baby baby baby.

check it out ...

[photos]

of the pretty Allie Richards.

enjoy! (I sure did!)

song: owl city, vanilla twilight.

master of my fate.

The movie "Invictus" touched me in more ways than I could have imagined. Interestingly enough, I hadn't even heard a single thing about the movie, I had no clue what I was walking into. But I think it now goes in my top ten favorite movies of all time. Invictus

Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley song: John Mayer's solo, raw 'Edge of Desire' from his blog http://www.johnmayer.com/blog/permalink/5368

emerging.

spent the [week!] in virginia with my best friend :)

I could say a million things, but for now, let's just be happy I'm emerging from the bubble I've been living in :) some iPhone pics, anyone? you're welcome.

we went to the Air & Space Smithsonian

ooooh. we went to the Newseum! So. Cool. look at all these old newspapers! it was perfect for Kyle & I because we are both Communications majors and I'm pretty sure we could have spent all day in there reading everything.

we put our feet on the feet outlines in the museum :)

the girls (mom, Kourtney, Karlie & I) went shopping in Old Town Winchester, a little town in Virginia. so, so cute!

the Capitol?! maybe?! haha :) pretty.

Kyle & I, with Kory and Karlie, ended up in D.C. traffic for 3 hours. (can we say 3 miles in 30 minutes?) while it was entertaining, I will say I don't want to do that again anytime soon. ever!

ooh! snow day :) I was planning on flying out early Saturday morning, but the east coast got a "historic snowstorm" the one weekend I was there! and by historic, I mean, 2 feet of snow, no flights, no airport. that meant my 3-day trip turned into a 5-day trip!

we were a fan of this mirror. and us. cool.

song: on the wing, owl city.

and we can go anywhere.

all I ever do is blog when I'm flying.

good thing I have flown so.much. this year!

wait,

let's calculate.

.....

I think we're at 17 times since May 28.

wow.

I am so blessed to have an amazing friend [katie!] who offered to add me as a companion flier to her benefits as a Delta employee. I can fly home to Arizona for $25. yup, $25. it's beyond amazing. for me, it's evidence of the Lord's hand in my life. I have made some important trips this year, and I wouldn't have been able to fly 17 times without this!

and right now,

I'm in first class (yes, another benefit! I have gotten seated in first class more than coach!),

almost in Dulles, Washington

to see my best friend.

song: on the wing, Owl City.

with or without you.

Dear SLC Airport,

My plane landed at 12:33 p.m. My bag was checked in at 12:40. I walked straight to baggage claim, and proceeded to wait for my bag. For an hour.

My bag never came. I have yet to receive a call telling me it was a) recovered b) returned by someone confused traveler who doesn't know what their bag looks like or realize that it was probably too heavy to really be theirs.

Monday morning, I had to go shopping to replace things I no longer owned and couldn't live without. I bought:

- $50 worth of makeup.

-contact solution

-deodorant

-hair stuff

-a toothbrush (yeah. my pink electric toothbrush is mia. sad.)

To still be replaced:

-four pairs of jeans

-new bras & underwear

-undershirts. a black lacy one, three white ones that I loved, and an assortment of colors from Nordstrom.

-a camera charger

-my favorite workout/dance/everything pants. booo.

-pretty much all my newest tops (which essentially makes them my favorite ones.)

-boots. my favorite ones too.

-my vans & flats.

So, dear SLC Airport, I have come to this conclusion.

I don't care if I get my bag back anymore. No need to stress yourself out trying to find this mysterious piece of luggage.

Please just reimburse me promptly for approximately $800, and we'll be even. I am willing to spend the hassle of running around trying to replace everything, no worries. After all, I do love to shop.

Gratefully,

Leah Marie

song: big shout-out to care, who made me listen to this song today. Little Song: The Secret Handshake. soooo cute.

however, this post wouldn't be accurate if I didn't tell you I've been listening to Half of My Heart & Assassin by John Mayer, literally non-stop. loves.

patience.

I am currently 10,000 feet in the air. and blogging. cool.

Random thoughts from the weekend:

My roommates really are my family here in Utah, and through this family I am learning a more Christ-like love. and I am so blessed.

I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a military wife or girlfriend. Or wearing fancy dresses, either. And I think that’s alright.

