feliz cumpleanos!

today is my dear friend lyndee's birthday.
she is 20 years old
and she is marvelous.

she is always, always there for me.
she cheers me up when i'm sad,
listens to me when i'm upset,
laughs at my stupid jokes,
and constantly thinks of others.

and i'm so glad she's my friend.

love you, crazy toes!
happy birthday!

absence makes the heart grow stronger

captured 4 july 2009

i apologize.

i apologize for the lack of posts,
pictures,
and thoughts.

but know that this dear blog never strayed far from my heart.

after a small pyrotechnic display brought on by my computer charge cord
and three days without access to the universe via interweb,
i am BACK.

and i had a lovely time at home.
it was blissful, fun, amazing, and family-filled.

i will properly update with pictures and such very, very soon,
but i just wanted to let you all know that i am alive, well, and ready for more steady blogging.

ps: in three weeks, i will be in south america. how crazy is that?

с днем рождения!

today is kirk's birthday!

kirk is my brother and he is now thirty years old.

he is also a truly awesome brother.

here's why:
1. he picks up languages like nobody's business.
2. he has seen the world.
3. he is very loving and kind.
4. he used to have blue and purplish-pink hair.
5. he used to be in a band with a couple members of the all american rejects.
6. he is a very talented musician and can play a lot of different instruments.
7. he loves loves loves soccer.
8. he's super funny.
9. he has a lot of faith.
10. he introduced me to borscht.
11. he has the best music collection ever.
12. i'm pretty sure he was the one who convinced me that charles barkley's name was charles "broccoli".
13. he once rode his bike from his house in salt lake to our house in orem.
14. he's easy to talk with.
15. he's generous.
16. he stands up for what is right.
17. he lifts me up in weird family photos.

kirk, you are one cool dude.

happy birthday!

never can say goodbye.

i have always loved michael jackson.

one of my earliest memories involves me, our big gray van, and a restrictive carseat.
i was riding in the van on the way home from something and my favorite song at the time [besides the beach boys' "kokomo"], "abc" by the jackson five, came on the radio.
unfortunately for me, we stopped the car before the song ended.
i waited impatiently in my carseat for my dad to set me free so i could tear into the house, turn on the big stereo in the living room, and finish listening.
and when every buckle was unbuckled, that is precisely what i did.

earlier tonight, while watching a heartfelt tribute to michael jackson nigel lythgoe gave, i expressed my sadness that he had gone, and that his death was so sudden. in response, a roommate of mine said, "i'm glad he's dead."
i understand why she said that.
what i don't understand is the reasoning behind expressing joy at the death of another human.
what a judgmental, wrong, and disrespectful [albeit stupid] thing to say.

of course he made mistakes.
he's human.
he had no childhood whatsoever.
his dad was extremely abusive.
yet he turned it all around, made a success of himself, and became an inspiration to music-lovers, dancers, and people everywhere.

if i learned anything from michael jackson, it is that we are to love each other, care for each other, and do all we can to make the world a better place.
that is something to believe in and work for, no matter who you are.

baby michael jackson has one of the most powerful voices in pop history.
young adult michael jackson revolutionized the world of dance.
and his legacy will live on forever.

RIP MJ

"but they told me
a man should be faithful
and walk when not able
and fight till the end
but i'm only human

everyone's taking control of me
seems that the world's
got a role for me
i'm so confused
will you show to me
you'll be there for me
and care enough to bear me"

don't worry. i'm wearing sunscreen.

today is the first super warm, sunny, no-cloud-in-the-sky day rexburg has had in weeks.
the last three weeks of rain have made this place beautiful and green and full of new life.
it's absolutely wonderful.

i've really been loving pandora lately.
as i write this, i listen to my favorite sunny day station [camera obscura].
it's the perfect soundtrack for today.

did i mention that i'm writing this in the comfort of my own front yard?
it's perfect.

last night i played in the spray park again and enjoyed a quesadilla from ramires with salsa verde and pickled carrots on top.
it was the perfect summer activity topped by a perfect summer meal.

i'm really glad i stayed.

two things + one photo

captured 20 june 2009
while riding my bicycle

1. i am loving thrift stores right now.
this weekend, i purchased three new shirts, a pair of shoes, four albums on vinyl, a polaroid camera, and a book all for twenty-five dollars.

