Normalcy.

I just realized that this blog has yet to see what I look like normally as in like my everyday clothes. In almost all of my photos I'm either dressed up in costume ('80s, Luau, Halloween), wearing a sweater, or dressed like a slob because I'm doing some sort of athletic or cooking stuff.

This is me.
hola!




And this is what I wore to school today (well, with a white peacoat because of the snow, but we'll ignore that). I promise I'm a normal person and not a costume wearing freak or a slob. I promise I'll take more pictures of me with normal clothes on.

the end.


All of my ♥ (again),
Lauren

Thanksgiving recap.

Thanksgiving break was like a dream. I did NOT want to come home from sunny California. I literally cried the night before thinking about the unfriendly amount of snow waiting for me in Provo. However, the countdown has begun, 15 days till I get to go back! :] The downside, those 15 days include finals. womp womp.

I ran another race on Thanksgiving day! This time an 8k (5mi). My brother Devin and I ran the Oceanside Turkey Trot and I didn't even stop once! I had a final time of 55:08. I'm definitely not the world's fastest runner, if you would have asked me last year, I would have laughed at the thought of ever running a race. It was so great though, especially the scenery. I got to run by the beach just as the sun started to rise, there was a cool breeze hitting my face and since I had been training in high altitudes, I didn't run out of breath!
I'm currently on the hunt for a 10k race to run!
















we went from that ....





to this.....










I made stuffing from scratch this year and I think it's safe to say that that recipe along with the Cranberry salad I made is going to become an essential part of the Flores family Thanksgiving dinner.


All of my ♥,
Lauren

Ever so blessed.

A couple of days ago, roommate Jenny posted on her blog a challenge to list out a 100 things we're grateful for. Thanksgiving happens to be my favorite holiday so I took the challenge to heart and wrote them all down in my journal but I also wanted to share them with all of you!
Disclaimer: These aren't necessarily listed in order of importance & I have both superficial & spiritual things.

One hundred things I'm THANKFUL for
by Lauren Flores

1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2. My family
3. Thomas S. Monson
4. Missionaries (the ones who baptized my grandpa & my friends currently serving)
5. Temples
6. The Book of Mormon
7. Jesus Christ
8. Joseph Smith
9. Thanksgiving (& the breaks that come with it)
10. Being born Mexican
11. Football (I'm a loyal Cougars & Steelers fan)
12. Sunshine
13. The color yellow
14. Disneyland
15. Jeniffer Michelle Rubio
16. Misden Mora
17. Brenda Mercedes Camarena
18. Snail mail
19. Tender mercies
20. Random acts of kindness
21. California
22. The beauty of the earth
23. Music
24. The wonders of technology
25. The word of wisdom
26. BYU
27. The determination to succeed
28. Books
29. The United States of America
30. President Gordon B. Hinckley (& his challenge to read the Book of Mormon)
31. Long Beach 7th ward (my second family who made me who I am today)'
32. The ability I have to speak Spanish
33. The humble conditions of my family in Mexico, they inspire me to push myself past my limits.
34. Compton, CA (& for the lessons I've learned living here)
35. Louis burgers
36. memories
37. Journals and the power they have to transport you to events past.
38. Photographs
39. The five senses
40. Summer♥
41. Friendly smiles
42. Rain
43. Incense
44. Good health
45. Playing the Piano
46. Good rhythm
47. Strong legs that allow me to run for 5mi straight
48. Creativity
49. The Ocean
50. Walt Disney
51. The diversity of cultures
52. Los Angeles
53. Color
54. Mexican Food
55. Chilé (habanero, taptío, nom.nom.nom)
56. Popcorn
57. The miracle of forgiveness
58. The gift I have of cooking & baking
59. My canon rebel T1i
60. My macbook pro
61. Beautiful sunsets
62. The stillness of the night
63. Warm sweaters
64. Dreams
65. Greenery
66. My job
67. Being good at confrontations
68. hamburgers (Li-sha shout out to you!)
69. Internships
70. Bookstores
71. Magazines
72. Christmas music
73. Hugs
74. The south street building
75. Miracles
76. Wishes
77. Inspiration
78. Life
79. A cool breeze
80. Water
81. Airplanes
82. Spiritual gifts
83. A good judge of character
84. Uncontrollable laughter
85. Traditions
86. Patriarchal blessings
87. General conference
88. The Quesada clan
89. headbands
90. Dreamy clouds
91. Beautiful people
92. The promise of tomorrow
93. Kindred Spirits
94. Brown people in UTAH!
95. Virtue
96. Everyday magic
97. Sesame street
98. Faith
99. Great friendships
100. Being able to make someone smile. :]

I want to see your hundred! P.s. I have a couple of posts up my sleeve, they'll be up if not today tomorrow!

All of my ♥,
Lauren

sunshine is my source of happiness.

I escaped this ...

And came home to this ...


