things i love as much as you

i think reflection on things you are grateful for is a good thing. rich lloyd reminded me this yesterday as i listened to his message thing in the car yesterday while i drove down to st. george with a friend (ended up being a good 8 hours in the car total... 4 of which were alone). a lot of these things are probably pretty stupid, but every time i'm faced with even a 'trivial' one, i smile big and goofy and feel warm tingles in my heart. the end... or the beginning. of a really long list...

1. podcasts of my morning show from home- the Bobby Bones Show. hilarious and keeps me connected to Austin and my peek-a-boo Texas accent
2. cooking. preferably with another person (preferably a boy, i won't lie). there's something so fun and great about cooking together and then eating great food.
3. dr. pepper. this is something i'd love to give up, but a fresh fountain dr. pepper makes me so happy- the perfect amount of carbonation is even better- unexpected place with best fountain dr. pepper??? the honda dealership where i get my car serviced. who knew.
4. my camera. yes, i want an upgrade already (d300 anybody? yes!!! now where can i find $2000???), but i love this d40, it's the perfect size for my hands, and i love having it with me even if i don't use it, cause you just never know. i love that when i'm bored i go take pictures instead of shopping or internet-ing (ok, well i'm working on that more)
5. driving in the car with somebody and singing real loud... or not loud. singing with a boy and getting do sing 2 parts... you know, it's way better when the person you are singing with isn't a world-class good singer. yesterday i rapped with terence and it was way better than listening to your partner sing all good and stuff... uh, not that terence wasn't good, it was just better. does this make sense? i don't know. whatevs.
6. my baby brother- he talks now. kinda ("tell tara 'i'm just calling you back'" "'no calling you back tara'" "'tell tara i love you!" "no love you tara!")... his favorite word seems to be no. but his little voice is so cute and i know he doesn't mean it so i don't care.
7. sundresses. i only have a couple and i wear them every chance i get.
8. summer drinks... ok so giving up sweet tea is not easy for me. but lemonade??? virgin mint mojitos? yes please!
9. MIKA's "grace kelly", Jason Mraz' "i'm yours" and the old school country i've been into lately. screams summer
10. long drives with the right person
11. pineapple brushed in honey and brown sugar and grilled. life cannot get any better.
12. the smell of hawaiian tropic sun lotion- i wear it even at night and when i'm not in the sun cause it just smells like summer.
13. chapstick (and the kind that smells like lifesavers! ha)
14. target. a heavenly institution on earth.
15. my hammock. the best 40 bucks i've spent in a long time.
16. the baby owls that live in the tree above above mentioned hammock. they are precious and they dance.
17. crying at a movie
18. chills from church
19. the pool and my dollar floatie that makes it even better.
20. missing someone for a few minutes or hours or days and then getting to see them.
21. my queen sized bed, even though i sleep on about 1/3rd of it and don't move the whole night, and nobody's ever been on the other side.... knowing that i have something that's kinda adult makes me proud.
22. austin baird... because he's from texas and he says y'all and calls everyone darlin' and sweetheart and never wears a shirt and is the best real life cook i've ever known and he lives off energy drinks and he thinks i can do things better than i really can (my hair, take pictures, be a good person...) and he kisses me on the cheek when he goes and he lets me sometimes come cry on his bed and he makes it all ok, and the way he walks into our house at random times and if i run into a room and say 'hang on!' he sounds really excited and calls "are you naked!?!?!', and how he loves to get people together and make everyone feel so happy. and because he takes pictures like this
23. thunderstorms. though we barely get any here.