2. i just love sundays.

right away, great captain

disclaimer: i know this blog post isn't a card with a necktie on it or some crazy artwork made with macaroni and elmers glue, but just like those gifts from the past, this one comes from the heart.


me as a baby with my dad and a cabbage patch kid.

this is my very favorite picture of me and my dad.
the expression on his face and my near-consumption of a cabbage patch kid combine to create a beautiful photo.
i love that this photo captures what a great dad this man is. it captures the fact that my dad loves me no matter what.
even if i eat sidney the cabbage patch doll.

i guess the simplest way to say it would be to say that my dad is the greatest.

here are some reasons why:
1. he is extremely supportive of his children.
2. he is really, really funny.
3. when he was working at spokane falls community college, he got caught once on a weekend in his office listening to music super super loud.
4. he is young at heart.
5. he loves riding his bike.
6. he has a book on how to speak klingon.
7. he's really thoughtful.
8. he is really, really, really smart and loves learning.
9. he is the best teacher. ever. i've had many of his students tell me so.
10. he collects antique math textbooks.
11. he is a worthy priesthood holder and is always willing to give me a blessing [i ask for one pretty much every time i go home].
12. he loves songs with a good beat.
13. he likes his food slightly charred.
14. he makes the best aebbelskivers.
15. he is a great writer.
16. he has a great interest and passion for family history work.
17. he has been EVERYWHERE.
18. he can always make me smile or laugh no matter how upset i am.
19. he has a sweet tooth just like me!
20. he likes to experiment with food [i.e. orange juice + mint chocolate chip ice cream].

dad, i love you, i look up to you, and i'm very proud and thankful to be your daughter.

happy fathers day!

plaidplaidplaidplaid.

today
i went to DI and bought a plaid button-down in honor of aaron patrick mcgregor's birthday.
happy happy happy birthday, my friend!

two letters.

dear old secret crush:
justin says you are a pompous jerk.
crush ended.
sincerely,
kellie olivia jorgensen

----------------------

dear new secret crush:
when i saw you earlier this week, my heart pounded and butterflies invaded my stomach.
that hasn't happened to me in a very long time.
i hope that someday we can have a real conversation.
sincerely,
kellie olivia jorgensen

tonight was glorious.

i finally [FINALLY] got to play in the spray park tonight.
and it was even more fun than i thought it would be.
and afterwards i played four square.

thank you jon, justin, and ryan for making my summer dream come true.

i think i'd be good for you and you'd be good for me.

captured 15 june 2009

earlier today i was listening to some music on shuffle while getting things done and every song was perfect.

i love it when that happens.

one hundred.

captured: 14 june 2009
the foot clan in action.

i had big plans for today.

i was going to
wake up at 8:45,
go for a quick run,

bike to broulims,

finally tackle the ever-growing pile of laundry,
get caught up on my secret project,

take a shower,

eat a good breakfast,

clean my room,
and maybe play in the sun for a bit if it's warm enough before work.

i doubt much of that will happen today.
a terrible, vomit-inducing headache last night + four hours of sleep + waking up at five am = havoc on my body.
---------
in other news, the foot clan is back in business.

mission:possible

remember this post where i shared my goal to identify all of the piano covers that are fed through the headphones at the roc in between calls?
well, i not only did that...

