Oh my goodness. Beautiful. Please watch this. & read this article KSL put out about this boy.

A Texas teen. He was a senior in high school & passed away on Christmas Day. 

Watch these videos & share them with others to spread this beautiful message. 

It's a problem because I watched while I was here at work & kept getting water-eyes.  I think the patients think I'm loco baha

I found out today that my friend Lauren has a blog. Seriously, please read it. I laughed so hard. & then made all my coworkers read it too; they also enjoyed it.

http://thelaurensimpson.blogspot.com/

check it.

Here's some more weightloss tips from Runner's World!

In honor of the holiday season & the fact that I've gained a pound (I gained 2 pounds over Thanksgiving, too, but lost it shortly after) I am posting this article.  It is from the New York Times, written by a health journalist.  It is extremely interesting & extremely informative! 

HERE

Christmas Update

Pictures will soon come to follow.

The past few weeks have been crazy busy!

I have begun training for a half marathon. Hoorah for finding a solution to my problems, weight hasn't changed yet. But running worked for me in the past & it will do it again. I have just been alternating between 1 mile and 1.5 mile runs. I am really slow, believe me. I got 11:10 on my mile today, I was proud. Yeah, most AVERAGE people can do 1.5 miles in 11 minutes, but I'm still working on it! I'm not looking for speed, I"m looking for endurance.  I have done a marathon before & I will continue to push & do a half again!

On top of that I have my full-time work.

I also made my in-laws a really cute calendar for Christmas full of pictures of the family, I'll post some of them for you to see, too!

I made Melissa a pink pencil skirt with the cutest big bow across the waist, pictures to come.

I made everyone in Weston's family an ornament, because my family exchanges ornaments every year. It's fun. Weston & I have also collected ornaments from our travels. Aka my travels to NYC haha & our honeymoon. :) We failed to get one in Colorado from Thanksgiving..hmmm I need to get on that!

We opened presents with my parents via Skype the Sunday before Christmas.  They gave us all sorts of fancy things! We got a clearplay DVD player....to say I'm thrilled is an understatement.  They gave me a cute purple down coat, Wes a few shirts and a sweater. He also got a nice haircutting kit & an AWESOME Norelco face shaver, pretty awesome!  I also got a really cute cheetah belt & a target gift card! We got the cutest jammies & I got a cute multi-colored scarf that goes nicely with my coat!  & they gave us a bajillion movies! We're so excited!

Then, that night, Wes & I opened our Christmas presents to eachother... he gave me a Wii.....A WII!!!!! I was/am SO excited! Seriously, it is SOOOO fun! It came with a Mario game, which we have played on our downtime!  I gave him some compression shorts for running bc his underarmor ones are lost.  I also gave him lots of movies & a wireless mouse to his laptop.  To say our presents were monetarily equal is an understatement, I got all his movies for $2 at Walmart on Black Friday.... but I picked out some of his favorites, so it was a success!  I got him the Notebook, too. That is one of his favorite movies.  & that is good, because no one can't fall in love with the south watching that thing.  Owning that movie will for sure get him back to TN hahah but seriously he was begging me to watch it last night after the gym...I only wanted to play Mario...hahhahah so backwards...the boy gets the girl video games, the girl gets the boy romance movie.  That's how it goes at our house.

Anyway, Thursday I ran home from work like a headless chicken!  We got to visit with beautiful Jarica for a minute & died laughing over little Aleah who is just such a crack up!  Then Melissa & Taylor came over to caravan down to Wayne together.  We got out the door at about 7 & sat (unknowingly) behind a fender bender at the light to get onto the interstate. The girl didn't have her hazards on & we were sitting behind her for 10 minutes. Finally I hopped out & ran around to see why they weren't moving... I then realized I'd forgotten my prescription, so we headed down to Springville for Maverick gas & got a refill of it at Walgreens, it worked out alright! We finally got to Wayne at about 10 that night. Oh boy we had so much fun down there for the Christmas holiday! We stayed up late talking every night & played some games! Friday we spent in Richfield doing all the grocery shopping.  Let me tell you, we are professional. We also got to meet Taylor's parents while there. We had a lot of fun.  Saturday on Christmas eve Tash & Kell & I went 7 took some fun pictures around Wayne County. Then got home & we all went over to the grandparents house.  This is where Taylor asked Dave something.  It's pretty awesome, I'll tell you about it later. Then we played dress up in old gowns, well Melissa did. We cooked dinner & had such a yummy Christmas dinner with an amazing glazed ham made by the butcher himself Grandpa Stevens.  Then we played Dork, the best card game since Golf, they tie in my mind, which is saying something, I love Golf!  We went home & watched th-th-th-the...THE GRINCH! I love that movie. I forget how much I love it, too, till the next year when I watch it! Grandma & Grandpa Steven's gave us really cute jammies & lotion & a necklace!  

Christmas morning Weston woke us all up at 5a.m. YES 5a.m.  He & Tasha who are the HARDEST people to wake up were the first running to the bathroom to rinse their eyes of sleep. I couldn't believe it, I felt like I'd been hit by a train, Weston is a child at heart, have I told you that?  

