I have most exciting news to share. You are looking at the proud new owner of a Banjo!

I made the leap this afternoon. I was debating whether to just buy one online, but decided it would be better to just buy it in person so I could play it first. I mean, I'd never buy a piano or violin without playing it first. Of course, I have no banjo playing experience and I wasn't spending a ton of money on it, but still.

Here it is, just me and my banjo. 

It's beautiful. I love it already. I'm sure I'll love it even more once I learn how to play it.

And here is our newly improved music nook.

The electric guitar is Tyler's from like 10 years ago. He's going to learn how to play it once we replace the strings. 

Updates to come as we learn how to play our collection of instruments.

I just wanted to take a moment to share the latest dinner disaster. I was making Tyler's favorite sweet and sour chicken as a late birthday dinner and I burned the sauce. It's a sugar based sauce, with vinegar, ketchup, and soy sauce so it's imperative that it's cooked thoroughly because it smells vile before the flavors all combine (actually I have no idea what makes the flavors better after it's cooked). And of course, I overcooked. And I mean really overcooked. It smelled like burnt plastic and I'm almost positive that I destroyed my pot. Here's a picture of the sauce.

That sauce is now coated to my pot and I'm not sure if anything will get it out. I'm currently soaking it, but idk what else to do with it.

On a more cheerful food note, here are some cake pictures.

Here is us on Bram's birthday with the longboard cake.

The next picture is a little more exciting. Here is us eating our wedding cake.Which is exciting because it's over two years old. And guess what? It's actually pretty good still.

Okay, now for Tyler's birthday.
Here is us celebrating at his parent's house. Also pictured, my controversial haircut. 

Here are Tyler and Eleanor modeling birthday presents. I don't know why, but she refused to take a picture without sticking her tongue out. Idk where she learned that.

Here is Tyler with his brightly lit birthday pie.

Here is Tyler with his birthday present. Okay, I know this post is supposed to be about Tyler, but I just gotta hog the spotlight for a minute because I am seriously proud of myself. 

I have the reputation of being literally the worst with surprises ever. I hate surprises if I know they're coming. I am terrible at keeping surprises. I'm an awful liar. I have never given Tyler a present that surprised him in our whole short history together. There are many reasons for this. One, if there's is something I want, then I will ask for it, so it's not a surprise. Two, I'm not going to waste money buying a present that I don't know if someone will like, so I will ask what they want, and then obviously it can't be a surprise. Three, we share money, so he knows if I buy something. (I'd know if he bought something too if I ever bothered checking.) Four, bad liar. Five, I get too excited to give the present. It's just so tough. So the fact that I somewhat surprised Tyler with this was like monumental. It was close. First I asked him to get me a bunch of cash (Idk why that didn't tip him off). Then I took Bram longboard shopping with me, and Bram was texting Tyler a bunch of fairly obvious questions such as "I'm going to buy a longboard, what kind should I get?" "What is your favorite kind of longboard?" "If Landan were going to buy you a longboard right at this very moment, what color, model, and shape do you want?" Then I had to hide the longboard, then wrap the longboard and hide it, then get it in the car without Tyler seeing, all while keeping it a secret. It was very difficult. 

It was also hard to wrap. 

Yes, that is various prints of leftover wedding paper held together with Batman tape.

But he said he was surprised! Once he saw the present he obviously knew what it was, but he was surprised that I got it for him. That is likely the only surprise present I will ever give.

Anyways, happy birthday Tyler! I love you.

This weekend was Tyler's birthday weekend. On Friday, mom got here and we had a delicious dinner made by myself and watched Star Trek. Saturday was pretty eventful. We hiked Squaw Peak, which was probably the hardest hike I've ever done (a fact I'm slightly embarrassed to admit). Me and Tyler hiked Squaw Peak once before when we first started dating, and I guess we must have got super out of shape since then because it was like a million times harder than I remember. But here's the thing. Mt. Timp is supposed to be so long and  challenging, and it wasn't. Squaw Peak is supposed to be the hike that everyone does (I guess lots of people do Timp too), but it's short and low and we'd done it before. It was so difficult. I had to stop like ten times to get up the mountain, and it wasn't even a tall mountain. In fact, I don't even know if it can be classified as a mountain. Basically it just killed and I promised I'd never do it again.

 

After summitting the mountain, I got a hair cut because for some reason if I ever cut my hair it has to be a drastic, impulsive action. I just don't see the point in getting trims, if I'm cutting my hair then I'm cutting it. Anyways, I kept thinking how I needed a trim but obviously wasn't going to get one, and then I saw mom's haircut and I was thinking about how I need a trim plus also I never do anything with my hair except put it in a ponytail or bun and my hair wasn't even long enough that it was at a point where I thought it looked pretty in a ponytail or bun, and then we hiked the mountain and my hair was absolutely disgusting after running and then hiking without washing it and that made up my mind. So I cut a lot off. But my hair is pretty poofy no matter what length it's at so I don't know that it makes a difference.

So far only a few people have noticed (or at least commented on) my haircut. All were students. Here are literally the only comments I got.

Student: Did you get a hair cut?
Me: Yeah
Student: It was prettier when it was long.
Me: . . . Thanks. . .
Student: No it's a compliment. It means that I liked your hair when it was long.

Student: You look different.
Me: Thanks?
Student: Did you cut your hair?
Me: Yes
Student: Well, it will grow back.

Student: Did you cut your hair?
Me: Yes
Student: . . .

So I don't know if it really looked bad and no one else commented because it looked so bad or what. Children are supposed to be the most honest people. But I know that's super egotistical. People (and by that I mean mom) always tell me that people really just don't pay much attention because they have so much going on in their own lives, so it's super self-centered to assume that they are always thinking about you and judging you. I never really felt that way until now though, but I realize it's true. People are busy. They have lives. They don't have time to care if someone else has a bad haircut. And honestly, it's so liberating. I feel so free knowing that the only person I have to worry about is myself, because honestly no one else even notices.

Anyways, off my tangent and back to the weekend...
We went to Temple Square on Saturday night because mom's college roommate's kids were playing a recital there (the reason mom came to Utah) and it was the best music I've heard in a long time. After that there was a reception with the best desserts I've had in a long time. So for the most part, it was a great day. (I ended up getting the worst cramps I've ever had that night and I have no idea why. I feel like it could have been the water I drank from the water fountain at Squaw Peak. It looked questionable, I'm feeling like it may have been diverted directly from the sketchy looking stream to the water fountain. I ate as many desserts as I could anyways because I figured I already felt awful, I may as well eat a ton because I can't feel worse. And it was the right decision.)

 Here are some of the lovely desserts. They were seriously so good. And you can only barely see the mini pies behind the cheesecake. Man, I am already missing those things.

I am just realizing how long this post is getting, so I'm going to end it and blog about Tyler's birthday in the next one. Yay for graduating and not having to write real conclusions.