It was clear back in February that I bought two tickets for Cami and I to go see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in concert. I wanted to give them to her for her birthday, which wasn't until May, so I had to keep them a secret for 3 months! THEN the concert wasn't until September 27th, so we had even longer to wait! FINALLY after what seemed like an eternity, the day came and we were able to fulfill a life-long dream of seeing Tim and Faith on tour. They blew our highest expectations out of the water! I was amazed by their talent, and literally brought to tears at one point by their love for each other, haha. It's so cheesy, but I'm just super proud of them for being famous and staying married for 21 years with no end in sight?! They're seriously just incredible people. It was the most incredible show. It's gotta be all downhill from here!

Rascal Flatts Concert

 This weekend was so good to me and for me! Friday after work, I went straight to pick up Carlee and Cami at their house, and then we were off to St. George! I was so excited to get there. I love visiting St. George, not only for the weather, but because it's my real home! I never feel as at home in a place as I do in St. George. I'm lucky my sister still lives there with her family, so I can visit whenever I want to! We got to her house around 9:00 that night, and my niece, Lizzy, was having her birthday party with a bunch of girls. We sat upstairs with my Julie and Jon and ate cinnamon rolls and popcorn before heading to bed. 

Saturday I was up way before everyone else. I have the hardest time sleeping in. 7:15 hits and I'm wide awake! So I went to Lins (my favorite grocery store in St. George!) and bought some donuts for everyone for breakfast. After everyone woke up, we just hung out for a bit. My sister Julie has 4 kids, so there's constant entertainment! ;) Later on, Cami went on a lunch date, and Carlee, Lizzy, Julie and I went to Pasta Factory for lunch! When we got home, we were playing around on Snapchat and learned how to do a couple things:

 Cute, I know. You're welcome. At 3:00 it was finally time for Cami, Carlee and I to head to Vegas for the concert! We forgot about the time change though, and ended up getting there super early. We had already decided that we wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and after looking for the menus we were so bummed! We didn't realize it was so dang expensive! In case you're wondering, my $21.00 burger wasn't even THAT good. JCW's is better. By this point, we were all just exhausted! So we went back to my car and tried to take a nap for 30 minutes before going to get in line for the concert.

Needless to say, Rascal Flatts killed it. They always do! (This was my third time seeing them. It was Carlee's SIXTH!) And we had such a blast. They played all our favorite songs, and even gave a few of them a fun twist. Driving back from Vegas to St. George at 1:00 in the morning was kind of sketchy--especially for any of you that know what time my bedtime usually is. But we made it back safely, and lived to see this snowy Monday in Utah County. 

p.s. Went rock climbing today after it had been a few months...

I've gotten so weak! 3 climbs and I was a dead woman. 

But I love climbing because I feel like it's so rewarding. 

Anyway, I'm off to girls night and the Bachelor! 

#TeamJojoEvenThoughIAmPrettySureLaurenBWillWin

Happiness Is.

Best friends who talk about growing old and taking care of each other instead of putting the other in an old folks' home.

Spending time with Braden. Nickelcade and Cafe Rio. Fake tattoos. All the high school nostalgia.

A night in, painting nails and watching movies with Cam.

Friends that text you, randomly, just to let you know, "I'm happy to be your friend."

Waking up in the middle of the night to find that you still get four more hours of sleep. And then getting to fall back asleep to the sound of rain outside. 

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

Today's weather had me smitten. I love rainy days; the way they clear up the inversion, the way they smell, the music that goes with them. Here are a few songs to get you started:

Life in Technicolor- Coldplay

All I Want- Kodaline

Up and Up (Acoustic)- Relient K

Tiny Dancer- Elton John

Take it Easy- The Eagles

Let Love In- The Goo Goo Dolls

430.

//Today is day 430 without this gent. That's a lot of days, you guys! 300 to go is a whole lot less than 730 to go. I'm getting super anxious for him to get home, but he is just so happy over there in Germany! I've honestly never seen him happier. He has some really hard times, but it just seems like nothing can get him down. I'm so grateful that I get to be the one to write to him and learn from him every week. 

//Tomorrow I'm off to Guatemala to do some filming! I think I've tried to make plans to leave the county about 6 times this year, and I'm so happy that one of those plans is finally happening! Adventure is calling!

//You guys should click here to read an article about Matthew's dad in honor of his memorial ride coming up next week. And you should all go ride along!!

//Today I died my hair all by myself for the first time! It's all one color, and it's just a little darker, so it's not a huge achievement, but still. I've never died my hair by myself, so I'm pretty proud. haha. 

// Thursday night I went to the Kenny Chesney concert with my mama and my sisters Julie and Katie. It was so much fun! We played Phase 10 between each band and watched drunk people wander around lost. But for real, I love Kenny!! Country concerts are the best kind. 

Okay, now I'm off to get back to the million things I need to do before I leave tomorrow. Here's to a week out of the office and country! 

10 things I learned this weekend.

1: I find it hard to listen to anything but Frank Sinatra.
2: I feel better when my room is clean.
3: And cleaning is rejuvenating. 
4: I'm not really shy- I'm just an observer.
5: I'm ready to feel needed again.
6: Taking responsibility pushes me to do and be better.
7: Breakfast At Tiffany's (the movie, not the song) will never, ever get old and will always be my favorite.
8: And Moon River is my favorite song right now.
9: Long solo drives are like meditation for me.
10: I'm a wreck. 

