what i know at 25

i'm turning 25 on Tuesday. that's kind of a big deal. i remember growing up and thinking that a) 25 was so old and b) that 25 was so far away. i also thought that i'd be rich and famous like all those 25 year old actors/actresses i was seeing on TV/movies. or at least wildly successful.
and if i'm comparing myself to those people, then no, of course i'm not successful.
but i'm successful in my own way: i've graduated with a bachelor's degree. i have a full time job. i'm not living off of my parents. and i'm much different than i was 5 years ago. and much different than i thought i would be at 12 years old, looking forward to my 25th birthday.

here are some things i know at 25. (idea copied from here)

perspective is everything. it can make or break your happiness.


reflecting on past memories and mistakes might bring some tinge of sadness, but in the end, you realize how much better off you are because of them.


God is good.


even at 25, you're still allowed to goof off, be silly and immature, and act like you're 12 (or 5) years old again.



being a grown up isn't all it's cracked up to be.


sometimes all you need is a good cry, a deep conversation, and a reassuring hug (or the offer of a hug) to help you feel better.


you need to take time for yourself. don't let the pressures of work/school/friends/family take that away from you. separate yourself from the stresses of life and lounge about for a day, or two, or three.


being alone doesn't mean you're lonely. but sometimes you are. and sometimes all you need is a friend to realize that and call you up to do something.


feeling wanted is one of the best feelings in the world. and it doesn't even have to be in a romantic sense.


the best things in life include: music, books, friends/family, and conversation.


there are always going to be people out there that try to downgrade your abilities: you don't need them. get rid of them, and you'll be better off.


you need someone who will call you out on your BS. and someone (maybe the same someone) who will let you call them out on theirs without starting WWIII.


women deserve to be treated with respect, even if they're not being ladylike. men who do so, even if they have no motive other than doing the right thing, are a rarity these days, and you should treasure them. nice guys should finish first.


love is blind. but that's what makes perspective so important. don't lose yourself in the sight of a charming man/boy (because if he's charming, there's a chance that he's not yet a man) because he could have ulterior motives that will leave you heartbroken. but you'll recover, and you'll be stronger because of it.

24.

guys, if you didn't know, i turned 24 yesterday. no bigs, right?
except for when you start thinking about it:

• 10 years ago i started HIGH SCHOOL
• 6 years ago i graduated from said high school
• 6 years ago i started COLLEGE
• 2 years ago i graduated from college with a DEGREE
• and now i'm living in salt lake, a year away from being a QUARTER OF A CENTURY

that's kind of crazy, right?

the days leading up to the 23rd, i kept thinking how OLD 24 sounded. now that i am 24, it doesn't sound so old. but it still kind of does, ya know?

anyway, abby and i were discussing this earlier: 24 is going to be a good year for us. i at least, can just feel it. i mean, 23 was pretty crappy, so it can only go up from here, right? (ignore the fact that the actual day of my birth *ahem yesterday* was not so pleasant--9 hours in the car, an hour in traffic, a broken down car--but that's a story for another day)

and today wasn't super exciting. although, i do get to go bowling for FHE, and we can dress up in a costume (jane from tarzan, anyone? yeah, that's me)

but seriously, compared to 23, 24 HAS to be better. i think blink-182 had it right when they said "no one likes you when you're 23" (let's not discuss how many guys i dated/kissed as a 23 year old *zero* because that just depresses me, and only proves my point)

i still need to: eat cake, blow out candles and make a wish for this new year (i did throw a coin into the fountain at caesar's and made a wish...does that count?) until then, i'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good year.

i'll post about vegas...later. when i'm not so busy. aka when i'm not lazy. refer to facebook for pics until then though.


oh, also, 24 is great just for the sheer fact that it is that number. 24. jack bauer. man, i miss that show.

thanks go out to my madre for sending me presents: halloween candy (snickers, 3 musketeers, smarties and pretzel m&ms), a really nice copy of my favorite classic To Kill a Mockingbird, and the game Bunco (bunco sundays, anyone? ha i kid. i HATE bunco ;) ) now to find friends to play with...

