a little bit of california //

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jeff + i went on a much needed visit to california this last week after he finished finals. when i say much needed...TRUST ME. ha. april was stressful + april was the month where i thought OH MY GOSH WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY LIFE?!?! like, 3,453 times. in fact, i would like to not be held responsible for anything that i did or said or ate during the month of april. THANK YOU!

but california. back to it. i feel like every time we come, the pictures are the same ol' same ol'. picture of flame broiler : check! picture of t-street : check! picture of me in a dorky hat : CHECK!

we mostly just maxed + relaxed in the true stapleton form (take-out food, game night + a movie) BUT some other highlights included : hiking valido // dirty mexican food // walks on the beach // lunch with kenna k. // blockhead ice cream in LA // korean bbq with my family // koa's blessing! // the park with my daddy-o // DISNEYLAND! // dole whip float // ...the tram ride home. disney takes it out of you! // timmy's pirate birthday party!

oh. and the bruce jenner interview. CAN WE TALK ABOUT IT? i love bruce. i really do. i feel like bruce has been going through SO MUCH pain/confusion/shame etc. etc. etc. + who am i to judge?! you do you, brucer! also he is so sweet and probably went through so much suffering and you know what? who cares. who cares! it will all be figured out later + let's just all be nice, right? ...but also AMBITIOUS DRESS CHOICE BRUCER. AMBITIOUS. that's all.

p.s. PRAY FOR MY PHONE. it is so broken. SO SO broken. mostly i just want all my disney pictures back. there is a REAL risqué splash mountain picture on there that needs to be saved for posterity. ;)

Yurt-ing || WINCHESTER, ID

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For no real reason, we went glamping/yurt-ing(?) in the teensy town of Winchester, Idaho 

on Tuesday. Random fact : my great-grandma was born + raised here + met my great grandpa at a dance near the lake! History! Family! Ancestry.com! 

Anyways, the yurt was right near a frozen lake + all the trees were covered in snow. Not to be corny, but it looked so magical! We made a steak dinner followed by a record-breaking amount of s'mores then tucked away for the night to be serenaded by the sweet, sweet sounds of Seinfeld. Ha. As you can see, this has been the theme of our winter break : sugar, sleep, Seinfeld. Ain't complaining!

Now, look! So pretty, right? :

THE END.

ELK CREEK FALLS || Idaho

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Just a whole bunch of pictures.

I woke Jeff up this morning to continue my Tour de Idaho. Well, my brief attempt at one.

We headed to small town Elk River to hike Elk Creek Falls + get some fresh air. Or something.

This is me telling our volunteer photographer to get more waterfall + less me.

And this is Jeff smiling through my bossiness.

Someone get this guy a steak.

Brooke in Nature in XL Puffer Vest is the name of this work of art.

Discuss.

Jeff is pregnant with gloves, keys, and cell phones + I am a celebrity

who was not ready for paparazzi.

Tell me you see it? 

IDAHO! 

Sometimes I like you.

Also you are welcome for the high-quality pictures. 

P.S. Christmas is near.

WAHOO! 

A recap of May because it is JUNE(!!!!)

Today I walked out the door for my Sunday stroll with Jeff and he looked bemused. I did a little twist and twirl for him because I thought it was heading that direction and he just kept blinking on.

"Whaaaaaaat," I begged.

"You just look so..."

Twist, twirl, flutter of the eyelids.

"Butch."

Apparently long shorts, black flip flops, and a baseball tee aren't the most feminine look. Noted and noted. Ha.

On our walk we recapped May and decided that it was equal parts hectic and happy. I was living in Utah for half of it and was mostly homeless. I mooched off friends and lived in their apartments for a few days (I'm the worst roommate. I am totally out of the 'compartmentalized fridge' game -- I see almond butter, I eat all the almond butter. Oops.) while shooting weddings and feeling totally exhausted/totally thankful for having the world's best friends. I'm just going to throw it out there that every one needs a Morgan Randall. She let me bunk with her for a week straight and fed me and didn't even complain that I ate all her bananas...every time she bought bananas. One day I was locked out of my car and texted her early in the morning asking for a ride to which she responded immediately, "Sure! Coming!" without even asking why. Oh, bless her heart fifteen times over and promise I'm done being gushy.

I missed Jeff like crazy and became a much better Skype-date because of it (I just stare at myself...the whole time). But it was also so fun. It was like every time we saw each other and I was back in California, we had to get all of our fun out. We hiked and biked and Disney'd and played at the beach and lounged...all in a week's time. Now I'm off to Utah for more weddings and more mooching (just kidding about that last part).

