three a.m. ramblings

shippen family pictures july 2012

hi friends!

i have recently had a few new followers so here's a shout out to them! 

i thought it would be fun to share some random 

(new) or maybe not so new facts about me.

- i am a hard core planner. i don't like to not plan things. it drives me crazy. i have things in my phone, to-do lists, and my planner is my bff. 

-i never update my i pod. pure laziness probably.

-i could eat chips and salsa every day. all day.

-green is my color of choice

-i love to clean and organize

-for all of you personality color peeps out there, i'm a blue.

-i danced on my college dance team for two years

-i prefer the mountains over the beach.

-twix is my favorite candy bar. i also love sour patch kids. oh, and hot tamales.

I have this really bad thing called me being weird about not posting in order and so then I put off posting because it takes so much time when you get behind, so therefore I just don't post at all. So today I decided to be brave and not post in order. I miss just posting spontaneously. I have been thinking a lot about 'blogs' and 'blogging' lately. Isn't it so funny how we go in phases where we obsess over the newest blog on the block, over old favorites, & our daily reads? When on other days we could care less about logging into blogger and a few weeks pass by and then someones blog sparks our curiosity so we start to read theirs and a million others again? I have thought recently to myself "I wonder how many hours I have spent blogging, reading blogs or creating blogs over the past year?" Really if you think about it makes me sick. The reason I got thinking about this topic is because for two months I deactivated my facebook account. When I got back from NYC I decided I was going to prioritize my time differently. Not that facebook ran my life or anything but I was on it several times a day and would check it on my phone constantly. I put myself up for the challenge to last at least a month. I can't even tell you how easy it was, surprisingly enough. In turn my whole 'internet usage time' went down a billion. I rarely logged in and looked at blogs, blogged myself or even cared to say the least. (possibly because i became obsessed with instagram) I really only got online to check my email and bank accounts. I found myself doing things that I used to do such as working out, reading, being outside, spending extra time with family and friends, It sounds silly but I felt like I was a lot more optimistic. I did cave and re activate it recently. Long story short, I did learn a lot from this little challenge to myself. Priorities are so incredibly important. When we do place those things of high importance in our life's whether it be school, family, religion, friends, hobbies it truly can embrace our happiness. I also felt like I got so much done being away from the lovely Internet world. Sometimes I think we (I) get carried away with having to take pictures so I can post them that I have learned to just focus on being where I am for that time being and not worrying about documenting it. As much as I have a huge passion for photography sometimes its nice just to have a break and to not worry about it.

I hope this doesn't come off in a way that I don't like social media, because believe me I do. I am a journal addict and this has been my perfect way to include a more broad journal with pictures included, so I can document my life. I just wanted to share what i learned form taking a little break, and how it has changed my usage of it. 

On another note I've been at my apartment for just about a month now and am loving it.I kind of still feel like I'm on vacation, it's a little weird. I do love having the confirmation that I made the right decision. I don't believe there is a better feeling.

I have been amazed at the love of God. With all of the fires going on here in Utah, and seeing how amazing the Lord has been to bless us with rain in the dead dry heat of the summer. We are blessed so incredibly much.

I love my friends. I am overwhelmed sometimes with how lucky I am to have such a diverse and unique group of friends. They are all so wonderful. 

I layed out on the 4th of July and got fried. Pictures to come, you just wait. I look like a lobster.

I taught my dad how to use Pandora. I love that he's obsessed with it now. His stations include 50's love songs, Country, & Elvis.

Cait bought me shoes as an early birthday present. I can't wait to find the perfect outfit to wear with them.

My family is the best. They are hilarious. I just love all of them so much. The family was all together for the first time in a few years over the 4th and it was wonderful. It's perfect when we're all together and feels complete. 

It's my birthday month. Need I say more? Oh, but I am going on a little road trippy with the friends. I can't wait. 

now, time for bed.

the end.