day 26

What do you think about your friends...

I find this question to be slightly silly...if they are my friends, wouldn't I think they are awesome? Yes, I believe so.

So there you have it...I think my friends are hysterical, awesome, terrific, legit...

basically they are the bomb{dot}com.

Obviously my friends and I have splendid taste in people.

xo

lauren

friends

Friends are the best...and not just any old friend. I'm talking about a GOOD friend. Friends who know and love all your dang quirks and sillyness. Friends who have been there to see you at your very best and also your very worst. Friends who would drop anything to help if you needed it. Friends who you are so close with even though you may have not have seen or talked to each other for days, weeks, months, or even years. Friends who always leave you with your spirits lifted.

These are the friends who are worth keeping around because they are awesome. These are the friendships that will last for a lifetime.

Thank you Rachel for a highly entertaining and uplifting lunch date and thank you for your sweet friendship over these many years!

And thank you to all of my other good friends out there! You are all loved dearly!

xo
lauren

day 3

A picture of you and your friends...

Well, I don't want to overload you with pictures, but I don't have a picture that has all of my friends in it....I guess I will just put a few up! You are all my friends though, and I love you all!

The best boyfriend ever - Christopher

My awesome cuz Marlee

My drill girls (2nd year)

The LP crew - Glade, Jordy, Nathanael, Caitlin, Katie, Megan, Braden, and Jaxson

My drill girls (1st year)

My chicas from dance - Amberli, Caitlin, Megan, Jada, Rachel, and Jamie

My soul sista Caitlin

My awesome cuz Bethany

Best friends since nursery - Rachel

My homegirls Caitlin, Amberli, and Megan

(already pictured above, but this picture cracks me up)

My crazy friends Katie G and Katie F

a day at the zoo

My mother, Grant, Christopher, and I all went to the zoo yesterday.
...the occasion?
1. it was Zuri's first birthday (the baby elephant)
2. my awesome friend Caitlin is the train driver...(super legit, I know)

Because of my glorious connections, we got into the zoo FO FREE! But, pretty sure the zoo was HOT yesterday...I was dying! The animals and the new additions were fun to see though and the monkeys are always the favorite! After a couple of hours of walking around, we decided to end the day riding the train!

Caitlin in her snazzy conductor overalls

I've got the hook-ups...no worries.

Later in the evening, Chris and I went on a double date with two of his friends...we started the night out at the DoDo (delicious BTW), played a little Bocce Ball, and (because Chris and I lost...) Chris had to buy dessert for everyone at Yogurt Stop.

ps. get peach yogurt topped with strawberries, raspberries, and mango...TO DIE FOR!

xo

lauren

twenty ten.

This New Years Eve/New Years day was filled with activities! My wonderful cousin Marlee was in town from Idaho so the Harris/Francom trinity (consisting of me, Marlee, and Bethany) just HAD to get together for a delicious dinner at Citris Grill! This is what resulted...

Later in the evening Marlee and I got together with some friends and had an epic Rock Band 2 showdown...I must say we sounded pretty dang awesome! Then we all went over to our friend David's house to sit in his hot tub while waiting to bring in the new year! We watched the ball drop, exchanged New Years wishes, and finished the evening with one of my all time favorite movies...A Knight's Tale! Love, love, LOVE that movie! Marlee and I then had a much needed sleepover before she departed back to her home in Idaho the next day!

New Years day hosted an awesome sledding adventure with some of Chris's good friends! I couldn't remember the last time I had been sledding so this activity was especially fun for me!

I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope this year brings you nothing but joy!

xo

lauren

'tis the season

Christmas is coming and so what does that mean?? PARTIES!! I love parties! They are probably the best thing ever! Last weekend Chris and I and a few friends took a trip up to Oakley for my single's ward Christmas party where we had yummy food, hot chocolate, Christmas stories, and sleigh rides! We even had a visit from the big man himself! Such a fun night!

This week is the last week of dance classes before the Christmas break so that means even more parties!! This year we had pajama parties so I took a couple pictures!

Jazz 1-2

Hip Hop 1

Hip Hop 2

Can I just say that being a dance teacher is totally awesome during the holiday season? I have received so many unexpected gifts! The little girls are so stinking cute and I love all the homemade cards I've gotten! You gotta love little kids!

And what is Christmas without a little dressing up?!

...yes those shorts have jingle bells on them. I know you are jealous.
Merry Christmas!!

xo
lauren

ps. it is also finals week...wish me luck!!

a day to celebrate

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dear friend Katie Fredrickson! I love her so much! Katie turned 19 today so I would like to take a moment to share 19 reasons why I love her...