Here's our May in pictures :

from left to right :
UT -->> CA : I came a week after Jeff did and enjoyed my Diet Coke + Audible filled drive.
REUNITED! 
This trail is right by Jeff's house and I love it. It's so beautiful!
With my best babe Nikki after a little Tropical Diet Coke + shopping trip. She thought my 'candid laughing' selfie was a bit much.
Disneyland! We went with Jeff's family from Michigan and had so much fun. 
A little trip to the Newport Beach Temple where we got married!
...ewww, gross.
Beach'n it at Table Rock. 
A bit of my Whole30. I massively failed this round (ha, having no kitchen was a struggle!) but loved my first round in March. I felt amazing.
Jeffrey thinking thoughts.
A wedding! I loved this couple + their big day. 
We spent Memorial Day at the beach like the rest of California.
A sunset after a bridal session. Heavenly.
Disney'ing round two. This was on Radiator Springs. The line was an hour and a half long and we actually had no idea what we were in line for the whole time. Ha.
Beach'n it part III with Jeff's brother Kevin and friend Don. I was so impeding on 'bro time.'
At the Bee's baseball game with Morgan. Free hot dogs, y'all!

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Happy June!

i'm sorry, but more michigan.

whew-wee. 

we are back to the great state of utah, where diet dr. pepper is abundant + the air smells like tanning beds. also, yes. i used that joke on my instagram. sue me! it's been quite the day of travels and i even got patted down by a tsa agent because my chesticles came up as high danger. she used the back of her hand + laughed when i said that she had to 'wine and dine' me first...also i used that joke on my instagram, too. i'm running out of material here people!

but promise! promise! promise! i am mostly, completely done with the michigan posts. promise. it's just i feel that it is such an under-appreciated place. it's the zac of the united states of america. and yes, i am making a bachelorette reference because i am finally catching up and no! zac went home! lip quivering. how is drew lasting this long? is anyone getting feminine vibes?
...hashtag : team brooks.

onwards! i just want to remember my time in michigan, okay? the midwest gets such a bad-wrap. just like zac! i mean, c'mon dez. he may have looked a bit leprechaun-esque in the first few episodes but he really came around...

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wee little moments : the cutest baby child, kaylin. kallin? kay - lynn. 

mackinac beach + heidi, stephen, and baby timmy.

mackinac island! pronounced macinaaaaw. 

baby timmy meeting (great!) grandma king. give me a bebe.

mmm...mean muggin'.

king + stapleton boys.

horse bum.

awww! ferry rides and bebes. my heart.

marlee + kaylynn? kallin? kaylin! 

struggling, struggling. always struggling. 

riding tandem around this pretty island with my jeffy boo. it may sound romantic but holy !!! tandem bikes scare the jeebers out of me. 

about how everyone felt after an 8 mile bike ride on a fairly empty stomach. hanger is real, man. also : smiley kevin! he just came back from his mission and is single and super nice and yes, i'm pimping him out. leave your number in the comments, please and thanks. 

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happy monday, friends!

more michigan! and casinos, too.

a disclaimer : vacation posts are tha worst. i am so very aware. just a whole lot of scrolling. but indulge me? i'm trying to launch a social media campaign on my very lonesome for michigan in the summer. just kidding, slightly. but dudes, it is something of a dream! a dream, i tell you!

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now, on to today : today we went on to the actual rez. am i allowed to say that? i don't know entirely so i am assuming...yes? question mark? onwards! the rez!

the casino + resort were so. dang. nice. no stray dogs or anything! like, mouth to the floor. i think they had three golf courses which seems kind of excessive but who is stopping them? also the resort had all these cute shops and restaurants and a spacious bathroom with comfy toilet seats where i spent most all of my time because cherries, duh.

their 'mascot' ... guys i think i am breeching a lot of politically correct rules here, but shoot! i'm lost! ... or spirit animal? tribe animal? theeeeere we go : let's stick with tribe animal! anyways, it's the turtle. slow and steady is winning this race, baby.

cherries! everywhere! and yes, cherries + the runs do, in fact, go hand-in-hand ;)

a little ma-and-pa store where they sold the most delicious cherry pie to date. also i am not entirely sure if it is a ma-and-pa store, all i know is that a girl working their called one of her coworkers mom? so...maybe? ma-and-pa it is!

now how'd i get talking about cherries! back to the casino!
but first:

that is literally a kid in a candy store. you see what i did there? heh? heh? 

they kicked me out of the picture because i'm white. it's whatever. just kidding ;). i volunteered to play family photographer which is more than fortunate because, let's face it, i have a strong affinity to dress like a butch in humidity. 

also what is jeff doing with that leg pop thing? bless that boy and his sweet little face.

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oh hey, about michigan.

so, michigan.

when jeff stapleton told me michigan was where he felt most in his jeff stapleton element i most certainly passed the comment off completely. partially because people should always be ignored when they talk in first person and mostly because he says the exact same thing about all-you-can eat sushi bars, southern california, and...well, i'll leave out the last place that jeff stapleton feels the most jeff stapleton. heh, heh...;) i mean, what is even in michigan anyways? besides lakes. and cars. and lakes.

suffice it to say, i was a little skeptical about michigan.

but right as we pulled in after driving through the night from chicago, i could feel it. though jeff stapleton was fast asleep in the back of the van (smacking his lips, mind you), he was here. he was fully + completely my jeff stapleton.

so here's what is in michigan:

