a happy christmas.

MERRY: Christmas.  Well I had a fabulous Christmas this year. It came and went very fast.  I had finals right up until the 19th of December and then spent all weekend and Monday moving into a new apartment.  I am really excited about our new place.  Cute, comfortable, and most important- close to all my girly friends.  Winter semester 2009 is our years girls. ;)  Anyways I ended up having to do all my Christmas shopping two days before Christmas and can I say the mall was jam-packed.  Seriously I was getting anxious and stressed.  I can't handle the mall for too long, especially with it being crazy like it was.  Lucky for me though I got all my  Christmas shopping done in one day.  I was excited about the gifts I got my loved ones and hopefully they liked them- (it sure seemed that way on Christmas..) Christmas Eve we had a yummy dinner and watched Home Alone.  I love that movie and it was the perfect Christmas movie to watch before the big day.  Christmas finally came I was lucky to get everything I wanted and then some.  I was really excited about my external portable hard drive (I know sounds totally nerdy but I needed it!)  It's great because I backed up my 5,000 pictures (mostly they are all London pictures) and loads of music.  Now there will be more room on my computer and it will go faster.  It was also fun to watch everyone else get their gifts, especially my nephew Jaxon.  He's 2 and was loving it.  My brother and sister in law, Kat, got Rock Band and Guitar Hero III and so we set it up at our house and played for awhile.  We all took turns playing and had a lot of fun.  I could play the guitar forever.  LOVE that game.  Anyways we left that night to go up to our cabin and stayed there til saturday night.  It was a lot of fun at the cabin and most importantly it was RELAXING.   I slept in, lounged around, read books, watched movies, and even got a bit active by going snowmobiling.  It was a great time with everyone.  I love the Christmas spirit of miracles, family togetherness, cheer, love, decorations, snow, christmas cards & music, etc.  I am happy to report that so far the Christmas break has been quite merry.  

shoes.

HAPPY: new pair of shoes.  Well I purchased these little red cuties about a month ago and have worn them several times and each time I wear them the compliments come flowing in. I wore them on campus once because I had to dress nice for a presentation and I had girls stopping me in the halls, bathroom, while I was studying, and checking my shoes out as we were passing by.  Without fail, I get at least a couple of compliments when I wear them.  I don't think I've owned an article of clothing that has gotten so much attention.  They have become a new favorite.  They make my feet look small and every time I slip my foot into each shoe and buckle them up I feel a surge of confidence and beauty.  Okay, maybe that is a bit extreme but I still love the way they look and there's nothing better than looking down to a cute pair of shoes.  I'm sure most girls can agree that a good looking pair of shoes can make us happy.

F is for finals, not for my grade.

HAPPY: Christmas break is right around the corner. Well this is the last week of class and next week the dreaded finals begin. I have a few papers and a project due this week so let's hope I get them all done without having a break down. So far so good. Like everyone, I hope finals go well. I'd also like to give a quick shout out to BYU and Harold for lengthening your library hours 'til 2 am. I love being on campus for that long and that late. That's how we cram and get the grades. Well for all those studying hard this week and next, good luck on your tests, projects, papers, and presentations. May your minds be agile and your thoughts clear.

But keep in mind, grades aren't everything. "I have never let schooling get in the way of my education." -Mark Twain

thankful for..

MERRY: Thanksgiving. Well I hope like me, everyone had a great Thanksgiving break. I spent the week in St. George with my family and grandparents that live there. It was a fun, relaxing week in the george. We had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and on Friday we took a girls only trip to Vegas and spent the day shopping. It was great, although I probably spent too much. Dang those good sales.

Well in the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful I would just like to express my attitude of gratitude towards things that make my life merry & happy. My family and friends have been most significant in my life and I am thankful for them everyday. I am thankful for a lot of things.. for moms who always know the right thing to say. For dads with great counsel. For brothers who tease and make me tougher. For friends who always listen and make me laugh. For sisters that can relate to the life of being a girl. For school that fills my brain with knowledge. For books that make me think and imagine. For the gospel that is my life and points me in the right direction. For a job that pays my rent, tuition, food, and other expenses. For limbs that let me dance, exercise, and feel. For a heart that can have and share love. For the sunshine. For rain. For this world, that even though there is much confusion in it today, there are always moments of goodness around. I'm thankful for happiness, which comes from each of these things and many others. When in the right perspective, happiness is all around us.