Merry Christmas!!!

I had to work on Monday, but my team at work is awesome and we all brought food to share.  People were jealous of our awesomeness.  It was a good day.
On Christmas Eve I ran quickly to the store and then spent most of the day baking goodies.   I knew that I wanted to do sugar cookies, but I also added some simple treats that wouldn't require too much effort.  It was all delicious!   I made rice crispy treats and chocolate pretzel bites.  Yummy!!  The sugar cookies too much more effort than I thought they would.  The first two batches weren't good enough to frost.  For one of them I was on the phone with dad and I forgot they were in the oven. But I was able to get enough good ones done and frosted before I needed to leave.
I got to go to the Horne's for Christmas Eve dinner, but I wanted to leave early enough to stop by for a surprise visit at my Mission President's House.  They live just a couple exits away.  Luckily they were home!  The Murdock's new dog was really the first one to answer the door, but then Sister Murdock opened it and was SO surprised. She called President out and we sat down in the living room to talk for a while.  Their puppy was so cute and spent the whole time licking my hand or trying to eat my sleeve.  He was precious.
I am so glad that I live so close to so many people from my mission.   I hope to visit them more often!
Dinner was marvelous and I LOVED being with all of that part of my family- my second cousins and all their kids.  Oh my- the littlest ones were adorable.  I took some pictures, but they were a bit dark.  But I wish I had a picture of McKinley, Nathan's baby girl.  She came up to the table of goodies and stood there, as if considering all her choices with one hand on her chin and the other propped on her hip.  It was TOO cute!  Then!  Ella, the cutie!, she comes up to the table and reaches into the bag of pretzel bites and takes ONE and then goes back to her mom.  I don't know if she ate it or she gave it to Sara.  But 2 minutes later she came back and got ONE again.  She did this, I don't know how many times.  I was cracking up.  It was so adorable.
I love my family and I am SO grateful that it is HUGE.  I love that I know my second cousins and have done things with them every year of my life.  I am so glad that I got to do Christmas with them this year.
After dinner I followed the Nicholes back to their house and visited with them for a little bit before driving back to Provo.  We enjoyed lots of music from the Sing Off, an a cappella show.  Christmas Eve was just lovely.

Christmas morning!  I had the house to myself that night and my alarm got me up at 7.  I cleaned a bit and made breakfast while I waited for my family in San Diego to wake up.  Normally they are prompt 7 am people on Christmas so I was expecting a call around 8.  I called them around 8:30 to find out what was up. They were slow this year.  Weird.  I was always the one my siblings had to wake up at 7 even though they were probably up for hours.
I had started baking more cookies while I waited for them and BBC America was doing a marathon of Doctor Who because of the upcoming, monumental, historic Christmas Special.  For the Who fans out there- this was literally the scene that was on when I turned on the tv.  I almost screamed and cried.
 Actually, I think I did cry.  No shame.

So my setup was pretty awesome once my family got me on skype.  I had Doctor Who silent in the background and my computer was a window to my house in San Diego.  That is literally what it felt like.  Normally on skype you just talk to someone who is sitting in front of their screen, but when their computer is just set down so that I can see the room and hear everyone, it feels like I'm looking through a window.  The best part was everytime that I got Rachel to come over to the computer.  She was always smiling and she even started playing peek-a-boo with me.  See the video to the side.  It might be sideways and I don't think there is anything I can do about that.  Sorry.
After all the present opening my family 'took me' to the kitchen and I could watch and hear them all making breakfast together while I frosted my cookies.  Today the only problem cookie batch was some that were a little under done, but still yummy.
After 'hanging up' with my family and finishing my treats I got dressed and then left my apartment.  I dropped treats off at Rob and Chelsy's and then drove out to Sandy to surprise visit a missionary couple, the Thomases, who served with me in Lyon.  Again- it was precious to just totally surprise people who didn't even know you lived in Utah.  I loved visiting with them and I had perfect timing cuz they had only been home for a little bit before I got there and they were going to go over to their family's house for Christmas, of course.  It was just a perfect Christmas morning.
So then I drove over to Adrienne and Nathan's place- they live in a part of her Dad's beautiful house.  They have a ball room.  A BALL ROOM!!  I spent the rest of the day with my cousins and chatted with Joanel and McKenna, who was putting in SO much effort for Christmas dinner.  Way to go Kenna!  I love her.  Dinner WAS delicious.  Turkey and potatoes and salad... it never fails.  I am so grateful to them for having me over.  I was bad and didn't take pictures.  Sorry mom!

