understatement haha. As soon as we walked into the hotel, Chris looked at me with a frowny face and started making whiny puppy noises. Apparently pictures on the internet are really deceiving... bless Chris' heart. But we still had fun! We shopped at the outlets, enjoyed the hot tub with a bunch of pregnant mamas and their little kids, and had a late DTR (Del Taco Run). The next day we came home so we could watch the BYU game--the price you pay being married to a Gourley ;) Chris made it up to me by taking me to see Gravity, which ended up being a pretty good show. All in all, our one year anniversary was a success! 

It's crazy that it has already been a year... where did the time go? It seemed like just yesterday we were walking out of the temple into a complete blizzard! But at the same, it feels like we have been sleeping in the same bed for years. They say the first year is the hardest, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's hard, just... different? Adjusting to having someone next to you in the bed, juggling two families, taking on a new role as husband/wife, and finally getting the courage to poo and fart in front of your loved one--different! Not hard. Well, I guess one hard part is the dumb fights you have that you would never have dreamed of fighting over when you were dating. Truth: Me and Chris fought over syrup once. Freaking syrup! s y r u p haha. So embarrassing. We're slowly getting better at choosing our battles, though. Slowly. Even though marriage has been quite an adjustment, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Marriage has brought on so many occasions where I sit and ask myself, "How in the world did we get married?! We are so different!" It's really easy for me to focus on how we shouldn't work, instead of thinking about why we do work. If someone were to ask me why me and Chris "work" I'd reply with something like this: Because we both would rather be in sweatpants. And we love onions and cilantro--the more the better. And we tell each other when we look cute. And we love the snooze button. And 90% of our conversations are in our weird nasally voices. And we don't feel bad for swindling Cafe Rio by ordering a tostada with a soft shell and making it a cheaper salad. And he doesn't get mad when I steal his shirts and socks. And we wait for each other to watch important shows like The Walking Dead and Pawn Stars. And despite how much he hates pictures, he still takes them with me. And I bring him smarties from the grocery store. And we don't say anything when one of us is reaching for the treats after a long hard day of "eating good." And he let's me pluck his eyebrows because he knows it makes me happy. And I scratch his back even when I'm about to fall asleep. And because we just really like spending time together.

I'm not really sure how to end a post like this, so I'll just end it with another picture of me and Chris that my sister Shelby took for us (thanks, Shelbs!) because I love them so much.

Here's to many more November 9ths! 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

 I almost titled this post as "Life according to my phone," but then I decided not to because that would imply that I take pictures for my blog with something other than my phone. Also, it might imply that I take pictures with an iphone... which is also inaccurate.

 Anyway, onwards! I feel like I have been such a lousy, self-proclaimed lover of fall this year. I haven't gotten out and admired the leaves and I haven't even drank some hot cocoa for crying out loud! But this past weekend I felt better about getting my fall fix. I got to go to Hee Haws with my mom's side of the family (Chris was out deer hunting), carve pumpkins, and have a Halloween party with my Gourley side of the family :) So here's another picture dump because what else am I good for?

^^ my after-church attire.... cute, right? Also, does anyone really enjoy carving pumpkins?! I don't think so. We all know it's just  for the pictures ;) 

^^ easiest costume ever. All you need is a buttload of bronzer, white paint, eyeliner, headband and twigs :)

Happy Fall Ya'll! 

Let the holiday food comas begin...

Throwback Thursday

We took these pictures at Thanksgiving Point's Rose Festival on June 21, 2012--the day that I fell in love with Chris and didn't even know it (exactly one week later, we said "I love you" but that's a different story for a different day). I remember looking at the picture of us and being a little bummed out--two (non-intentional...I think?) photo-bombers, my purse put in one of the most awkward places I could have put it, and the fact that I still hadn't mastered the "skinny arm pose."

But looking at it now, I can see how giddy and infatuated we were with each other (still are! no past tense over here!). I remember walking around the gardens hand-in-hand and kissing whenever we got the chance. Yeah, we were one of those couples. Sorry not sorry. But in all seriousness, I remember just having this overwhelmingly peaceful feeling that whole night. It just felt...right. 

That night ended up being one of our most romantic/memorable dates ever, and what I consider to be one of the most important dates we ever went on. You see, me and Chris had decided to "take a break" that week  and agreed to not call or text each other while I figured out my situation with "my missionary" (we barely made it over a day before we caved. ha!). I'm so so grateful that night happened, because I honestly don't know if we would have ended up together without it. Plus, how can a girl say no to walking around a garden with thousands of roses AND watching Tangled outside in front of a waterfall?! ;)

....is anybody still here reading? This turned out a little more sentimental than I intended it to be, but that's what happens when you're waiting for lives on Candy Crush and you venture deep into the archives of your phone pictures...

inside my head on a Wednesday morning run.