Anyways, we opened all our presents! It was so fun! I got 3 sweaters & a blue Wii controller! A Cutco knife & potato peeler.  I also got some necklaces and earings & cute ankle boots!  Wes got a camelback, hiking boots, He also got JetBoil accessories & Winnie the Pooh, let's not forget to mention Kellie got us the cutest little baby potato sack that has a hole for a carseat. It is awesome. & the discussion that followed suit was the most hilarious present!  Kell got a sewing machine & a great point & shoot camera!  She also got some cute sweaters & shirts! Tash got an Ipod touch & ankle boots & lots of great inspirational artwork for her apartment. So fitting for what she is going through right now.  & Melissa got an SLR camera! A Rebel t3i!!! Wowzers! She was loving it & made me teach her some stuff!  We had fun with that! Dave & Joan got clothes, too! Dave's all had Chief Petty Officer mottos & words on them, pretty awesome! & Joan got a garage door opener. She was so excited! Weston & Dave installed it on Monday!  Melissa & Taylor were with us most of the weekend & split it between us & Taylor's family, things are real serious there, it's looking like Taylor is going to be part of the family!

Monday we all relaxed & just really enjoyed company!  Joan & I did a lot of wedding planning!  It was so fun & if they get married it will be at the end of April. How fun!!! & perfect for a wedding!  

Anyways, back to the grind of real life, only to have more vacation this weekend! The Health Center is closed Thursday & Monday surrounding New Years again, I am so excited to go back down & spend time with Weston's family!  They're so great & we really all enjoy eachother a lot!  We'll be heading down Thursday after work, again!

Pictures to come come come!

By now we've probably opened presents, knowing Weston! 

I am so excited to give everyone their gifts I've made! I will post pictures of the finished products! I'm pretty excited! 

Another rendition for you, today. Not sure if I totally love it, but maybe you will! It's a beautiful song, all the same! 

Merry Christmas 2011!!!

Happy December 24th!!

Christmas Eve.

Wow what a beautiful time of year. A really good time for self-reflection.  Let us remember the birth of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ.  Also, think of his sacrifice & atonement for our sins.  He has made it possible to make it back to Him after death, if only we follow his words, be a light unto the world, & have a repentant heart. 

I love our Heavenly Father & my Savior.  I am so grateful to know what I do about his birth, death & resurrection, though my knowledge is limited & I don't understand every bit of it all completely, I do have a complete faith that after this life we are resurrected.

Merry Christmas Eve to you all.

Please enjoy a more spiritual Christmas song.

Happy December 23rd!!

I'm loving this album: A Youtube Christmas

So many good songs w/ reeeeeally great artists. It's keeping me entertained at work!

Happy December 22nd!!

Thanks to the hubs for showing this to me!

It's beautiful with beautiful lyrics.

Remember the reason for the season!

I love my job.

All students have gone home to Draper, Orem, St. George, & all 5 back to Tennessee :)

SO we've been particularly DEAD at work especially today.

Anyways. I'm down in the urgent care for the last 15 minutes of it being open so one of my coworkers could go home. Anyways, one of the nurses brought a playstation. It's amazing. A nurse & x-ray tech are playing right now. I'm dying laughing. It's so fun. Our nurse practitioner down in the UC also brought a flying shark to work. Seriously. It's been a great day.

Anyways, I'm completely bored.

& We opened Christmas with my parents via Skype on Sunday & pretty much they gave us the greatest gifts! A Clearplay. AWESOME.  I'm not a rated R watcher & there are some pg-13ers that I won't watch bc I can't handle watching junk.  Anyways, now all those movies I wanted to see SOO bad despite it's rating are now accessible to me! Hoooraaaaayyy! We watched Saving Private Ryan last night.  Oh man. Such a good movie. Except I bit off EVERY one of my fingernails. That I was just growing out for Christmas time to be all pretty....whoops!

I also got SUCH a pretty scarf & belt! An enormous mug, We got an awesome tetris board game. I'm so excited. & we got a TON of movies from them, including Saving Private Ryan.  & I got the CUTEST puffy purple down coat. I haven't worn it yet bc I'm saving it for a special occasion. Is that goofy?

& Wes got an AWESOME face shaver! & he got a nice set of hair clippers that he has anxiously been waiting for me to use on his head so we don't have another experience like THIS.

Anyways life is so good!

We're thinking about having a garage sale soon. Or a Weston sale. He will work for pay...we found out our portion of the MRIs he had done.  $860.00  ....uhhhh holy crap. hahahha Merry Christmas to you, too! bahaha no we're okay, but it will be a long paying off process! We'd like to speed it up w/ getting him some more odd jobs!  Let me know if you know of anyone looking for hired help! 

Merry Christmas ya'll!!!

This was advertised on KSL on the sidebar saying "It's the hottest new thing!" hoodie footies. hahahahha YES please. This isn't the one on the ad. the Advertised one was just solid & she wasn't wearing the hood or playing with a tail or posing flirtatiously.  "Keep her warm from head to toe!" I guess it's a good replacement boyfriend or something. So hilarious. Dani, I hope I have you next Christmas. You will be getting one of these.

Want one? Go HERE.