I'm a very happy girl right now.

All of my ♥,
Lauren

hot chocolate & cougar tails

I brought out the polaroid to play again! :] It seemed only fitting to document the last home game of the season with it.
Only Tiff & I attended the game out of our football group, but I wouldn't of had it any other way.
It provided for some great bonding time.
It was freezing & we may have only stayed for 3 quarters, but it was magical.
Tiffany had these great gloves her mom got her, every finger has an individual pom-pom!
& I shot part of my photography class final project at the game. :]
We left early because it was windy & well, the game kind of got boring. (ooops.)
But, we didn't leave empty handed we got hot cocoa to warm our souls & a cougar tail just for a taste of something sweet.
We also may or may not have stopped at McDonalds to appease our need for salt. :]

I heart Tiff so much & this weekend was just a reminder of why.


All of my ♥,
Lauren

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good

Two words, Harry Potter.
You better believe I was at the midnight showing, with my former roommates of course,
die-hard potter fans.
I kind of freaked out a bit before because I didn't have hogwarts-esque clothing worthy of a premiere, as a Muggle I don't exactly have robes sitting around.
I absolutely loved seeing everyone dress up, it was so funny waving to wizards in cars and seeing them eat in restaurants, it was as if for one night the world became a lot more magical.
Probably my favorite disguise though was this group of girls that went dressed up as a quidditch team, as in legit brooms and ALL. I tried desperately to get pictures of them, but the theaters was packed as in Disneyland in the summer-time packed.
Loved the movie, I think we dissected it all the way home. Just 8 more months till it's over though. gahhhhhh.

Legit sign-age.


Former roommates, reunited!

I became paparazzi in the car.


If only!!!!


:] Newest recruits of Dumbledoor's army. :]

All of my ♥,
Lauren (a muggle who wishes she were a witch)

the game we won...

Don't get me wrong, I love my cougars, but their losing streak had me feeling down. Saturday's game against UNLV however, was true love when I felt the cool crisp air and saw the fancy footwork of Joshua Quezada (wonder if we're related?). I may/may not have screamed more than I have at any other game.

I've been compared to Sheryll Yoast, because apparently not every girl understands what the heck special teams is or understands fouls, or the meaning of a safety. but football-lover or not...you have to admit it was a great game.

beat it.

Please recognize the awesomeness that is this photo. I'm a 90's baby myself, but it's always fun to dress up and pretend I was born much earlier. The 80's is this huge mystery to me filled with big hair, leather jackets, ad neon all in one decade. CALM IT DOWN. I'm kind of glad that I was born in a bit calmer decade because I don't know if I could have handled a wedding gown with poofy poofy sleeves.

small successes.

This week has been way hard, take that back, this entire semester has me going insane in the membrane. Sometimes I feel like I've taken more than I can swallow (that's the phrase right?). It's good then to celebrate the small successes in my life, it helps me feel a little more accomplished.

So, good news, I turned in my New York City Internship portfolio/application today. If accepted into the program, I will be spending Spring semester (April-June) in the concrete jungle that is NYC. I hadn't planned on even applying to this internship but I kid you not, one day this song came on my iTunes and it was like a message. I don't have any commitments this spring so I thought, "why not?" I really do hope it works out, but if not I'm ok.

If it didn't work out though, this would be my first year since I started college that I would actually spend my FULL summer break at home (April - Aug). That could be fun too! :] Next week will be just as busy but I'm still going to focus on the little things, because I've heard they actually count the most.







All of my ♥,
Lauren

highway to hale & halloween on a sunday.

Two posts in 2 days, this is progress people!

I don't remember ever blogging about this, but I have a goal to learn to love running. I've been a devoted swimmer for most of my life, but I got to the point where I could do with cheating as in I could swim fast enough but not have it be like a real workout. That's the best way I can explain it. I've never loved running, I actually loathe it, but I'm kind of really competitive so I figured races would help get me motivated. So, I DID IT! I ran my first 5k ever, "Highway to Hale" in Orem to support a local theater. I didn't run in costume because I didn't think I could be comfortable in one for my first race, BUT Darrian wants to run with a big group next year so look out for that in 363 days. My goal is to build up to half marathon status before the school year ends (April 2011). My next race is the Oceanside Turkey Trot 8k in sunny sunny california on thanksgiving day! I'm running the 8k with my brother Devin who just recently joined Bravo high school's (woot woot) cross country team.

Halloween fell on a Sunday this year and since I'm a devout Mormon and strictly believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy I didn't dress up or trick-or-teat or party the night away. I spend my halloween almost like any Sunday, 3 hours of church, Sunday nap, tarrea (that means hw in Spaneesh) and what-not. BUT, we did have people over to make mummy pizzas and we had a hang-out sesh afterwards where I realized that sometimes, high school ways follow you all the way to BYU.














All of my ♥,
Lauren