Where should I run today?

I'm sick of going right, I'll go left this time to spice things up.

I should have went right.

Freak it's cold!

Good thing I wore a long sleeve shirt today.

Okay, I'm not going to look at my watch this time.

Timing doesn't matter.

I've only been running for five minutes?! 

I hate running.

Oh no, here comes another runner.

Should I say hi, smile, or nod?

I'll do all three.

Rude. She didn't even smile back.

She might be rude, but wow she had nice legs.

I need to run a lot more to get legs like that.

Or just eat better...

Meh, I'll just run more.

Why am I so picky about my legs? At least I have the ability to run.

You're right, Lady Gaga, I am beautiful in my own way!

Ugh, I should have worn a tank top.

Man, Utah is beautiful. I hate when people from Utah say that they hate Utah--just leave then!

WATCH OUT FOR THAT DOG POO!

Who let's their dog poo on the sidewalk, anyway? Smh.

Are there any cars coming? I need to pick my wedgie. 

....no wonder no one wants to run with me.

Please let this stop light be red, I need a rest.

(green light) Dang it. This must be a sign that I'm not allowed to stop.

You're right Biebs, never say never!

I wonder what people would say about my running playlist.

I'm so tired.

One more road until you're home Shay.

I did it!

I love running.

It's amazing when you get to see what your body is capable of.

534 calories burned!

Bagel and cream cheese? Don't mind if I do!

Lately...

• I've been considering dying my hair back to dark brown again, then Chris chimes in and reminds me how much he loves my hair right now, and then I contemplate going even lighter. 
• Chris has been taking naps on our living room floor and I'm not invited.
• I've had z e r o motivation when it comes to school (what happened to this Shayli?!).
• My back has been aching. Is this normal for a 22 year-old?? 
• Chris and I have been watching Friday Night Lights. Two words--TIM.RIGGINS. Holy goodness. And yes, I am well aware of the fact that we're 8 years behind on the hype of this show.
• I think about having babies. A lot.
• All I want to do is drive around the Alpine Loop and admire the beautiful fall weather Utah has to offer for this limited time.
• Chris has been studying for the GRE at night, while I do productive things like eat ice cream and watch Netflix.
• "Pregnancy brain" has gotten a hold of me, which is weird since I'm not even close to pregnant, but somehow I still manage to forget my keys, forget to turn on the crockpot after I put 5 lbs of chicken in it, and blame Chris for any items I claim to be "missing." 
• Chris and I learned the hard way that there's a reason that no one talks about the burgers at Rumbi's Island Grill. Na-sty. 
• I've been obsessing over my new leggins from Agnes+Dora! Seriously, life-changing (thanks, Ali and Carlee!). Plus, can someone teach me how to take a selfie from bird's eye view without making my legs look like tree trunks?! I seem to be lacking in the art.
• Chris has been going hunting on the weekends while I turn into the neediest wife ever.
• I've admitted to myself that I have a social media problem. So much time is wasted on my phone. But that's the first step, right? Admitting you have a problem? Baby steps...

• I've been writing lame blog posts... I apologize for the bullet point post. Kinda.

I just wanted BOO!

Yesterday, something happened that I don't think has happened once since I've been married-or anytime in my life for that matter-I was actually ready for the day + did a craft (by myself!) + made dinner. I've done all those things, but not all at the same time. Heel click! The fact that I was triple threat-ing it yesterday made me think that I should always act like my classes are cancelled, or maybe convince Chris that I should just be a stay-at-home wife. You know, like a stay-at-home mom? But without the being a mom part.

Since I was busy not going to class, I decided to go to Hobby Lobby and get supplies for a craft that I saw on Pinterest. This craft was perfect me because it required almost little to no crafting abilities. Behold:

                                                                                          

via

Apparently there are a lot of people who think like me and like easy crafts because when I got to the wooden letter aisle at Hobby Lobby, there were no B's or O's to be found! I even lowered my standards and considered getting the curly wood letters that I hate, but nope! No B's or O's there, either. Thanks a lot, Pinterest! After triple-checking the aisle, I just started to walk aimlessly around Hobby Lobby, because let's be honest, who goes in there and leaves with nothing?! Finally, I decided to just make another burlap wreath since that's the only other craft I'm capable of making, but then a stroke of genius hit me--Why not put "BOO" on my wreath?! Another heel click, please! 

Halloween Wreath How-To:

1. Have your aunt Joelle teach you how to make a burlap wreath months in advance.

2. Skip class, and go to Hobby Lobby with no intentions of making a wreath.

3. Lower your crafting standards and decide to make a wreath, even though you already have one.

4. Watch Breaking Bad while assembling wreath.

5. Go to your mom's house to use her hot glue gun, because you don't have one + she made chocolate cake!

6. Hang up your new wreath and be sure to remember to post it on Instagram for validation.

A Friday worth celebrating.

