simplicity at it's finest

sometimes the simple little things are the ones that make it so great. 

the other day taylor came and got me and we just went shopping. it was a typical day at the mall filled with dressing rooms and fashion advice. 

started off at lowes, then hobby lobby in search for a white board. new favorite store? i think yes. if only i was crafty. but black boards and cork boards make anyone look crafty right? so many ideas for my soon-to-come apartment:) 

we went to starbucks somewhere in that and we ended the day at target in search for fabric paint. 

we didn't do much but it was so fun at the same time. it's nice to know that we can do normal, simple things and just enjoy each other's company without any fluff. :)

flash back

today i went to juice n' java with the ex. 

this is the ex. 

vegas 2010. u.s. open 

when my team merged with his, i remember walking in and thinking "oh hey..he's cute. he's going to be my boyfriend sooner or later." and what do ya know.. he was.

we competed in forms. so basically, we spent hours upon hours working on our forms together in front of mirrors. and eventually, we went to the biggest international open in the world...and got our sorry 16 year old butts handed to us. 

after a sticky breakup, we lost touch. clean break ya know? he went to orem and i was at mountain view. i didn't hear from him in two solid years and i'd see him occasionally at a cross race. but not too long ago he facebooked me and we talked for a little..or maybe until two in the morning. and it was just all about the "good times." something about being 16 was just so fun for us. and it was nice. i was able to get closure that i was certain i didn't need for two years. it was okay. he didn't hate me. we were civil. all is well. 

then today, guess who i get a text from..? 

the ex...

so since he's the ex, i HAD to look good. like "oops i'm cute..sorry i've moved on" cute. 

messy curls, skinny jeans, loose purple high-low cut shirt.

oops..i'm cute...:) 

"hey i'm in orem for today and tomorrow..and i'm down to do whatever."

well okay.. so i was like 

"who is this..?"

because i didn't have his number. and after introductions, we agreed that coffee tonight was the plan. 

normally, coffee get togethers are simple.

1. meet at coffee shop

2. get drinks

3. talk about nothing until drinks are gone

4. depart 

this one was a little different..

one dirty chai later, and we ended up at some park talking about our "good old days." then we ended up walking around the river bottoms for a solid half hour. mind you, it was freezing. 

again, all we have in common two years later, was out relationship...that neither one of us is wanting to bring up.. me because there's nothing left in the past..him..i don't know..and i'm not sure i ever will.

this whole thing made me realize how i'm incredibly happy i have taylor. he puts up with me when i think with my ovaries..and cry every other day..and he cuddles me..and he holds my hand and kisses my forehead.. and gives me his coat when i'm cold. he just takes care of me:) and i think that today, i had a major breakthrough with our relationship. i was able to actually word what i'm thinking. i was able to follow my thought process and let him know. because usually, i'm so caught up in crying that i don't remember. but i did today! and no tears.:)  month five has been anything but easy.. here's to month six:)

all too true.. don't sweat the small stuff..

nothing better

there honestly is nothing better than making it through Thursday. 

english was fun. as usual. 

i came home after what seemed to be the longest week of my life, 

called up my best friend had just vented for a solid half hour. 

we agreed that we both earned cookie dough after our week. 

so what did i do next?

went to target and bought myself a whole roll of cookie dough..

:) 

then tonight, we used the electronic system during sparring class. 

so we actually keep score. 

even though it's still technically class, everyone who spars is just so chill and it's fun to just play. 

i won both of my rounds. landed a few solid head kicks and figured out what i need to do to make all my head kicks score. 

gnarly. 

after such a emotional week, it's an amazing feeling to realize that  there are so many people in my life who truly love me and are there to catch me when i fall. :) 

now, i am more than ready for a weekend filled with cookie dough, movies and blankets. 

nine eleven

i remember being outside at recess with everyone. 

we were running around playing tag and then the bell rang. 

time for math. the worst part of the day.

we all came in and there was a weird feeling in the room..sort of like we were missing something 

the old t.v. in the corner of the room was blaring some movie..

two towers were on fire and what looked like people jumping out of windows.

we were all so confused. 

what movie is this..? why are second graders being shown this..? 

the neighboring teacher came into our class room in tears and none of us understood why..

why was she sad..?

no one said anything.

kids started to get checked out eventually there was only about a group of 4 or  5 of us that were left at the end of the day. when the bell finally rang i ran outside to my mom. i just had to tell her about this movie and that everyone was acting weird..

when i got home, the same movie was on our t.v. too...

and this time my mom was the one who started crying.

so i asked..