The one from Jazon Mraz.

"Go be that starving artist you're afraid to be. Open up that journal and get poetic finally. 

Volunteer. Suck it up and travel. You were not born here to work and pay taxes. 

You were put here to be a part of a vast organism to explore and create. Stop putting it off. 

The world has much more to offer than what's on 15 televisions at TGI Fridays. Take pictures. Scare people. 

Shake up the scene. "Be the change you want to see in the world."

I love this.

It totally speaks to me.

The one about my first two days at BYU.

I get up at 6:00 a.m. and don't stop until 9:00 p.m.

It's work from 7-4, class from 4:30-9.

But it's okay because my physics teacher plays jazz music for the first five minutes of class.

And the seal on the refrigerator in my apartment makes the most satisfying noise when you close it.

Today I broke a string of 256 consecutive days of seeing Matthew.

& I don't like that one bit.

My mind is discombobulated in its thoughts right now.

I am looking forward to next Thursday. It will be one heck of a celebratory day for Kalynn Eve Petersen.

I am also looking forward to my birthday. I have to milk it for all its worth.

Tonight I rediscovered Muse and realized how much I have missed them.

Water for Elephants really IS such a good movie. Go see it, people.

I kind of feel like baking right now. 

It's wayyy past my bedtime. Not counting Thursday night when I stayed up until two, this is most definitely the latest I have been up in some time. I don't know why my sleeping patterns resemble those of grandparents.

I wish it were possible to get all test grades back instantly.

I keep thinking about how lucky I am to have a bed like mine.

I wish I had a baby. Which is a problem, cause I don't want a husband. haa.

I want cherries.

I misssssss Matthewwwwwwwww.

I need to stop complaining and focus on more positive things. Like cinnamon rolls and apple juice. but not together.

10 things that made today a good day.

1: I got to see Brielle for the second day in a row. I love my BSFF. :] :]
2: Brielle took me to see the apartment we're going to be living in this fall. I adore it. It's so cute, it's got new carpet, tile, and cupboards, the kitchen is big, and decorating will be fun and easy.
3: The boyfriend took me to Jamba Juice. mm.mm.mmmm.
4: I went to a movie. I haven't been to a movie in AGES. Ages, I'm tellin' ya.
5: The movie was "Just Go For It." It's a fantastic comedy and I highly recommend it.
6: I went to said movie with my friend of 15 years, Tristan Winterton. oh, how I miss that girl.
7: I got to eat leftover steak for lunch.
8: My bracket is doing well. woot, woot!
9: I got home before 11:00, which means I might just get to bed at a decent hour tonight!
10: I get to go see my newest nephew tomorrow: Mr. Cole Nolan Johnson.

Other important matters:
--Can I just inform everyone how terrible of a song "Friday" is? What is all the buzz about it? It's not well written. The music video is completely ridiculous. And it doesn't even make me excited for Fridays.
--The boyfriend is on a camp out and I miss him...wah. poor me. boo.
-- seeing my future apartment and being around my future roommates made me way too excited for fall. It's going to be such a fun, good atmosphere!
--One of my favorite cousins is having his farewell on Sunday. I'm sad I won't see him for two years!

kay that's all. :)

-- Kalynn.

Patrick Watson.

click here to listen to only the most chillaaaaax song ever.
Then, when you're done, listen to THIS song by M83
Do it. DO IIIIITTt.
You will not be sorry.
And if you are, then you have an eccentric taste in music.

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

I love the inspiration found
in subtle works and doings of those
who don't know they're being watched.
It's a beautiful thing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today, I am telling myself no.
no negativity.
no pessimism.

Today, I am letting myself indulge.
Indulge in the beauty of life.
Indulge in the marvelous people I am surrounded by.

Why wait for tomorrow when you can be you today?
.....................................................................................

My heart is smiling.
It's the most beautiful accumulation of the right things,
in the perfect sequence of events,
that have you thinking "things just can't get any better than this."
Then..they do.
and your heart smiles.


{happy Tuesday}

Just a few

minor reasons that
Matthew David Ludlow
is my best friend.


1. We go on actual dates quite a bit. Which I like. {And it's usually something not uber expensive that is a ton of fun.}
2. Last night, he took me to Olive Garden. mmmmm! Chicken con broccoli. 3. My family would love to know that he is the perfect gentleman and he opened all my doors. {even when he barely fit in on that side...}
4. He then watched PONYO with me. Ponyo is the best Japanese anime movie EVER. It's pretty childish..but it's utterly fantastic and adorable. {Seriously. I HIGHLY recommend it.}
5. He LOVED Ponyo too!!
6. Sometimes he is oblivious which makes it easy to attack him and give him wedgies. hahahah!...
7. He showed me Badger Badger. hahah.
8. And We don't need no stinking badges!!
9. He cut my badger.
10. He turned on Owl City's "The Bird and the Worm" on his phone while we sat on my tramp and deciphered what the clouds were and, when it got darker, tried to find Orion's Belt. Not an easy thing.
11. He counts the raindrops that fall on him and freaks out when there are so many that he loses count. haha.

Have fun on your fishing trip, Matthew. I'll miss you. :)

As always,
Kalynn.