birthdays of yesteryear

as my 24th birthday draws ever closer i reflected on my past three birthdays, surprised that it was just a mere 3 years ago that i was: starting my senior year of college, and turned 21, the legal age.

looking back, 21 seems so young. i've learned so much about life, about myself, about the world in those three years.

i've definitely grown up, matured (somewhat).

but here's a recap of the last 3 birthdays:

21

the big one. an almost disaster turned into probably one of the best birthdays I've had. so many things were going on that week that I didn't think we were going to be able to celebrate, which was disappointing, I mean, turning 21 is kind of a big deal (to those OF the world). luckily, i had a really awesome sister and roommate that helped get everything together for a massive dessert party.

things worked out when i didn't think they would and it was a blessing in disguise. i needed that.

i probably grew up the most that year. i learned what it meant to love someone. and i learned what it felt like to have my heart broken.

i also graduated from college, had the best summer of my life, and learned what it's like to be a college graduate and move back in with your parent. ha.

22
again, this birthday could have been disastrous. i was back living in california, with all of my closest friends living 600+ miles away.
i had no plans for the day and it was looking to be a pretty bleak birthday weekend.

and then the surprise of my life when my best friend drove out from utah to spend the weekend with me. six flags, the beach, newport. it was everything i could've asked for in a birthday. we may not have had cake, or blown out candles, but it sure was a birthday to remember.

that year i learned to readjust to a new life, one that i wasn't used to. i learned what it was like to lose someone i loved, to have my heart broken once again, and to learn to mend it. i think this was the year that i grew the most, spiritually. i finally came to realize the things i was missing in my life, what i needed to do to improve myself. i learned to rely on the Lord, on His plan, and on His timing.

23
this last year has probably been the least positive year of my young life, which is unfortunate, because i thought that 23 would be MY year. it was my golden birthday, ya know. i expected great things this year. but instead, i had more trials and more disappointments than i thought i would. my birthday was spent like any other day, with a small dinner with abby and judy at gloria's little italy. quite the let down. (and not even a picture of the day)

however, i made a lot of grown up decisions this year. i worked on becoming more whole on my own. i had moved back to provo, readjusted to life in a college town without being in college, got a full time job, lost said job, then found another job that was kind of perfect for me (and also included a 45-minutes commute each way). because of the blessing of this job, i had the opportunity to move into my own big girl apartment in downtown salt lake city. it started out lonely, but it's been really good for me: learning how to budget my money/finances, learning how to start over fresh, in a new city with new people, and learning what it takes to live on my own.

i definitely still have a lot of growing up to do, but as i reflect on the past 3 years, i can see that the Lord has blessed me significantly, that every little bump in the road has been for a reason. it has twisted me and molded me into a person i didn't think was possible, but i sure am glad i had the opportunity to learn and improve.

i can only hope that my 24th year works out to be one of the best ones yet.

22

Breezy Marie is turning 22 today.

She hates birthdays though.

And the last couple haven't been the best because school takes over her LIFE (so sorry sis!)

But seeing as I failed to do a birthday post for her 21st LAST YEAR (i was in Utah while she was at school activities, sorry, again!) I've decided to post more recent pics of her, and write 22 reasons about why she is AWESOME.

