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.

Halloween Costumes

wings I made for Kristen- completely by hand!  I designed
the shape and constructed it piece by piece out of wire,
which I then covered with tulle by needle and thread. Lastly,
I sewed/glued sparkles and glitter and flowers and jewels.

I have ALWAYS loved Halloween.  I don't understand the people who do not.  Fun decorations and movies like Hocus Pocus, Nightmare before Christmas, Young Frankenstein and Van Helsing add so much to this wonderful Holiday.  Last night I met two sweet girls from India who are here for school and they were experiencing their first Halloween- first time dressing up as anything, even.  They loved it- and how could they not.  I am very sad that the world does not enjoy it like we do.  Halloween was LAME in Europe when I was a missionary.  Never saw one decoration.
So in honor of this fantastic holiday which we just had, I wanted to post pictures of some of my recent Halloween costumes which I love so much.  And let me just say- that when it comes to a costume, for me and my sister- there are no limits.  We have no concept of 'can't' or 'too much,' only HOW and HECK YES, ROCK IT!
I like to wow people- and that takes effort.

So- starting with one of my all-time favorites: the Cowardly Lion.
This group costume idea started when Kristine found some cheap 70's pumps Dorothy shoes and we decided we should all be characters with a modern twist.  Unfortunately you can't even see her shoes in the picture.  My clothes were simple- I just wore a brown shawl-thingy and ugg boots.  It was my hair that made the costume, of course.  And YES, it is my real hair, not a wig- like everyone thought.


The next year was another fantastic hair year.  In college I had taken a class about the history of 'costume' (but that just means clothes, really) which explained the evolution of clothes dating back to Egyptian and Greek/Roman.
So I was in the mood- and when my date said that he was planning on being a greek god of love (NOT a cupid- despite the wings), I decided I could whip up a Greek Goddess of the Sea. And my hair makes great Greek hair.

Btw- at the boat dance we saw MANY other greek/roman costumes.  I don't know if it is usually a popular costume or if that year we were all just on the same page.  hmm...

Okay- so then I missed 2 Halloweens while I was a missionary.  The first Halloween was while I was in the MTC.  All of the sisters found whatever Halloween colors they had to wear that day and we considered switching name tags, since we couldn't wear costumes.  I was sad to miss the real festivities of this holiday, but I was enjoying it with the best people I know and we loved being there.
The next year I was in Geneva with a French companion who had never really celebrated.  As I said, Halloween isn't big in Europe.  There are other times where people dress up in costumes- like for themed dances- but there are no parties or decorations on Halloween.  But my companion and I made some candy stuffed tissue ghosts and delivered them to people we were teaching. We also played a Halloween surprise prank on the Elders who came to fix our shower.  But again- no dressing up. :(
So you can imagine that the next year, when I was home from my mission, I was really excited and ready to go all out.  
You might say I did just that.  Behold- my victorian peacock-which will be a marvelous Miss Peacock costume if I get a great rope or candlestick.

I am so grateful to my mom for letting me do this costume and for doing all of the hard work on my bodice.  I am not a seamstress, though I DO know how to use a sewing machine.  So I took on the learning opportunity to make the skirt/bustle/bustle pillow all by myself, with my mom's supervision and advice, of course.  I am quite proud of my accomplishment.  But it is not without a price.
While I was sewing the skirt- (late at night- trying to get as much done as possible) I was tired and getting careless.  I somehow managed to get my finger under the needle- which of course when through the nail and impaled my finger.  The most disgusting part was having to unwind the machine by hand to raise the needle and pull it out of my finger.  Ew- just thinking about it.  The pain was crazy and the shock even worse.  I did almost faint and I felt sick.  That was not a fun night.
But do not despair.  I still finished the costume, and it was worth it.


And finally- this year's.  For a long time I did not know what to be.  A couple weeks into October it just came to me.  Ursula.  Of course.  No explanation needed.
Karen was very excited to help me and I am SO grateful for her help.  With her knowledge of sewing and my innovative mind- our two creative geniuses have combined into an award-worthy costume.  Since I already had a dress that was perfect, this costume didn't end up costing us too much :)
We designed our own pattern for the tentacles and I spent hours painting on the suckers with glow-in-the-dark puffy paint.   Btw- puffy paint is a PAIN to control with a brush.  It is SO hard- but it wouldn't have looked as great if I had just sqeezed it all into place.  Yes, it would have been faster, but quality is more important.  And I am very happy with the results.  The glowing effect is very cool, as well.
Thanks to a fantastic pinterest idea, (http://www.pinterest.com/pin/438115869970771689/) Karen got to wow everyone with my hair. Yes- there is a ship in it.

So can you see why I love this holiday?  How can you NOT have fun with costumes like these?