Children of Light.

"As a child of God, you're a child of light."      
-President Thomas S. Monson "Stand as a Light"

Catch Up, 7UP.

Hey there. Long time no chat eh? Life can be cray like that sometimes you know? Anywho, to get you up to speed on the latest with moi…

-It's summa time! #praiseJesushallelujah
-I'm in my beloved California and NOT Utah (insert praise hands)
-I'm working like a craz-o but it's so good to be busy and not like "So what do I wanna do with myself"
-Despite the heat and random humidity, I still manage to freeze ERRDAY at work (no surprise)
-Living close to tons of family is the best and I get to love on my little Wybug and Lita all the time!
-Church is great and having church friends is even better!
-I finally overhauled my wardrobe yet still own 50 shades of black and grey.
-Not going back to Utah has to be the happiest thing ever
-BIGGEST NEWS YET: I HAVE A…just kidding y'all! STILL single as F but ain't even mad about it.

Here's to keeping up with this little blog since it's been far too long, I have to much to say and no one to say it to, and I have a feeling that things are going to be changing for the better soon! Besitos!

Here's to Being Spontaneous.

So once upon a time this past weekend, Raj was like "Let's go camping!" and anyone that knows me knows that is pretty much the fastest way to kill me off but she insisted (like 5 times at least) and then threatened to take my car so I was like "Fine, I'll come too". Heaven knows I needed to get some fresh air and to have nature and how the F am I going to survive more than a certain boy that was driving me cray. Anyways, evidence for those skeptics out there:

 Bridger Bay up in Northern UT

 There were bison like everywhere and Kira thought they would come charge us…silly girl.

 We explored and things were climbed

 Poles were loved on and rules were broken for this photo #worthit

 We got a snapshot with our new bison BFFL because why not?

Part of me wants to go again at some point in the nearish future…I am Father Auten's daughter after all! When random adventures call you out on things you wouldn't normally do, respond like Nike and "Just do it!" It will most likely be epic as F and you'll be more awesome in your mind if nothing else.

The Month of Love.

Umm, let's just skip the chastisement for being the absolute worst blogger ever mmkay?! So it's like a week until the day of love (where does the time go y'all for real!) As to be expected, I'm single as F but it's all good because hello #treatyoself! (can I get a what what?!) Even though I won't be cuddling anyone but myself this year, I still love love. I have the best family in the world to be so grateful for and my friends are the greatest ever and I know the good Lord always is looking out for me and sending all kinds of love and blessings my way on the daily! Who knows, maybe my little crush will decide to get his crap together and be bold. For my life right now, this is my dating/love mantra via buzz feed:

Now whether you're married, dating, or single let's keep the L-O-V-E alive this February yo! Besitos y'all!

Aspirations for October.

Remember that time that I totally forgot that I had a blog since I came home from a mission and didn't post in like forever ever?! Let's not repeat that again mmkay? Fall is my current obsession right now despite the fact that it means it's getting colder (and in Utah cold=snow) but how can one not rejoice in all things leaves, sweaters, pumpkin, and baking?! #amiright? There are about 500 things that I want to do and celebrate this month but I'll stick to these top 10 and explore more options once I've crossed these off the list:

1. decorate my apartment for fall

2. bake some fall treats (aka pumpkin everything)

3. take cute fall pictures with the leaves

4. carve pumpkins

5. watch general conference (semi annual inspiration from the LDS church leaders. For more info or to watch, check out www.lds.org)

6. have a fall treats party with classic halloween movies (Hocus Pocus anyone?)

7. have a bonfire in the canyon 

8. girls night in with all the crafty goodness that interest has to offer

9. reading some good books and magazines

10. picking the perfect halloween costume and getting down with my friends

You're not even here yet and I want to shout my love from the rooftops for October! Let's get fall in full swing and capture the sweet moments! Pictures to come via the instagram @lalynnauten

Sometimes.

Sometimes...
Your nephews come to California on vacation and you don't even have time to get online for anything.
This means you don't check blogs, facebook, instagram (the horror!) etc.
This results in having like zip in photos taken from summer escapades to Target, restaurants, birthday parties, thrift stores and parks.
But on the flipside: This summer be rocking and I memories of the craziness and party life (aka redbox and sour treats) like off the chain man.
Keep em coming! (Be back soon in the fullest of swing y'all and not just in the selfie on the bed with a cray face on for fun yo)
XOXO

The Skinny on the THM.