I know where at least one part of my life is going, at least for one semester. And I am grateful.

After seeing New Moon at midnight (yes, that happened), I walked out thinking this:

-Cheeeeeesyyyy. I liked the book better, a little.

-I’m totally a Jacob girl now.

Right now, I am kinda operating with my phone as my fifth limb. And I’m ok with that.

Christmas is making me so.so.so. happy. We listened to Christmas music Sunday afternoon after church as we decorated & napped. And I loved it.

my life, in iPhone pics. check it.

song? rocket summer, around the clock.

Just a great figure 8 or a tiny infinity?

I usually see this sign every day as I walk into work.

"If you avoid difficult things, great things will avoid you."

That has really stood out to me over the past months, as I have worried and stressed and cried and freaked out (yes, that has all happened in this building. haha).

Not that I'm going through an incredibly difficult time right now at all, but it always just causes me to reflect on what is difficult, what big or little things I may be avoiding.

I have thought about it a lot, and I think I am really starting to understand it.

We have to push ourselves. Open ourselves to vulnerability.

If I just avoid everything that is difficult, I will be denying myself the opportunity to grow, change, learn and ultimately, receive blessings from my Heavenly Father.

I am facing, approaching difficult things head-on. I will not ignore or avoid obstacles in my life. I know that with God, I can do anything, become anything, and overcome anything. It may not always be how I planned (which is difficult for me, sometimes!) or what I expected, but it will be right.

I am so grateful for the difficult things in my life that have lead me to great things.

and I am ready for more.

song: new john mayer cd! edge of desire.

gushing & loving & stuff like that.

love.

watch it.

such a cute video, I couldn't resist. & I don't think you will be able to either :) love it.

songs: matt wertz & matt kearney. >>>playlist. also, the second song in this video!

risk it all.

I spent the morning photographing nerd candies, and I just wanted to update my blog real quick :) I played with lights, bowls, shapes, backgrounds, made boys from apt. 7 drop the candy for me to shoot & just loved the whole thing.

college is great? no, really. it is. sometimes I really don't want to graduate [but only sometimes.]

song of the weekend: if my heart was a house, owl city.

here's to nights at the library.

"Educate a boy, and your educate and individual. Educate a girl, and you educate a community."

African proverb via Greg Mortensen

Greg Mortenson spoke at Devotional lastweek, author of "Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time."

listen to it online for free: http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1867

That book is a must-read for me (and all of BYU, actually).

His book is about building a system to educate girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has now built over 78 schools in the most remote areas of the world.

And why did he do this?

To promote PEACE.

Peace can be accomplished through books, through knowledge, through women. Whether here in Utah or Arizona or across the world in Pakistan, peace can be achieved through learning. I have seen this principle in motion as I have observed families that do not have books in their home, children who have no encouragement to attend school, whose parents overlook homework, reading and studying. In my all-Hispanic bilingual elementary school, those same kids joined gangs, had sex and were failing classes — in the fourth grade. Maybe, what those kids needed, was a real mom.

And education is a marvelous blessing. By using our education, we can spread peace. It’s not all about getting through school getting good grades for yourself so you can go to graduate school. Sometimes being in college fosters an atmosphere of complete selfishness, a total focus on you and what you want in life. It’s easy to get caught up in your goals and forget why we’re all really here.

I wholeheartedly agree with Mortenson, and hope that I can live up to his faith in education, and women.

"If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs."

song of the day: (credit goes to erik for this one) - Wishing Well by Airborne Toxic Event.

your fight, is my fight.

It's prettier here than I could have ever remembered.

I want to bottle up fall & save it for a miserable, freezing January day.

But really, I would just prefer it to be fall all the time.

It makes me want to be outside all.the.time.

morning, afternoon, and especially at night, when all the leaves are blowing & it is cold enough to remind me of Christmas.

fall reminds me of my mom's apple cider (with oranges!), scarves, school, holidays and love. so much love. in the end, I know it is such a great blessing that it is fall right now. I feel (slightly) less stressed just because I can walk outside at 2 a.m. & think. or not think. they both work :)

song of the weekend: silly justin bieber songs. but I love them. haha

oh, you got me.

totally love it.

you might too : )

check it out?

Raphael Saadiq, npr style. my daddy would be proud!