Does this picture make you believe I am one of those crazy runners that runs in the rain or snow? Well, surprise! I'm not. And despite my attempts at trying to be one this morning, after running two miles I just accepted the fact that I'm not one of those runners. Because holy balls! It's cold outside! Ain't nobody got time for rain and hail! 

Even if Utah's weather did cut my run short today, it hasn't ruined my Friday. Now I have the perfect excuse to not wash my hair (again) and shove it under a beanie for the second day in a row + hide my failed attempts of new year's resolutions under a big, fat sweater (Chris is a lucky guy, isn't he?). Cold, rainy weather also gives me the right to put any productivity I had planned aside and just bake and snuggle up in a big, comfy blanket and watch Netflix until I have to go to work. It's a rough life, in case you haven't noticed.

This Friday also happens to be Mama Gourley's birthday! It's her 29th birthday in case you were wondering ;) I'm so lucky to get to call her my mother-in-law! Mama G makes THE best pico de gallo + the dirtiest diet Dr. Pepper this side of Utah county has ever seen. Not only does she fatten me up with delicious foods, but she also goes out of her way to make sure that I'm happy and that Chris is still treating me right ;) She is one of the most caring people I know, and she deserves the happiest of happy birthdays. So Martha (this is me assuming that you actually read my blog?), HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We love you!

My favorite thing about this gloomy looking Friday is that it's almost conference! Which means you might see me in a beanie for at least two more days.... just kidding! But not really. Seriously though, I can't wait to listen to conference this weekend! The older I get, the more I truly look forward to conference. You just feel so happy after you watch it, ya know?

Anyway, I have some un-productiveness I need to get to now... Happy Friday, folks!

#lionsdontcarewhatlambsthink

The other day, my friend, Jenessa posted a picture of her "real" life on Instagram (click here to read about it) and put the hashtag, "lionsdontcarewhatlambsthink." I loved everything about her post. It was so refreshing to see, since this is something I've been thinking about a lot lately--how we all portray our lives on social media, and how sad it is that we have to explain what is our "real life" and what is not. 

Oh, and since you asked for a picture of my real life, here it is. Seriously though, the first thing I do when I come home is change into sweatpants, grab my bag of chips, and turn on Netflix until Chris comes home--a little embarrassing, no? Anyway, back to me attempting to write about relevant things on my blog...

It's SO easy to feel inadequate after looking at any kind of social media. Patty Pinterest made another table out of  pine cones?! Freddy Facebook is in Hawaii again? How does Suzie Instagram afford to go out with her husband every night?!  It's not uncommon for me to feel a little sad after getting off of my phone. Yet, I still continue to look at it almost every minute of every day. Why?! I'm still trying to figure that one out.

So, how do you stop being sad and feeling inadequate after looking at social media? Demand that everyone post "real" things? Un-follow everyone that seems to have a better life than you? Suck it up and just remember that you chose to follow those people? Of course not! Besides, you wouldn't want to risk losing any followers... ;)

Sometimes, I think it's hard to remember that it's natural to just post about the "good" things going on in our lives--we're excited about them! And we want others to be excited with us. I don't think anyone really posts a picture and thinks, "Who can I make feel inadequate with this post today?" We just naturally like to share the great things going on in our lives, and keep the not-so-great things to ourselves. So then we fall into this routine of posting only great things and give the illusion that our lives are perfect.

Now I'm not saying you shouldn't post those happy, beautiful, or glamorous moments that happen in your life, because girlfriend, if you are having a good hair day and want to post a selfie, post away! Just remember that those "not-so-great " moments that you think no one cares about (like the tears you shed the day before when you weren't having a good hair day), there's a good chance that someone else out there cares about it. There's a reason people are looking at your blog, Instagram, or Facebook--they want to know what's going on in your life! All different aspects of your life. Well, maybe not ALL aspects of your life... no one needs to see that you're texting your spouse to bring you more toilet paper, but you get the point.

I think another half of this problem (for me at least) is not being grateful enough for what I have. I am so focused on what others have or what they are doing that I forget the blessings I receive daily in my life. Silliness! How can I be jealous that Suzie Instagram's husband surprised her with flowers when my husband brought me home a gallon of peanut butter cup chocolate ice cream the week before? It's easy (almost too easy) to lose sight of all the daily blessings we're given, and even easier to compare our blessings with someone else's.

I feel like I'm getting a little preachy here, and I apologize, because I know I'm guilty for more than half the things I've mentioned, but I'm working on it. So feel free to join me and do the same, but if not, that's okay too--chances are I'm still gonna double tap my screen and like whatever you post.

