I love...

  ...warm clothes straight from the dryer. I was switching out my laundry last night and as I was taking out my warm, good smelling (TIDE) laundry, it made me so happy. And strange enough, folding laundry has ALWAYS been my favorite chore.

 ...box cereal. Now don’t get me wrong, I was raised on bagged cereal but a good box of Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams or Corn Chex can really do the trick. My brothers can eat a box of cereal in one sitting so bags were always cheaper and more practical but living on my own has opened up a new world to cereal.  At school, I would sometimes eat it for lunch and/or dinner.

...getting in my car and seeing a full tank of gas. I am not sure what it is, but I start to get a little anxious or nervous when that little line starts to creep below the half-way mark.

 ...to sweat. I know that sounds so odd but it is such a release for me and I look forward to my workouts every day. It is an obsession that I don’t like to admit to having because it makes me sound like I need to fill my time with other things, but there is NOTHING like a good run or spinning workout.

 ...to organize my money. It isn’t that I am anal about my bills because I am not a tight wad, especially when it comes to shopping, but I love to separate my money into subcategories and I take a sense of satisfaction in hitting the submit button when paying a bill. Staying on top of my bills is crucial in my life. I sound so dumb as I type this.

 ...the feeling of starting and finishing a book. It is just so much fun to open up a book and read the first chapter and know I am about to meet new people and get involved in a whole new life and story. And then to finish it and feel like you have accomplished something. Closing the book after completing it is like walking out of a store where you just bought that new jacket you have been waiting 6 weeks to go on sale. Well…maybe not exactly, but pretty close.  I love bookstores and browsing the aisles.  I could spend hours in Barnes and Noble.

 ...when my nephews get so excited to see me and Jack says “ekka ekka”. I went and helped my Mom babysit them the other night and they are just so cute. I went to go pick them up from their friends house just down the street, and when they both saw me walking towards the house, they started to run and if anyone has seen them run it is so entertaining. Kaden does this funny thing where he ducks his head and uses his right arm as a little motor to keep him going and it is to die for. Jack takes very small steps and sticks out his little rear end and tummy and it just makes me so happy. I love it. Makes life seem so perfect.

  ...holding hands.  I just love the feel of slipping my hand through his and knowing this is exactly where I belong at this moment. Sounds like a ridiculous poem but it's true.

...the smell of summer: chlorine, sunscreen, pdf chapstick, even the 5 towels that my mom had to keep constantly clean which reeked pool smell . In order to keep us 5 kids busy during the summers, she put us on a Mesa Parks and Rec swim team when we could barely keep our heads above water, but we all survived. She would just drop us off at like 7:30am in the morning and since we were all in different age groups, she wouldn’t have to pick us up until 10:30am and then sometimes we would stay for the public swim. Basically the coaches and lifeguards all knew who those dang Parker kids were since it seemed like we never left the pool. Then we had our swim meets every week and this went on for years. I lifeguarded and taught lessons for 3 summers so the smell of chlorine is a strange comfort for me. I love when I run by Brimhall on my morning runs because I can smell the pool. I can spot it a mile away. Strange I know.

 ...looking through recipe books and trying to decide which would be the most fun to make or what sounds the most delicious. I can’t wait until I get married so I can plan meals and menus every week. Very excited about this.

 ...that my brother comes home in 4 months: July 23rd. We are all very excited. He always threatened to move to Alaska after he got home from his mission so we shall see if he follows through. Doubt it! I think he missed us too much to just leave again. (Maybe) It will just be good to have all of us together before Dallin leaves on his mission.

And I love man who is snoring so loudly at the table next to me that I can hardly concentrate on studying and reading about Articulatory-Phonological Development and Disorders in Children which makes me realize suddenly how much I love taking naps.

 

And I love those that take the time to read through this as I am trying to keep myself from packing up my stuff and going home...I have forgotten how boring studying can be.