It Makes Me Cry...

There are times in my life I think I'm super tough....

...and these are of course the times that I am the most exceptionally delusional.

I've realized lately how many things make me tear up--every time I see or hear them.  No other circumstances are necessary to cause this reaction; these things just have to exist.  And for some reason, they fill my heart so full of feelings of love and joy and sparkly goodness, that my body can't contain them, and it leaks out through my tear ducts.  So I guess they don't really make me cry... they just make my happiness overflow.

For example:

1) This Van Gogh painting.  Not the Sunflowers painting, not Starry Night.  This one.  I saw it in a museum once, and something about the brushstrokes and colors just got me! Haha, didn't see that coming.  Who knew "Sower at Sunset" would be the most evocative painting I've ever seen??

2) The last scenes of Mona Lisa Smile.  If you've ever taught in any capacity, this one will get ya.  (But just maybe, it's those Van Gogh paintings for me again...)

4) Conversations with my grandparents.  I sure love them, and they've each lived marvelously rich and inspiring lives.  All of their stories are wonderful.

5) This Maurice-Sendak-styled, 1986 version of the Nutcracker pas de deux.  Even though the quality of this video is awful, and the Nutcracker has a thin, creepy mustache, I cry every time.

6) The temple.  It always brightens my life with truth and simplicity.

I used to get embarrassed to wear my heart on my sleeve, but I've come around to being grateful to feel all those emotions (good and bad), deeply.  I mean, what a blessing to be so full of "happy", that my body just can't contain it!

#LifeIsBeautiful

Change of Plans

You see that little girl sitting on her dad's lap there?

If things would have been up to her, I would have grown up to be a ballerina.

(I mean, come on, look at that technique!)

(She definitely wouldn't have let me quit that dance team when I was 17)

She probably would have loved it if I'd have stayed an art major in college, and become a children's book illustrator (on the side of ballerina-ing of course).

She'd be bummed to hear that my ETSY-cake-topper endeavor was put on hold for the "grown up" responsibilities that got in the way.

I guarantee she'd throw a fit to hear that I didn't marry that boy that looked a lot like this dude.

And she'd be baffled to hear that I have yet to start a Love-Taza-esque family...

... or one just like this.
#wantedtobeaprincess

But that's the excitement and the beauty of life. You can't predict where it is going to take you.  I had an epiphany a few weeks ago that, specifically, all the things in my life that haven't  worked out, have been a blessing.  And because I didn't do, or haven't done those things yet, I am where I am.  And life is real good.  Better than I planned it actually.  And because of that I know that God loves me.

Grateful for: being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  And for the truth it brings into my life