But before I go, I would just like to ask you one question: How refreshing would it be to live in a world where selfies were posted with captions like, "It took me 1.5 hours to get ready before I took this picture," or "I had to use 3 DVD cases and a candle to hold up my phone so I could take this picture in my room by myself" or even "It took 13 tries to take this selfie"... ? A girl can dream, I guess. But anyway, I'm going to get back to keepin' it real with my Chris, and continue to watch football... on seperate couches.. on our Saturday night.

Happy "real" Saturday! Peace + Blessings

TWENTY TWOsday! (see what I did there?)

Yesterday, I turned 22.

[insert Taylor Swift's "22" here]

As you can see, I definitely got spoiled yesterday. And no, I didn't just make my bed so I could neatly place my birthday presents on it and take a picture for my blog, ya silly.

Chris asked me yesterday if I liked my birthday better as a single person or a married person. My answer: definitely as a married person (are you even surprised by my answer?). You just have such high expectations for your birthday when you're single, ya know? But now, going to Texas Roadhouse, Yogurtland, watching a documentary on Netflix about gangs, and falling asleep before 9:30 is all I'd ever ask for on my birthday!

I think one of the  highlight's of turning 22 was when Chris took me to Texas Roadhouse and was thwarted by our waitress when she asked him if he'd like grilled onions on top of his steak, and failed to mention that it costs $2.99 extra. What's even better was that this wasn't a first occurrence for Chris at Texas Roadhouse. Not only did this reaffirm Chris that he likes Outback more, but that he'd also be the greatest waiter on earth and tell customers that it costs extra to add onions to your steak.

 Seriously though, I loved every minute of my birthday. Including all the calls, texts, and Facebook posts wishing me a happy birthday from my friends and family--I am beyond blessed! I think that's one of my favorite parts about having a birthday, you realize how blessed you are to have so many people that care about you. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a husband that is willing to get up early and cook you pancakes ;)

I am so happy with my life right now, and can't wait to see what a whole year of being 22 brings me.

a post about the Holy War... but not really.

There are very few things a Chris Gourley asks of his wife, those things include, but are not limited to: willingness to scratch his back, sleeping with NO lights on(exceptions have been known to be made during seasons of The Walking Dead, though) and watching football.

Last night, we (and everyone else in Utah county) went to the BYU vs. Utah game. I could give you the illusion that I am one of those cool girls that LOVES football by telling you that BYU needs a new offensive coordinator, and that the last play of the game should have been called as a PI, but I won't. Although, for Chris' sake, I wish I was one of those girls. Bless Chris' heart for being patient enough to answer my questions after every single play, only after I would point out something the cheerleaders had just done.

Even though the Cougs suffered a tough loss, I still left the stadium feeling like a winner. Why? Because me and Chris walked away with a free burger and shake from Carl's Jr., and 2 for 1 coupons to Sundance's scenic lift rides--gotta love tailgating!

This post was intended to go in a little deeper about my love/hate relationship with the Holy war, but for now, I'll just focus on the love aspect of it. Love the free stuff we won, the giddiness of Chris that comes from being at a football game, the people watching that I got to experience (both BYU and Utah fans), and the fact that I don't have to worry about Cougs losing to Utes for another 3 years.

The One Where They're Up All Night

My fellow Friends watchers, is it or is it not true that you can relate almost anything in your life to an episode of Friends? If you answered anything besides true, it's more than likely that you haven't watched Friends enough (and that you didn't cry when Rachel "got off the plane"), but anyway, you know the episode where Phoebe's fire alarm goes off and there's absolutely nothing she can do to get it to stop beeping? That was exactly what happened to me and Chris last night.

                                

Chris woke up to a loud, chirping noise only to discover that it was our fire alarms going off. I was asleep until I heard him moving our TV stand so he could stand on it to disable the alarm. The only problem was that even after he took it off, it still kept making that loud chirping noise. Luckily, Chris kept his cool and didn't start smashing it with his shoe, unlike Phoebe. Then all of our other alarms started going off! I could hear Chris mumbling under his breath, and moving objects out in our hall, but I didn't question his methods because at that point, it was 5:53 in the morning, and I had planned to wake up at 6:23 (I woke up at  7:18 and forgot to brush my teeth...oops).

I'm still not exactly sure what Chris did to make the alarms stop. Maybe he wrapped it up in Monica Gellar's blanket and tried to throw it down in the trash shoot and then had a fireman return it to him? I don't know. But whatever he did, it involved our office chair in the middle of our hall, and our ottoman at the bottom of the stairs, blocking our coat closet.

Thanks, Chris.