1. She's classy (as you can tell from the above picture)

2. She does weird things, like has someone spray whipped cream into her mouth and then take a picture

3. She looooooves sports: Los Doyers, Trojans, (and sometimes) Cougars

4. She also really loooooves when I take pics like the one below and post them for all to see.

5. She loves her marshmallows. And loves comparing their sizes.

6. She's a really good sister and loooves yogurtland. She took me there after I suffered through a 6 hour LSAT.

7. She suffers from the "asian-eye" syndrome in pictures. She looks more asian than hispanic, most of the time.

8. She really loves her friends too. Utah and California (and elsewhere) and gets really excited to see them.

9. She's gonna be a dental hygienist. And be awesome at it. And make bank. (So that I don't have to, HA!)

10. She's real smart. And real studious. Probably explains why she got into USC for dental hygiene.

11. She always looks FIERCE. I mean, really. She has great clothes that I wish I could steal/borrow/use.

12. She knows what she wants and most of the time, gets it.

13. She's hot.

14. People either think she's a) my twin, or b) my older sister. I guess that counts as being awesome.

15. She's a pretty good listener when given the chance.

16. She's bound and determined to be a trophy wife. I seriously think it could happen.

17. She sees a lot of famous people because she lives in LA. I think that's pretty awesome.

18. She crushes on boys constantly. She LOVES a lot of them too. :) Again, boy crazyyyy.

19. She traveled to Italy and the Netherlands once.

20. She sure loves the little kiddies she used to babysit. And her voice gets all high pitch when she sees them/talks to them

21. In both of her mock board exams she got 100%. That just screams awesome.

22. She's my sister, (almost) twin, friend and confidante.

Love you Bri! Hope you have/had a great day!

Good luck on your boards Monday!

my mom is better than your mom

 

my mom is the best. everyone always tells me that. guys, i KNOW. she is my mom, ya know.

but seriously. she is. she raised 4 kids all on her own, worked two jobs at one point to make ends meet, never missed any of our extracurricular activities (soccer, track, dance, church, whatever), and was always there for us.

all of us kids call her, constantly. or text her. or email her. or IM her. 

all of the girls in her young women's classes have loved her. 

she's a great teacher, friend, not so much a secret keeper, but she loves to talk about her kids' accomplishments.

she's always so proud of us, no matter what we do.

she doesn't judge us, even when we mess up, or do something she wouldn't have done (or something she did do, once upon a time)

sometimes she tells me that i'm a lot like her when she was my age, and that's okay with me.

i'd like to be able to eventually raise my kids the way she raised us. none of us really strayed or got ourselves into trouble, and that's pretty good.

she loves to dance, and although sometimes we get embarrassed, it's pretty funny most of the time, and secretly i think we all love it :)

Love you mom!

"you say it's your birthday..."

"well it's my birthday too..."

just kidding. it's not.

but it really is this kid's 16th birthday!!

I can't believe my little brycie is 16!

i still remember the day he came home from the hospital!

(and the moment he was born and we were woken up with a phone call telling us girls that we had a brother)

just think, in 3 years this stud will (hopefully) be out serving the Lord.

crazy how fast time flies!

i love my little brother and am so glad he's part of our family.

i could go on for days about why he's so awesome.

He's funny, fun, helpful (sometimes) and just our little buddy.

Here are some pictures instead:

 His birthday last year :)

I'm really glad (and grateful) that I was able to live at home last year and see him through his first year of high school and form a lot of new memories.

Being seven years older, we don't have a lot of those, since I was out of the house for a lot of his "growing up" years. Every time I see him, he's bigger, more mature, and grown up than I remember.

How did my little bebe get to be so big?! I just love him so :)

birthday wish

dear birthday wish....genie,
i know i already made a birthday wish this year. buuut, we all know it won't come true (because let's be honest, when was the last time my wishes came true?), and seeing as i didn't ever make a birthday wish LAST year, do ya think i could have another go at it? this time it's real good. i think it'll make everything better. or, at least help with getting me the rest of my wishes.

i wish that my hair would grow and be long and luscious like it used to be

because once i get that, then maybe i'll have boys that love me. and want to take me out on dates. and won't make up lame excuses like "i'm not sure what my schedule is like" just to get out of hanging out with me on a harmless outing. and then maybe i could have a boyfriend, as opposed to the...ZERO boys that love me/want me/take me out now.

if you could make that happen, and soon, that'd be real great.

love, me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

April is a month for birthdays, that's for sure. Whew...I don't know if my mind OR my body can handle it all :) BUT, today is my best friend Mark Taylor Leonard's 24th birthday. YAY! I love birthdays :D Sad, though, that we only have a few pictures together haha. We need to fix that, work on getting more before the end of the summer. But, Mark and I met at our ward's first ward prayer back in September...we've been friends ever since! (well, except for that time that we refer to as the Dark Ages. And that other time that is known as the Second Dark Ages, but who really needs to think about that?) Mark is awesome though, so fun, so chill, really smart (he always likes to teach me new things and prove me wrong, especially when my logic and reasoning are completely whack ;) ). Plus, he's a really good friend. He lets me borrow his car when I need to go to work, he'll pick me up and drop me off when I need it. He's great at listening (for the most part) and giving me advice when I ask for it. He looks out for me, and makes sure I'm happy and doing what I should be, even if that means stopping me from purchasing really cute shoes :) We have extremely long and in depth conversations and can talk for hours about anything. And we can sit and watch the discovery channel, the travel channel or the history channel for hours and not get bored. He is fantastic and I am glad I can call him my friend :)

My 21st birthday party.