"someone attacked our country.." 

it didn't make sense.. 

looking back, i'm almost glad i was too young to understand what was really going on. i didn't realize the magnitude of our country's situation. 

but what has always been clear from day one is that many innocent people who didn't need to lost their lives. 

countless brave individuals sacrificed themselves to ensure the rest of the country would be safe.

i am so incredibly thankful for anyone who chooses to serve our country.

only America can withstand a horrible attack and come back stronger then ever.

week 1

ladies and gents 

i, ali sanchez, have officially finished my first week of college:) 

well, tomorrow. but still, same diff. 

honestly, it's so great

except for all the stairs i have to climb every single day to get anywhere

i swear, if i don't have an amazing butt by the end of the semester, 

i'm quitting 

but the homework has already started piling on..

but really. i just sit there and smile and hope that i'm not the only one suffering from a baby heart attack when a 6 page essay is the norm. and my heart totally stopped when MLA format wasn't what they wanted. oops. 

high school might've failed me. 

on the first day of class, my biology teacher took like half the time and talked about how grateful we should be for having the privilege of attending a university. 

and my first thought was sort of along the lines of "privilege?? i'm paying for this. i'm paying A LOT of monies for this..." 

then he said " there are 7 billion people in the world. do you guys have any idea of the percentage of people that are given the chance to get a higher education?" 

i don't remember the exact number..but it was itty bitty.. 

and then it hit me. 

i am so incredibly grateful for all my parents do for me. they're paying for whatever i need and books and my computer and gas and everything. without them, i'd be screwed. 

i'm so blessed to have been born into a family that values education so much that sacrificing whatever to make sure me and my sister have the very best my parents can afford isn't a big deal.

i mean it is, it's huge, but my parent's make it seem like it's nothing at all.

i just love them so much. 

and not just them, everyone. kels, britt, tay, all of the people who help me just get through the day. 

i couldn't do it without them. 

:)  

i'm 18. listen to me. or don't. whatever.

my name is ali sanchez, i'm a mormon and i'm pro-immigrant. 

since i am the big one eight, i can vote:) yay for the american dream right?

so like any other responsible teenager interested in the political future of our country, i'm getting informed.

:)

and i came to a simple conclusion. 

i'm a conservative democrat. 

and i would move to canada if Mitt Romney ever got elected. 

immigration is a huge deal in our family. just because we were blessed enough to be able to come here legally doesn't mean that other people shouldn't get the same chances. 

in spanish class,we watched this movie about a girl who gets pregnant, and her baby daddy leaves her. so being the best mom she can possibly be, she decides that the only way she'll be able to provide for her and her son is for her to leave her little boy and cross the border and make a living here and send money back to her little boy living with his grandma. 

then we watched another documentary on little kids who catch trains,and travel by themselves and try to make it into the states. one little girl they highlighted was from Honduras. all her family was in new york and she decided that it was her turn to cross. but she got caught on the border and was forced back. 

families are getting torn apart for the sake of trying to provide a better future for their kids. it's not like these people risk everything they have to come and live here for free. 

i honestly think that if an illegal immigrant comes here, works, pays taxes, tries to be a positive member of society, wants to help their kids get higher education, and follow the laws, there should be some way of helping them become legal. 

however, if they come here and abuse the system and get into trouble, then they don't deserve to be here. 

in the LDS church, we are all about helping others. 

ya?

ya.

then why is this man, who is an avid member of the LDS church wanting to kick all the hundreds of thousands of people who only came here to better their lives out?? 

it seems a little ridiculous and "unchirst like" if you ask me. 

on a monetary perspective, spending so much money on building a fence across the southern border is absoultly the worst way to spend our money. the northern border is twice as long with only 1% of the entire thing secured. where did the terrorists that caused 9/11 come in through?? 

the canadian border. 

also, things like the DREAM act, deserve to be passed. it's not fair to jeopardize kids who were brought here BY THEIR parents. this is just as much their country as anyone else's.  if they want to further their education, they should be allowed to do so.

coming from a family who clearly had someone immigrate, education is stressed like non-other. if i wasn't allowed to continue my education because something my parent's did to better my life, i would be crushed. 

Mitt Romney is a selfish douche. 

the end. 

the wonders

today is my first day of therapy. 

physical. not mental. 

my doctor wants me to endure twelve sessions over six weeks of physical therapy for my tibia.

you would think that a bone injury wouldn't require therapy, but dr. mclane knows better then i do. 

so i'll endure my six weeks and praise the lord when i can finally jump for joy again. 

during this entire ordeal, i've noticed what amazing things sour bodies can do. 

they are such a blessing.

like they can do just about anything with the proper training. 

if i wanted to be a dancer, my body would eventually bend in ways that aren't natural.

it's kinda really cool that the lord gives us such amazing gifts, like this; and we constantly take it for granted. 

that is, until we can't use it to it's full abilities. 

come what may and love it...:) even if it's therapy