1) She is a nerd just like me
2) She sings in the car at the top of her lungs with me
3) She is such a fun shopping partner
4) She loves her friends and is always supportive of them
5) She will eat like crazy with me...especially when it comes to junk food
6) She is such a beautiful girl inside and out
7) She and I can play video games for four straight hours
8) She can eat a Bob's Brainfreeze multiple times a day and never get sick of them
9) She and I can have fun at Dan's
10) She loves to take silly pictures with me
11) She knows every word to the Pokemon theme song
12) She dominates at Mario Kart
13) She has such a good work ethic and finds the time to juggle two jobs on top of school and homework
14) She is awesome at debate and has even won awards for being so awesome
15) She loves to connect with her inner child and watch cartoons and the disney channel
16) She always has awesome music
17) She is always there for me when I need her
18) She will dance around in a massive fish outfit on the corner with me
19) She is such a strong person no matter what difficulties she faces

I love you so much Katie!! I hope you had a wonderful birthday! MUAH

xo
lauren

good times and great people

Not too long ago Chris and I went to a Utah football game with our friends Abbie and Christian...the game was awesome! Here are some pictures...compliments of Abbie...

We killed the other team and so during the third quarter we decided to leave and get some grub! Of course we hit up Red Robin, (a) because that's pretty much where we always go and (b) their fries are absolutely delicious! We met up with another friend, David, and had an awesome time! After a super satisfying meal, we said goodbye to Abbie and headed to David's house for a movie...what did we choose? 17 Again... I love this movie...so cute, Zac Efron is amazing in it, and I can now see the resemblance between Matthew Perry and my uncle Doug*. After the movie had ended and we had played an absolutely awesome game on David's playstation, the boys started up another freakishly amazing and hilarious game...ninja destruction (or ninja assassin as Chris insists on calling it). This game is very similar to a hand clapping sort of game or like a big booty game where you have a group of people, but in this particular game you are only allowed one body movement at a time in the fashion of a ninja...sounds strange right? I thought so too, but no, this game is awesome! 1. it's SO funny to watch and 2. it's actually quite challenging! So...the next time we come into contact, I will teach you the ways of the ninja and we can battle...if you are willing to face destruction of course!

xo
lauren

ps. Chris and I have had an ongoing argument on the issue of whether the elliptical is running...what do you guys think??

*Doug aka "Dug" has apparently been known to look like Matthew Perry and I can see that after watching 17 Again, but I still think he looks more like Donny Osmond!

halloween fun

Halloween was awesome last week! I would like to brag a little bit and tell you that I got to dress up 4 TIMES! Awesome right? You jealous? I thought so!

Anyway...The reason why is because last week was halloween week at the dance studio so for every class that I teach or TA for, I got to dress up and have a halloween party! I took some pictures of the classes I teach for you all to see...

Tumbling

Tumbling

Jazz

Hip Hop 1

Hip Hop 2

These classes were so much fun and I absolutely LOVED seeing their cute costumes! We had awesome parties filled with spooky music, candy, games, and the oh so loveable THRILLER dancing! I left with quite the stash of goodies...all the benefits of trick-or-treating without walking in the cold and totally unpredictable Utah weather! BONUS!

Then came the actual Halloween night and as a tradition, the Sherwood cousins all go to Grandma and Papa's house to show off our costumes...yes I am a college student, but I still love this tradition! I couldn't miss it! The costume that pretty much trumped all costumes I have seen in my lifetime would have to be that of my little cousin Jack...

Jack aka Gene Simmons

Is that not just about the best thing you have ever seen in your life? He is the only 5 year old kid I know with the spunk to pull that off! Look, he's even got the tongue down! Ha!

Later in the evening, Chris and I got together with my old friend Jamie Harrison and her boyfriend Jake for a couples costume competition! We dressed up and went to California Pizza Kitchen for dinner...but before dinner we had to ask people walking around Gateway whose costume was better and the winning couple received free dessert paid for by the losers! We were totally stoked and couldn't wait for the results...here is the picture...

Jamie and Jake aka WWE Wrestlers...Me and Chris aka Old Couple

Needless to say...we won. Victory has never tasted so sweet!

xo

lauren

laughter is the best medicine

I would like to dedicate this post to my friend Caitlin who introduced me to www.mylifeisaverage.com ...this website is full of stories written by your average person, and the stories are hilarious. Caitlin told me about this website on monday so I decided to check it out...well I can now say that I have never spent so much time doing absolutely nothing but laughing my head off. I would like to share with you some of my favortie stories so far...

"A couple of days ago, my new step father (whom I haven't had the chance to get to know) was sent out to get groceries. What does he come back with? A Venus Fly Trap. We spent the rest of the afternoon hunting down flies while singing the Jaws theme song and feeding them to the Venus Fly Trap. I fully approve of my mother's decision to marry him. MLIA"

"Last night, I had a dream me and my dog got in a fight, and beat the heck out of each other. Today, I got a fortune cookie, with the fortune: 'Your strange dream will soon come true.' I've been hiding from my dog for the last couple hours. MLIA"

"Today, I bought a Roomba vacuum cleaner that vacuums while you're gone, because I wanted to save time. I spent an hour following it around the house, completely entertained. I feel this has been a great purchase. MLIA."

"The other day I realized I could change my cursor to a blue dinosaur that walks. Today I realized that moving it backwards makes it moonwalk. I've been entertaining myself for the past half hour by making it moonwalk to Michael Jackson. MLIA"

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! Thank you Caitlin for introducing me to greatness!

xo
lauren