 Christmas continued into the 26th because after work I went to Salt Lake to see the Temple Square lights with Jared and his family.  It was great to see Russ and Andi.  I hadn't seen the Temple Square lights since I was about 13 when my cousin Jimmy got married around Christmas time.  It was beautiful and snowy.
But this year we had warm days all week, so a lot of the snow has been melting, or melting enough to just turn to harder, ice snow.  But the trees no longer have snow on them.  It would have been great to see the lights through snow.
Jared and I had a lot of fun walking around to see the lights together before we left to see the Hobbit!  It was a beautiful and cold night.  Thanks to Russ I have a great picture with all three of them.
So, that was my Christmas!
 I had work on Friday and a really productive, yet relaxing Saturday.  I found some thrift shops and bought some really cute shoes.  I wanted something other than my boots to wear outside that would be warmer than my flats, but that wouldn't take so much effort to put on.  I found the perfect shoes.
 Today has been relaxing.  I had to go home after Sacrament meeting because I didn't feel good.  I took painkillers and watched Mighty Joe Young and then the pain went away!  All is good now.
This next week I have Tuesday and Wednesday off again.  I might do something with mission friends for New Years, but I also heard about a huge party in Provo that is Great Gatsby themed, without alcohol.  I am very tempted by that as well, but I don't know what I would wear.  So anyways- I don't have much else to say, but I think I've already said a lot.  So, I'm out!

My Circles

Everyone has different circles of friends.  I miss my San Diego circles- my best friends, my church friends, my family.  But I have loved developing new circles in Provo- and I'm looking to create more!  Obviously, I still have family up here, and I am so glad that I get to spend more time with them.  I already posted the pictures of the Provo Read Girls from 2 weeks ago.  I spent Saturday afternoon with McKenna and Celeste. We painted nails and watched some Harry Potter and Epic.

Naomi and Me

Maria, Leslee, Me, Kaitlyn, Naomi, Summer

Last week at church my roommates and I took pictures together, so now you can see the girls I live with!  We had a Roommate Christmas in the afternoon with a Secret Santa gift opening.  My roomie Naomi got me the Christmas Carol!  Yay!  My roommates are all very different, but they are very loving, accepting girls and it was easy to just fall into my spot like I've always been there.

I am still getting to know people in my ward.  I finally have a calling as a member of the Ward Prayer committee.
Last Sunday for the activity at Ward Prayer we did the Nativity.  Considering how quickly it was arranged- I am amazed at how well they did it.  I mean- check out the costumes that people just HAD.  Notice the guy on the end holding a fur rug like a lamb? Who just HAS a rug like that?  And who has a neon yellow snow suit?  Our Star was one of the best moments.  You can watch the video if you search for it on youtube with 247 Ward Nativity.
I got to see lots of family on Thursday at Pamela's wedding.  It was like a little reunion.  I hope to find time on future Sundays to visit family.
I don't get to go home for Christmas, but I will be skyping with my family and I have invites for Christmas with family up here.  Plus- I get a white Christmas- and it has been lovely!

Provo winter!

Everyone needs to see FROZEN!!!  Seriously- best Disney movie ever.  I loved it so much that it just made me ridiculously excited for the snow.  So on Saturday I arranged a snow day with many different activities that would all make me feel very winter-y.  I am so grateful that I had friends and family join me in my fun.  My friend Lindsey and my cousin McKenna joined me at my ward's ice skating activity.  Free ice skating?  YES!!!  When we were leaving ice skating Kristen was done with her volunteering/lunch and we went to pick her up.  Then we went to my apartment to make lunch and we made paper snowflakes while watching the winter Tinkerbell movie (huge guilty pleasure of mine).  