+ cherries. lots of 'em. my poor digestive system.
+ lakes! i was right about that. but. you. guys. lake michigan is something of a dream. it goes all the way to wisconsin, you know? it's like, a bajillion miles and it has a tide and whitecaps and how is it even a lake at all?
+ sand dunes so hot they'll burn your feet straight off.
+ treeeeeees! man, i am making michigan sound so boring. but this place is green with rolling hills full of trees and other some such greenery.
+ ...bugs. you win some, you lose some.
+ ...and humidity. but hey, my hair looks good and my skin is happy.
+ the sweetest family-in-law? or something like that? jeff's cousin's 3-year-old daughter came up to me while swimming and grabbed my tata's and asked, "what are these? are these apart of your swimsuit?" so, yeah. you could say i'm her role model.
+ joe's friendly tavern where i ate...no, inhaled, a burger. i haven't had a burger in so long! i was ravenous. also, i started my monthly lady jam so... red meat all around!
+ and more cherries! chocolate covered cherries, cherry juice, cherry dipped ice cream cones, cherries out. your. ears.
+ babies. well, mostly tim-tam slam. but boy! that baby is cute. truth: me and timmy had quite the rough patch at first. when he was a newborn and i met him at the hostpital, i had a terrible case of the coughs and i was not yet married into the family for time and all eternity. so i spent the whole time trying not to cough on him and thus making my intestines and rib cage shake from holding all the pressure in. but now! now he likes me! and loves jeff something fierce. boy. give that boy a baby!

but don't they all kind of just look like jacob's cousin's on twilight? hashtag team jacob forever.
but really.

because it's raining and i'm having a bad hair day: summer twenty thirteen.

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apparently my spontaneous bone has shriveled up and disappeared because i keep meticulously planning and plotting my days, weeks, and months. last night jeff + i sat down with a calendar and mapped out our summer. well, i had previously mapped it out on a google document and jeff just nodded along as i sold it to him like a movie preview. "coming this june....love, war, and the biggest three-on-three basketball tournament in-the-world: hoopfest."

 it only seemed right after the crummy day that was yesterday. wasn't it just crummy?

we decided to enjoy this summer and adventure...even if it's just fifteen minutes from our house. last summer, we were both stressed with wedding planning and...actually, no last summer was really fun. but every good day seemed to pale in comparison to getting married. it was always on our mind and in some weird way it made us enjoy the summer less because of it? i don't know, i don't know. we're weird.

onwards! 2013 summer to-do list! because i have nothing else to post about! 

:: hike around zion's. mostly because james franco filmed a movie there. yummy. 

:: be river rats. or lake rats, rather.

:: california! twice! or thrice, maybe? so far there's a wedding in san diego, a mini-family reunion in dana point, and kevin, jeff's brother, gets home from his mission! (...who i, by the way, have never met. holy goodness, this might be awkward. do i hug him? call him brother bear? pinch his cheeks? massage his back?)

:: move into our new apartment + redecorate + survive through it. people, this might be the demise of jeff + brooke. something about paint fumes + cheap swedish furniture gives us both angry sweats. 

:: idaho! idaho! idaho! idaho in the summer is my favorite place to be. i'm excited.

:: viva las vegas!

:: host my sister paige! she is hopefully coming to live with us this summer. provo is always hiring and jeff + i are a hoot so, why not? i'm so excited! my paige!

:: whip out that tent we were given for our wedding and watch jeff swoon me with his eagle scout skills.

:: play in hoopfest. well, i'm playing with my cousin, brother, and nikki. our team name: ld(yes!). it's...cute? jeff can't wait to watch and will really take any opportunity to see me in basketball shorts. that was a joke. 

:: twilight concert series, le duh. so much sweat, pushing, and...is that weed? in utah? aww. wonderful.

disclaimer: i know, i know. this was a pain to read and kind of obnoxious but it's raining outside and i'm having the worst hair day and all i wanted to do was make a picture collage and a list or three? bear with me.  or bare with me? that could be interesting? 

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in other news, i worked with the third graders today in class and santa was brought up. holy saint nick! there were the kids who were clearly still believers, and the kids who felt holier-than-thou because they had just found out this year and they know something you don't know!, and the kids that were kind of up in the air about it. and then there was the kid that was jewish. just kidding, there wasn't. it's provo, people. ;)

(...a scroll-able post) california! in pictures!

this past week i was in california sans my jeffrey (he had school and adult-obligations...blergh!). it's funny how quickly i revert back to a ten-year-old child when i'm around my family. actually, it's probably more concerning than funny. it's like as soon as i hug my parents i forget how to do my own laundry and feed myself...and hold my own around my sassy eleven-year-old sister. ha.

we did disneyland for the first two (that's right aching calves, two!) days. you guys, the world of color light show reduced me to tears and squealing fits. it was amaze. the days following we putted around newport beach, went to my cousin's wedding, and stuffed our faces silly. one night, us ladies drove for nearly an hour trying to track down a sprinkles cupcakes...only to land up on a street cluttered with street bars in beverly hills. heh? my last day there was perhaps my favorite. we really didn't do anything besides walk, eat, and take pictures. my type of day!

anyways, feel free to scroll, scroll, scroll. or don't. the amount of effort i am putting into this post is a clear indicator that it is, in fact, monday and i am, in fact, suffering from post-vacation depression. ain't it the worst?

 

and done! i miss my family and the warm weather already.