Rockband night.

Rockband night 2...he didn't dress up and was ashamed :)

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY MARK!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!

Brianna Marie Abilez was born April 1, 20 years ago. She's been my friend ever since. :) Well, except for those teenage years when we didn't get along so well. But once I started driving and we hung out with the same group of people, we got to be really close. Then I left for school and we still were friends, not just sisters. That sisterly bond though is one that will never be broken, and I'm glad that she's mine. She's funny (probably the funniest person I know), a little bit crazy, a lot a bit BOY crazy, outspoken, unafraid of doing something out of the ordinary, and obsessed with football, like me :) We've had some pretty good times over the years, and have tried to be there for each other through thick and thin. Even though she hates when I turn "mom" on her, I know later she'll realize I only did it out of love. Here are some pictures of Bri throughout the years. Fun, right?

Friends from an early age.

We even matched as kids!

We've always enjoyed the beach together

Yup, make it a tradition to go the beach whenever we're both in California.

Two graduations down, so many more to go.

Family track meets with our favorite family

College football season...it may not be our trojans, but we were beating our rivals, the Bruins, so it was allllll good.

She's kinda a dork sometimes...

More football games. Or any sporting event for that matter.

Do you think we look alike?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BREEZY! Hope it was the best day ever!

21!!

I never thought this day would come...the day when I am finally a legal adult, 21, able to gamble, drink, get into clubs...heading into that third decade of life. Dang. 21. That just SOUNDS old. I don't feel old per se, but it sounds it. It's cool that I am finally the same age as all my friends. I've been waiting for that for a long time.

The week didn't start out on the right foot and I didn't honestly think I would enjoy today, not with two midterms surrounding my day of birth and things just falling apart at the seams. Canceling my birthday dinner was definitely the low point. There was just too much going on. Then a last minute planning sesh for a dessert party which started off wrong...not enough desserts, sister getting stuck at the store and being LATE with all the food, people not showing up right away, scaring me into thinking this was going to be a complete bust.

But honestly, it turned out much better than I had anticipated, better than I could've hoped for. All my favorite people were there, there was laughter, reminiscing, reunions, and smiles all around. Plus, the desserts weren't too shabby either ;).

A big GINORMOUS thank you goes out to my sister Brianna for putting this all together and making sure it went off at least reasonably well, despite some minor hitches along the way. She made sure I was happy and was there to document a lot of it (i.e. present opening). Thanks also to Brooke Brown for photographing most of the party. Without you I probably wouldn't have had as many pictures as I did. And most importantly, to all my FRIENDS who I adore and couldn't ask for better people in my life. You all are fabulous.
Now to all those 21 and older folk...VEGAS soon? ;)

Spring is a good time for birthdays

TODAY is my younger sister, Brianna's, 19th birthday. Officially, she has not reached this momentous occasion, as she is living in Hawaii currently and they are 4 hours behind Utah time. However, I am posting now because to me, it is Tuesday, April 1st. (And no, this is NOT an April Fools' joke)
She's probably one of the funniest people you will ever meet. She's a HUGE football fan, mostly USC, and mostly just for the hot boys, but that's alright. She has no problem saying what she feels (well, for the most part, but that's ok) and calls South Central LA her "second home". She's loyal and trustworthy, smart and funny and probably one of my best friends.
She's also known for her craziness and weird faces. (luckily she doesn't actually read my blog, so I can post all these embarrassing pictures of her haha)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BREEZY! <3

p.s. apparently spring is a good time for birthdays...there have been SO MANY in the last few weeks...