[the ones missing from the list are:
1. like a boy//ciara
2. lost without u//robin thicke
3. make love in this club//usher
4. how do i breathe//mario
5. buy u a drank (shawty snappin)//t-pain
6. because of you//ne-yo
7. kiss kiss//chris brown
8. and the kanye west medley (my personal favorite--posted below)which includes flashing lights, champion, good morning, stronger, everything i am, can't tell me nothing, big brother, and good life]

i ALSO found the guy who does the covers on youtube.

what a momentous occasion!

consider this goal accomplished and THEN SOME!

ps: SYTYCD is going to be amazing this season. i just know it.

boom boom POW

captured 10 june 2009

down the street from my house, there is this beautiful cottage surrounded by the most beautiful flower gardens, shady trees, and broken-down pickup trucks with flowerbeds planted in the bed.
i love walking by it every day.
if i could, i would transport the cottage and the land to a different area [let's say.... oregon] and live there forever and ever.

----------------
in other news...

1. did you know that this movie and this movie [both in its entirety] are on youtube?!
2. new favorite thing: brushing my teeth in the shower. don't knock it til you try it.
3. the temple is great. it really is.
4. kellie needs a haircut.
5. my roommate is writing a book and one of her characters' names is kellenna and she said that whenever she types it, it reminds her of me.
6. speaking of names, lyndee and i wrote down our favorite baby names during the sexual harassment meeting yesterday at work.
here are my favorites: abigayle olivia, evangeline anne, oliver james, elijah marcus.
i also really like almond. maybe i'll use it for a middle name.
7. i'm ready for sunbathing/spray park weather again. i love the rain and all, but come on! it's june! warm up a little!
8. i am SO EXCITED for SYTYCD tonight!
9. who vacuums at seven in the morning?
10. i think i might take a short nap.

this song revitalized me.

earlier tonight, a miracle occurred.
after getting out of the car, i stepped onto the sidewalk and started running a little.
i was so surprised and bewildered and happy that i said, "LOOK! I'M RUNNING!"
just in time for three missionaries exiting their apartment to hear three year-old kellie state the obvious.
what they didn't know, however, was the fact that this was the first time pre-crash that i had run without [much]pain.

so later, i put on my abandoned and neglected sneakers, put on the song posted above, donned cut-off sweats and a ponytail, and ran around porter park.

as a result, my foot hurts a little bit, but i don't care because i realized that:

the only thing more amazing than running outside for the first time in a LONG LONG LONG time is running outside in the rain.
and the only thing more amazing than that is running through the sprinklers before making my way home.

--------------------
today was wonderful because:

1. i got to sit next to lyndee at work.
2. president eyring gave a beautiful devotional.
3. it was sunny in the afternoon and rainy in the evening.
4. i ran and ran and ran.
5. i watched girls just want to have fun while i got ready this afternoon.
6. i wore a skirt.
7. i laughed so hard i almost threw up.
8. work wasn't half as bad as it was yesterday.

what a beautiful day!

expect a happy post from me tomorrow because it is a) my day off and b) temple day!

joyeux anniversaire!

this is supertessa, my wonderful niece.
and today is her ninth birthday
[and by "today," i mean that it's only her birthday for the next eight minutes].

i remember the day i found out i was going to be an aunt. i never had a little sibling [even though i prayed for one every night] and i always thought having a niece or nephew would be a great substitute for that because if i got sick of being the "big sister", i could just send them home with their parents!
it's genius!

the funny thing is, though, i never get sick of the amazing tessa. ever.

here's why:
1. she is the smartest girl i know. she's way smarter than i am.
2. we were in a band called the red hot firecrackers. our one and only hit was a cover of the bangles' "manic monday".
3. she never walks... she dances everywhere.
4. she has the wildest imagination and always comes up with the craziest storylines.
5. when most little girls grew up playing house, tessa played "bomb shelter".
6. she is so caring and loving and gives the best hugs.
7. she lets me crash on her floor when i come to visit.
8. one time i babysat her and her brothers and i let her stay up WAY past her bedtime so we could finish watching enchanted and i don't think she ever told on me.
9. she is a very talented writer/author/dancer [as i mentioned earlier]/pianist/baker.
10. she's learning french.

