HEY HEY!!

Well, as it turns out, I have decided to start blogging again. I don't know how long this time around will last, but hopefully longer than my last one. BUT I have changed my blog to pageandjoeyrice.blogspot.com. So if you would like to check it out, go on ahead!! Thanks!!

A few thoughts..

1. Laughing until you cry... is always ok.

2. Diet Coke from the fountain is always better.

3. Pray, even when you are PISSED, it makes everything turn out better.

4. Chocolate.. Milk or Dark? Doesn't matter. Just eat it!

5. Watching seasons of tv shows on DVD can be dangerous.

6. Cut back on your text messaging. Talk to the people you are with.

7. Spend time with little kids. They keep you young.

8. Never have shopper's remorse. Just enjoy what you buy!

9. If you bring a laptop to class, you'll spend more time on facebook than taking notes.

10. I still love the smell of Aqua Di Gio.

11. What the heck does "in due time" mean?

12. Blistex is better than all chapsticks.

13. Recycle. It's really not that hard.

14. Turn off the air conditioner, and ROLL DOWN the windows.

15. "That's what she said" is always appropriate.

16. Read your scriptures everyday. Even if it's just a verse.

17. Gobstoppers are INCREDIBLE!

18. Daydreams are funny. Just enjoy them!

19. Costco. Target. Old Navy. Nordstrom Rack. Walmart. ALL cheap. ALL great.

20. Admit when you are wrong. It astonishes most people.

21. Feed the urge to travel.

22. Ellen Degeneres may be one of the funniest people on the planet.

23. Making up the words to a song, is WAY cool.

24. Don't be scared to say hi to someone. Most likely, you won't regret it.

25. Carrying cash can be detrimental. You give it away faster than you think.

26. Listen more often. You would be surprised how much you hear.

As of late..

Ok ok, I know. I am already the world's worst blogger. It's been way too long since I last blogged, but here I am. Let's see what we can do. So in the past month...

It was my 23rd birthday!! That's right, one year older, and wiser too! I had a fantastic day! I took work off and just did whatever I wanted to all day. I went to breakfast at Ruth's Diner with Haley and Rachel, then we went shopping, then I went and got Diet Cokes with Emily, then I helped clean the house, and I went to dinner with my family, to celebrate Mason's, my Dad's, and my birthday. We went to Buca Di Peppo for dinner, and I must say, the water fountain there is a Stoker/Holbrook favorite...

Look closely at this picture. It looks like Mason is grabbing something he shouldn't... haha!!

Here's the birthday bunch! Mason and I both were born on March 12th, and my dad's birthday is on the 16th. March is a great month, isn't it?

We had a little get together at our house that night, which was so much fun! My roommates/friends are the best!! We had scones, and a bunch of people came over, and it was a blast! It was really strange, because I woke up that morning, really feeling one year older. But hopefully it will be a great year! Bring it on!!

Next.... we went to Las Vegas and California for Spring Break! It was a much needed vacation, and coming home was the probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. In Vegas, we went to almost every single hotel, drove the entire strip, layed out at the pool, went to Yogurtland 4 times (yep, that's right, hands down, BEST fro-yo shop on the planet!!), went shopping, and basically just did whatever we wanted. In Cali, we went to a different beach everyday, ate a ton of food, had a bonfire, had the fire alarm at our hotel go off at 3 in the morning, played games, rented tandem bikes, shopped, played volleyball, and just had a grand ol' time. I'm an idiot and didn't take very many pictures, so sorry, but here are a few things....

Yes, of course we did temporary tattoos. We were in Vegas, baby!! We had to try and fit in and be way trashy/way cool. Sorry, this picture is kind of crappy.

We met Whoopi!!! Sort of... She was at the Venetian in Las Vegas, and we couldn't resist getting a picture.

NEXT...
It was Emily's birthday, so we had a nice little get together in honor of the day of her birth. We had cake and ice cream, and just hung out at the Texas St. house.

Look how cute she is..

It's da birtday girl!! Her mom made a delicious yellow cake, and we also had brownies and ice cream too! YUM!

Emily, me, and Chelsie at the b-day party!

It was a way fun night, and thanks to everyone that came!

That is basically all that I have been up to. Life is good, life is grand. I have 2 weeks left of school, and then, boom baby, I am a college graduate. I CANNOT WAIT!! Wish me luck, and I hopefully I'll check back in before another month has gone by! Much love!!

Gratitude.

I just wanted to take a quick minute and acknowledge how very blessed I am. It's been on my mind a lot lately and I'd regret it if I didn't mention it. I'm enrolled in a class right now where you have to focus on things you're thankful for, and notice the simple things in life, and I have been very aware this semester of the many blessings in my life. I have a great life. Filled with incredible people. And I've had some awesome experiences. Not to say that nothing ever goes wrong in my life, and I don't have trials or struggles, but having said that, I'm also very grateful for those experiences as well. And of course there are things I want, and things I need, but more importantly, there are so many things that I'm lucky to have and things that I am fortunate enough to experience. So take a minute and reflect on your life, and hopefully you'll realize how very lucky we all are, and how enriched our lives are. Thanks to the all people in my life, particularly my roommates and my mom, who do so much for me. LOVE YOU ALL!!

ZOO DAY!!

I don't know if you noticed, but Saturday was an absolutely gorgeous day! The sun was shining, it was warm out, and it was a perfect day to take a trip to the zoo. My sister got a season pass, so we decided to take advantage of the beautiful day and get up there and visit the animals.

We took my nephews, Caleb and Mason, and it's always fun going places with little kids. They get so excited and make it so much fun!

Ryan, my bro in law, was pretty psyched too!

The penguins are my #1 favorite animal at the zoo. They were so cute and I could have watched them all day. Except for the two in the background. Something weird was going on there.

Giraffes are my #2 favorite animal. I think they are so unique and interesting, even though they smell really, really bad. We all have our moments, right?

Like I said before, it was really sunny and bright outside and Caleb said his eyes were hurting him. So Ryan handed over his sunglasses. I thought it was adorable, so I told Caleb to strike a "cool" pose. I think he nailed it. Such a thug.

I tried to be as "cool" too, but he was tough competition. Love you Cabe man!

Seeing the animals was great and all, but it was mostly fun just to hang out with the fam. My mom and sister are so great, and it's always fun to be with them. LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!!

I hate what you do to me...

This time of year is dangerous for several reasons. But mainly for this reason... CADBURY EGGS!! These things are a godsend, and they put a HUGE smile on my face. I made the mistake of buying the "big bag" of them and they are always calling my name. I guess you could say I'm gaining a little holiday weight.. some Easter holiday weight. Thank you to the people of Cadbury for making such a divine treat. You will forever be in my heart!

MEET WINTER!!

Winter is the little bundle of joy that I get to hang out three times a week! I've been working for the Rothwell's for about 2 months now and they are the nicest people ever. They live up in Park City and it has been interesting driving up there, especially during snow storms. But Winnie is so fun and has such a sweet personality, and she's a blast to be around. She's now 15 months old, and is walking, sorta talking, and is curious about everything.

We love going on walks, or hikes, and often times she just passes out. The majority of the time she is sucking on her thumb and/or twirling her hair. She likes to run her fingers through my hair too, and it's usually kind of gross. But it's ok, she's such a cutie!

One of my favorite things about Winnie is that she loves to laugh. She also loves her yogurt covered raisins and Goldfish, just like I do. And she kind of looks like a duck in this picture, which sort of makes me laugh. Love you Winnie!!