So the past year and a half of my life has been spent bringing mis queridos hermanos y hermanas mas cerca a Cristo for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a missionary. It was the greatest and most challenging time of my life to date but I would not trade in the experiences and trials that the past 18 months threw at me for anything! I love the gospel so much and hope that all those that I taught will remember the importance of living the basic principles of the gospel and will put into practice daily scripture study, praying, and attending church meetings weekly as well as obeying God's commandments. I've learned that doing these simple and at times seem insignificant things actually help us to be spiritual safe and protected. Here are some of my favorite photo memories: 

 Distrito 18C at the Provo temple

 Day 1 in Texas with my trainer Mama Hanson

 Waller Bulldogs #shoutout@Tank

 Service at the Contreras' with Serrano and Hoskie

 4th of July in Waller with some of our vesties

 Texas Bluebonnets

 Houston signage love

 Our MTC district in Houston: Hermana Glauser and Elder Garcia

 Temple trip with Christina and Valentin and the english elders K and Gonzalez

 When our dearest Angelito came to church and made hater faces at us ALL day long despite loving it #fool

 I found out my little brother got sent to Puebla Mexico to serve his mission

 The cute little town of Tomball

 One year in Texas for our little distrito #holla

 When Danita decided my nametag needed some bling

 Christmas eve with the Cupul family

 When cute Gianela got baptized

 When I was deathly ill and leave my bed for a week+ #WORST

 Taking over the city of Houston

 Sealing of the Rivera family in the Houston temple with my dear Cran

 Going tribal in Guatemalan ropa at the Ajpacaja's with Hermanita Deloya

 Cutest city town sign ever

 The gorgeous Houston Texas temple

 Zone service at the Houston Food Bank

 Chillaxing in the Marin's hammock

 The Pingrees-best mission President and wife EVER! #lovethem

 Reunited with my dear Jingle Bells and Father Auten at the mission office

I love you Texas always and forever! 

So I've been released from my service as a full time missionary and have given my coming home talk and just reported to the high council leaders today...let summer commence at full speed yo! (I'm back for good y'all)

November Photo Challenge

I love instagram (who doesn't?) and taking pictures. Check out the #photochallenge for November @lalynnauten. Today's challenge was something that starts with the letter C so I chose cheerwine.

Halloween Success.

Oh hey people! I'm totally alive yet not according to social media (except the occassion tweet about how dang attractive @AustinBrown and @CullenJones are #heyboyhey) My life has pretty much been a super sped up course of mission prep these days and I still feel so unprepared but I know the Lord is going to bless me so much and puts my mind at ease about my mission everyday. I will miss some things about my normal everyday life but my mission will be so rewarding I know I won't even have those things on my mind. I'm so excited to be in Houston in a few short months and speaking spanish. I totally creep on every spanish conversation these days. I love halloween and will miss dressing up next year but will back to my normal traditions come halloween 2014! Here's what went down this year:

  A pumpkin was carved.

 $2 boorito bowls (yep, that's plural #fatkidinthemakin) at chipotle with my church crew

 Dear future children, hope you like your future costumes because this is so happening (given that I marry and "get busy")

Yours truly...so fierce #RAWR

Such a great night. Things not pictured: the cupcakes I made with the most divine chocolate frosting known to mankind, roasted pumpkin seeds, cute little Lita-saurus, pizza, the gorgeous full moon, my ever growing food baby (you're welcome) and the candy stash since the only trick or treater we had was Lita Pita Pie. Hocus Pocus is calling me to finish out all hallows eve properly so tootles!

I Couldn't Have Called It Better Myself.

Remember that time that I moved from Provo and then blogged from Wyoming about a month ago and the world pretty much assumed I died on the road to California? (Unless you instacreep on me and know that I so live on there) Hi, I be back. Since I got back to the lovely California sun, I've been shopping my heart out, receiving 5 million packages and things in the mail, and eating all the time. I recently received the most important and exciting mail I will probably ever get in my entire life. It came all official like and from my church headquarters all the way in SLC. I got my call and then made my family wait until all that could be home were there to open it. I thought my mom was going to rip it open behind my back but she restrained herself. I was oh so relieved when I opened it and saw that I would be going to Houston, Texas. That I could so handle (heat, good food and urbanization...I'm so in) I just hope I can catch a glimpse of my idol Beyonce or her rocking sister Solange while I'm there. We won't even mention the fact that I'm going to be speaking the espanol which I'm pretty sure is my most loved language. Being fluent will provide me with so many opportunities post mission even if it is just creeping on other peoples convos. I'm so excited to join the ranks of hermanas come December! 

 I will need to locate a postcard like this to send home.

 I love big cities like nothing else. Can we say shopping spree once I'm released?!

This is darling. I love Houston already and I'm not even there yet!