Carrie.

my pretty care bear on a rainy day. we went out in the garden & she modeled her pretty self, all in the name of pure work, of course :)

more athttp://flickr.com/photos/leahmariewasson

& more to come :)

something blue.

I just watched the latest "The Office" and I have a few confessions (& warning: this post is a little sappy and maybe even cliche. ok).

1) never gotten into the office. pretty big declaration around here, I know. People, epecially those in Utah I feel, LOVE the office. I watched the very first season when it very first started airing with sam, but since I haven't really wanted to watch it.

2) I'm so in love with Jim. I'm sure every other girl probably is too, but really. after watching this episode I remembered how much I love his character. and his smile.

3) yes ... I shed a few tears in this episode. I don't know if I can explain why, except that unlike many of the chick flicks I've seen lately, this love story seems so real.

and I know I will be happy getting married on a boat, in plane, on the beach, or in the rain, as long as my husband has the same look Jim does in the last scene (the best one is in the episode ... so watch it!) :)

the song of the day is It's My Life/Confessions, a Glee mash-up.

i'm in a mood & that means i must be extra tired.

dear body,

i have too much to do, not enough time and an extra insane schedule this week. thus, i will be unable to allow you the luxury of being sick in any manner.

tonight, however, will be your freebie night as i can see you're already taking it for everything its worth. symptoms such as a migraine (nothing new, but that's a whole different blog), fever, cough, and especially awesome sore throat are inexcusable and should be gone immediately.

maybe next week when i don't have my days planned by the hour we can revisit this whole sick business? i know how fun it can be.

love,

leah

ps. props for keeping up this week though!

song: vanilla twilight, vanilla twilight, vanilla twilight.

a dying profession.

I must have had this conversation a dozen times.

Yes, I am well aware that print journalism is a "dying profession."

Yes, I know that newspapers are dwindling, folding and professionals foresee drastic changes in the near future.

Yes, I know that nobody likes to read newspapers and most people don't trust the media in general.

Yes, I know that it may seem pointless to trust a reporter to present an objective article.

Yes, I know all of these things, and about any other journalism-related question you may have to throw at me.

But to me, journalism is more than a Jayson Blair, a Stephen Glass.
To me, journalism is an "All the President's Men." It's a New York Times since 1913.

It's why I have every class besides New Testament in the BRMB (aka Communications building).
It's why the tips of my fingers are always black.

It's what I have dedicated the past six years of my life to, and most likely the rest of life.

It's the first thing I think about when I wake up, and usually the last thing I think about before I go to bed (relatively).

I have woken up at 7 a.m., ran out the door in my pajamas, just to pick up a hard copy of the DU and double-check everything. Yes, newspaper is my life right now, but I wouldn't change it.

I love doing something that I think is important, that I can get involved in. Something that is constantly challenging and stretching my mind; a job where I learn at least one new thing a day on a program I have been using for years.

I may be getting a degree in something that's dying, but it's something that matters to me. and hopefully, your kids.

that's what I'm doin' these days.

yes, it may take me two months to get through all the pictures I took this summer, but at least they're up!

songs of the week, on repeat:

My Temperature's Rising: The Audition, and Holes: Rascal Flatts. two complete opposites, I know, but that's me right now.

Earlier this summer I spent the day with the Maile, Ethan & Ridge in Eagle Mountain. I used to be their "Friday" nanny my freshman year of college, and occasionally still get the chance to spend a day playing with them :) it's always such a blast! being the oldest of six, I'm used to being around kids & this whole college thing has made me realize how "kid deprived" I have gotten.

a day with my favorite utah kiddos

I think he's scared of the jumping here, and maile is such a good big sister!

my pretty little maile...her hair is sooo long! when I first started nannying her, her hair was in an adorable little bob, now look at it! I know she just loves it :)

loves & favs from summer '09.

over the summer, I worked, slept & played, and I also managed to fall in love with a few things I absolutely must tell a) the blog community b) creepy people that read my blog and don't even know me. meh, you must all know.

500 Days of Summer

"This is not a love story, it's a story about love."

I walked into the movie having only heard that quote, no trailer, no synopsis, nada. I walked out regretting that I hadn't seen it sooner. wow, what a great movie. It's different from your typical chick-flick, but that's why I love it so much.