when i first met tessa, she was a tiny, hairy, adorable, big-cheeked little alien-baby and it's been so amazing to watch her grow up into a beautiful, intelligent, talented girl. i can't wait to see what the future has in store for her. i know she will do amazing things.

but for now, she will just keep being my wonderful "little sister"-niece.

i love you so much, tessa!
happy birthday!

la blogotheque

i am obsessed with these videos right now.

dawn viewed from the rear window

this photo is kinda crappy.
but i like it anyway.
taken at approximately five am 23 may 2009

--------------

i almost threw up five times today. i hate headaches.
current goal: listen to every single song in my itunes library that i have never listened to before. only 281 songs to go.
i'm going to the temple again tomorrow. so excited!
today i got sent home from work and i decided that the blue skies and hot weather were perfect for sunbathing. so i went inside, put on my swimsuit and some shorts, grabbed a towel/book/ipod/sunglasses, put on some flip flops, and walked out the front door to find a suddenly overcast sky.
tonight, after sytycd, i'm playing in the spray park. and no one can stop me.
speaking of sytycd, the top twenty will be selected TONIGHT! i cannot contain my excitement. i am SO pumped. and if those adorable brothers aren't in it, i will cry. i have a major crush on evan [the one who did the flea hop after the mia michaels routine--is that the right name?].
is it possible to go to the temple too much? i'm thinking about going every morning. i have the time to do it and i always feel so good afterwards.
i crossed off one more thing on my osso checklist! consider the FAQ quiz aced!

today's blessings

1. being given a different survey. i never realized how big of a difference that would make in my work experience. the time FLEW BY today and six people took surveys from me.

2. rain. i loved this today. i loved it even though after i arrived at work [transportation:bicycle], i realized that it looked like i peed my pants because my butt was so wet with rain.

3. explosions in the sky. the perfect soundtrack for today.

4. knowing that tomorrow is my day off! and the day of my kitty playdate with alyx, temple work, so you think you can dance, and a bikeride to walmart [or kmart] to purchase a new gluestick because i am fresh out and am three days behind on my daily project!

5. talking to a cute boy. he is a coworker of mine. and we had to talk because he had just monitored a call of mine and needed to talk to me about it [don't fret, don't fret... i didn't get into any trouble. it's all routine]. but, he is cute just the same. i just cannot resist a boy in glasses.

6. finding my copy of waiting for guffman. i've been looking for this dvd for a month now.

7. being told that my very first paycheck will be given to me on friday. i like this whole money business.

8. knowing that one month from now i will be readying myself for quite an amazing fourth of july weekend.

--------------

i think tomorrow i will take photos on my gluestick pursuit tomorrow because i haven't posted a new picture on this blog in a very, very long time...

how boring!

sometimes you have to take a step in the dark.

carrying two loaves of bread i rescued from the dumpster and a bag kris got for me in guatemala, i slowly walked home, savoring every step.
sporadic raindrops fell on my hair, glasses, face, and i welcomed its presence.
as i walked, i went through my day and felt so much warmth and happiness. and i realized, it's not what i surrounded myself with, but who i surrounded myself with that made me feel the way i do right now.
i thought of this morning's broulims/library run with alyx and our plans to play with the kittens again on wednesday,
i thought of lyndee's constant support and optimism, especially in regards to working at the lovely rexburg opinion center,
i thought of how hard i laughed listening to jeff and aaron sing "stand by me" in the weirdest way possible,
and talking music with ryan and joe,
and losing track of the time talking with hannah, nikki, and lyndee [just like the old days],
and i breathed deeply.
this semester has not been one without its struggles and i have been tempted to turn back and quit,
but today, more than ever, i'm so grateful that i'm still here.
life truly is beautiful.