It was a LOVELY day and it was snowing beautifully for most of it.  I didn't finish all of the ideas that I had for a snow day- the most important being snow pictures and portraits.  It got too dark too quickly, so that meant that my snow festivities could continue another day.

After Kristen was done with church on Sunday I picked up Elise, Madeleine and Kristen. McKenna met us at the park that we went to first.  We didn't have a photographer, so we used a box that I had to set my camera on and we had fun with the timer.  To make it fun I decided that instead of setting up the picture and having one person run in after clicking the timer, we all ran in to be crazy and silly.  My goal was to have a picture that just looked natural and wile.  We actually got a great picture out it- our smiles were completely genuine and not posed.

I don't have the energy to write and put pictures in among the words as I describe them, and really, they speak for themselves.  We took lots of fun pictures, it was FREEZING, but fun.  We look gorgeous I think.  So here are the pictures.

Thanksgiving!

     After work on Wednesday I picked up Kristen and Elise to drive home to San Diego.  We left Provo at 5 pm and we drove straight through the night- only stopping twice for gas. When I have made this trip before by myself it was so boring- just me and my music.  There were moments that I would feel the fatigue and once I needed to pull over for a power nap.  But THIS time, with Kristen and Elise to talk to, I never ONCE felt tired.  I drank Mountain Dew just 'in case' and it hardly felt like 10 hours at all.  

We arrived at my house around 2:20 and everyone but Karen was up or woke up when we got there.  Actually at one point I think I DID see Karen- but just for a moment. 

I still couldn't even stop talking to Elise even though we were both in bed and her brother was going to be picking her up in 3 hours.  She was just getting a nap before going home to surprise the rest of her family.

      I woke up around 10 and Karen and Mom were getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

The other Reads had dinner at Chris and Vanesa's while at our house we had the Sensenbaughs, Eric and Lora, and three Young Adult friends, Cara, Kevin, and Kevin's brother, Ben. 

It was a very good Thanksgiving, with good company, great food, and lots of fun.  I am so glad that I got to come home for that.  It is looking like I might not be able to come home for Christmas because I only get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off work.  So this was a precious Holiday.  But I am excited to having a Utah Christmas and I have a LOT of family and friends in Utah, so I know I will have a great Christmas anyway.  

But back to Thanksgiving:  before dinner we all wrote down something we are grateful for and then after dinner was served we played "things" or as we call it "things in a box".  It is a game where you have to guess what people said.  I thought it was a very clever idea to make dinner a bit more fun and to remember to recognize the things that we are grateful for.  I didn't say this on my paper, but I am so grateful for my family- for the household that I grew up in.  It may have taken me 24 years to figure out that my home has made me into who I am, and I like that person.  Sometimes it takes leaving home to realize how great home is.  You don't know what you've got til its gone, right?  

I am grateful for my niece, who is just too adorable for words.  She makes everyone smile and it was especially cute to hear her walking around the house because she has shoes with squeakers.  You always know where she's going even if you can't see her.  Most of my pictures are of her, obviously, because every moment brings something new with her- that's what being young means, and I love to capture those moments.  Also- adults aren't so happy about having a million pictures taken of them while babies don't care.

So anyways- I hope everyone had an equally lovely Thanksgiving with family or with friends.  And now we can finally bust out the Christmas stuff!    

Three proud and adoring Aunts

Provo Present

If you're reading my blog you probably already know that I moved to Provo this week.  Tuesday to be exact.  I am completely settled in and I start my job tomorrow.  It was this job for Boostability that brought me up here- a french position full time.  I am so excited to be progressing and independent; this is something that I didn't feel since coming home from my mission.  Though I learned a lot in the past 18 months being home- the goals that I had set for my life were not happening- so I started looking for a change, and boy was the Lord waiting to help me.