Tom is looking for his soul-mate, his one true love, and then he meets Summer. Summer doesn't believe in love or relationships really, but Tom thinks that's changing. I won't spoil anything ... but I do hope you watch it & love it as much as I did!

plus, Tom's wardrobe is awesome. all I know is I really, really, really want to date someone who dresses like him. yess. and the soundtrack is great too ... all important components!

Gandolfo's Deli

yup, I'm totally in love with this deli right now. there are at least 40 different sandwich choices, and at least all of the one's I have tried are delicious. I have this routine of always stopping by there after work on Saturday afternoons, and then eating on the grass, usually while I talk to my mom or Courtney. It's so relaxing and I totally look forward to it. my advice? If you're in Provo, go to the one on 800 N. because 1) there are a lot of great deals, especially after 3 p.m. and 2) they are usually quiet compared to the other one.

HIMYM

(or How I Met Your Mother)

now, it may have a laugh track, but you can't judge until you've seen it. this show is the funniest show I've seen, hands down (and yes, that's including Arrested Development, although it is still great).

my brother Erik got my roommate Sarah & I hooked on this show when he came up to visit in March, but we've been addicted ever since. the shows are short (about 25 min. long) and so I like to pop one in my computer and watch it while I do my hair or makeup.

besides being hilarious in a witty, satirical way, the characters are endearing and memorable. sometimes I think I am as cynical and independent as Robin, and I think everyone hopes to marry someone as romantic as Ted or Marshall ... and let's face it, Barney just makes the show! :)

The best part? Season 5 is starting up on Sept. 21 at 8 p.m.!

Owl City

ok, I'll admit it: I'm pretty picky about new music. usually, I only listen to music I find myself or that Erik either recommends or forces me to listen to.

but Kyle insisted I listen to Owl City, and voila! love them, so much. my favorite two songs are Fuzzy Blue Lights, especially the beginning, and Hot Air Balloons.

the night I stayed in the hospital with Erik, we squished in his hospital bed and listened to Owl City off and on pretty much all night on his laptop. love it.

ps. like my new playlist? :)

vacation fun.

I had the wonderful opportunity of spending several weeks this summer, in two trips, with my grandparents in Oregon. Such as blast! We spent four days in Bend, Oregon grilling, biking, playing tennis, and watching SYTYCD, of course :)

waiting to board on the way to Oregon!

where we stayed, just beautiful

father-son moment...erik is possibly rolling his eyes, wait, I'm pretty sure he is! Two of my favorite boys :)

biking through oregon countryside

Tennyson & Brenna on our ride

my pretty little sister

mariah in the cute little town ice cream parlor...so fun!

the baby ryry "playing tag" with the big kids in the yard

mi papi! behind the lens at dinner, of course!

mariah, I think she totally looks like a movie star here :)

we had dinner by the Sandy river, at the restaurant where I'm going to have my reception, huh Bill?!

on the Sandy river, my beautiful momma

pretty backyard, pretty view

the tradition of the "after-shopping" fashion show lives on, started by yours truly, of course!

Sandy river!

baby & mom

Now begins the "Man Cave" portion of the blog...so, while the entire family was up in Oregon, the boys decided that the Home Theatre room downstairs needed to be converted into the "Man Cave." They pretty much did that themselves anyways, segregating the girls out of the room for video game sessions, retreating to the Man Cave after dinner, etc.

We leave, with lots of joke for what the new Man Cave would include, but no one (ok, none of the girls) actually believing anything would happen.

THEN.

Bill takes it to an entirely new level.

I return solo, maybe a month later, and ta-da! New downstairs (yes, the Girlfriend room is being re-done. sad day.)

Refurnished the room, including paint and carpet. New HD plasma screen, anyone? Custom-made pool table, which was delivered the day before I left...so much fun! Bill & I practiced our pool skills...awesome. I missed the poker/card table delivery, but I guess that just means I'll have to come back up!

bummer. blogspot is totally messing with the colors on these photos...so I will upload them to flickr too! hopefully they will be better there.

http://flickr.com/photos/leahmariewasson

King? :)

What a wonderful summer vacation! We had so much fun :) Thanks a million, Bill & Mariah...can't wait to come see you again!

song of the week: Everything I ask for, The Maine ...