fun pictures in my downtime

I saw so many tender mercies- namely a really good friend who knew someone that worked for this company and suggested I look into it.  He wasn't the only one who reached out with advice or suggestions to help me, but I am so grateful for his help and encouragement.  Even though he and others from my ward didn't want me to leave San Diego, everyone was very supportive and hopeful for my success and happiness.
It meant so much to me and it was hard to leave such amazing people- but San Diego is still my home and I will surely be there to visit when I can.
I had been looking at apartment possibilities for a while, and I contacted a few specific ones to see if they were still available.  When I found out that I got an interview I made arrangements to come up to Provo.
I was so anxious with excitement and trepidation but the interview went really well.  I felt calm and collected- even comfortable.  My interviewer was very nice and easy to talk to.  Strangely she didn't ask me to use my french- she just asked about my french background.  At the end of the interview she said she was very impressed and I would be contacted within the week if I got the job.
3 hours later I was chill'n with my sister Kristen as she did homework and I found an email waiting for me.  I couldn't believe it.  I got the job.
I GOT THE JOB!!
That afternoon I went to see the apartment that I was considering.  I didn't get to meet any of the roommates- just the girl I would be buying the contract from.  The apartment felt great- I was happy, so I said I'd take it.  We went to the office to get the paperwork started.  So in one day I had an interview, an offer, and an apartment lined up.  That's progress!  Had to celebrate with a Creamery Shake- which isn't far from my apartment.

the fun of packing

It was an incredible trip to Provo and the next two weeks at home were busy and exciting as I packed and played and prepared for a new life.  My room is now completely blank- with all my stuff in the closet.
I miss my friends already- but facebook helps me feel like I am still close.  I miss my dog.  I made friends with a cat outside my apartment.
SO! Anyways! My mom asked if I was going to do weekly emails (cuz the only other time I've been away from home was my mission and she loved reading my emails home).  I don't think everyone wants to hear about everything I do each week, cuz it will be very different from a mission- but I found this as a good reason to get back on this blog; and I will try to be diligent with posting good and interesting stuff.

made a lunch stop in St. George

I left San Diego Monday afternoon and rested in Vegas, finishing the trip on Tuesday and moving in to the apartment in the afternoon.  I moved-in in stages, so as not to overwhelm myself or make a mess.  One of my roommates, Kaitlyn, helped me carry stuff up from the car.
I was lucky that I got to meet my roomie right before she headed off for a weekend at home in Washington.  I look forward to getting to know her cuz in just a few minutes we clicked pretty well!  It was also nice to have the room to myself for the move in process.  I didn't have to worry about being in her way.

left: starting to move in
right: getting the risers under the bed-
see the big bed board?  it was impossible
to completely remove, so I slid it as much
out of the end as possible before hitting
the closet and squeezed in at the other
end to lift up the headboard side

The first trip I took to Walmart to get things I needed was not successful for bed risers- which I would definitely need to get anything under my bed.  They told me the bed risers would be there that night and available the next day.  So I went the next day and they STILL weren't there!  Grr.  The third day, finally, I got the bed risers and had a laughable experience putting them in by myself.  Even if I had someone with me, I would have made them take pictures of what I had to do instead of helping me.  I am SO talented- slipping my body into small spaces and using strength and agility and coordination were all necessary skills to get my bed up on the risers.  Challenge accepted! And now my bed is high and stuff fits underneath so nicely.  Yay!!
The past few days have been relaxing and fun.  Elise and I have started exercising together in the morning.  I am completely, comfortably moved in and we had a cleaning check on Saturday, so I was happy to use my organization and cleaning skills to make the apartment look fantastic!  It was begging to be taken care of.
I was happy to put the energy into cleaning because I had a lot of down time and I couldn't be bugging Kristen or Elise all the time since they have school.  The cleaning/linen closet is now nice and orderly.  The silverware drawer is now navigate-able. The fridge will soon be feeling like a new person.
I am getting to know my roommates and finally got to go to church to meet my ward.   It is going to be great.

snow on the mountains

It snowed for a little bit but mostly rained this weekend- not too much to handle, even being a person who hates rain.

happy in Provo!!

I have come to accept that I moved to Provo right before winter and I am prepared to embrace all that that entails.
So if you care, check back in and I'll try to keep up with this blog.