Maybe I'll make up my own pattern, actually. I don't want to pay 80 buckaroos. Even though they'd make pretty great wedding gifts to a really close friend. hahahah

Happy December 21st!!

She has the voice of an angel.

Don't worry this is EXACTLY how I sound when I sing in the shower.

LOVE.

Source: google.com via Emily on Pinterest

Happy December 20th!!

Happy 26th Anniversary to my Momma & Pops!!

I sure love them! They're AMAZING parents & raised 4 bright poppers, too!

In honor of Momma, who has serious Bieber Fever:

Seriously, ya'll. I have some CUUUUUTE crafts coming up to show you. & I'm pretty much really excited about them. All of the ones i have done within the past few weeks have been extremely successful..it's awesome!

New skirts.

New shirts.

New shoes.

All upcycled. I'm so thrilled.

You will be too, I promise.

Also, we've made some updates to our apartment, too! I'll post pictures of that as well!

Organizing is my anti-drug. Too bad I don't do it nearly often enough.  But it's kept me away from drugs, I guess that's pretty awesome.

This week has been a thrill! I know my blog has been really anti-personable. I kept myself a little TOO busy w/ Christmas gifts. I way underestimated the amount of time my Christmas gifts would take to make. However, The budget of my Christmas gifts has been low monetarily but a HUGE time user. Which is fine, I'm happy to devote time to people, it's my favorite sacrifice, because unfortunately money dries up. & this Christmas season & a mess-up on my w-2 form has left us a little tight in the budget department, but we're completely happy little beavers!  Our Christmas tree is dying.  I'm itching to take it down. But Weston insists it needs to stay up till after New Years. We'll see who wins this one!

We've had some huge blessings lately.  Like I said the budget is getting a little pinched.  Our cabinets were looking a little empty.  I get a surprise text from Syd on Sunday asking if we want their food because their moving. I said, "Sure!"  Except I had no idea how ENORMOUSLY generous this was of her & Mitch till I got there & she had everything covering the counters & even in bags on the floor. She gave us SO much food. & gave me tons of clothes. I am SO excited!  We laughed about how I went on a shopping spree at her house.  I shop at Sydney's Club.  It was a MAJOR blessing. Then today, my coworker brought in an ENORMOUS bag of Activia yogurt.  She said it goes bad on the 31st & that her & her son can't eat it all before then (she bought the enormous crate at CostCo).  So, she brought them to us.  Our bellies are now full thanks to loving & thoughtful friends.  Wow, the Lord sends help in so many ways!  We could have bought groceries, but we would've been even tighter on the budget.  & out of nowhere came this outpouring of food.... Wow the generosity is so humbling!!

Time for me to pay back & do something nice for someone!  Time to ding-dong ditch some goodies, I think!

Also, we got my family's, Cate's & the Miller's Christmas card! I'm so excited! I loved them all! They're TAPED to our wall next to our bedroom door. hahah so ghetto, but I love them being out & seen on the wall instead of on the fridge!

This one's for you Momma!

AFV on Netflix. I'm in heaven.

Anyways. this video kills me.  I haven't seen it in so long. Thank goodness for awesome little kids. & their younger sibling wanting the attention.

This is hilarious.

Oh, Barry, I guess you woo more than just my momma.

Please look past his tool-ish garb & final note of the song & appreciate this song. It is one of my favorite Ben Harper songs.  This guy is pretty fun to listen to. I'm playing him in the background while I blog stalk at work. I can't bear to actually watch him play.

Happy December 19th!!

This song has a special place in my heart!

Utah is looking like a Tender Tennessee Christmas this year, too; no snow!

Happy December 18th!!

Thought I would include a song of Weston's girlfriend!

Happy December 17th!!

I love this song. He wrote this as a boy.

Happy December 16th!

I doesn't even feel like Christmas time right now for one sole reason. I did not have finals & I am not on a plane headed to TN. Nor do I have a ticket for one of those planes. I am really sad & kind of having a sad time dealing with it.  BUT I'm very excited to have time to be with the Brinkerhoffs. & I am so excited to spend Christmas with them. but boy I miss my family. 

Happy December 15th!

WOW 10 Days & counting!

This is one of my top favorite songs!

Happy December 14th!

Melissa introduced this one to me! It's great!

cravings.

nope, not chocolate. Well, actually, that, too.

But my real cravings of late have been some of these:

Pomskies. Thank you Deej for introducing me to this heartthrob.

 Labrador Retriever.

 Peagle.

 Chug.

Maltese Bichon (I think this is what Bella is!)

So precious.

It's official.

I'm in the running for a very prestigious award.

2011 WIFE OF THE YEAR

Let me tell you how awesome I am.

This morning I had an appointment with the ENT about my swollen for a year lymph nodes. He wasn't worried. Unless it keeps growing larger. Which they haven't they've just stayed swollen.

ANYWAYS, that's besides the point.  I went to work for an hour this a.m. & then went to my appointment. Weston had a final at 7a.m. so he grabbed the bus from campus & met me there. He did not bring his jacket with him. It was snowing this morning. HARD.  So after the appointment was over, it was a little annex of the UVRMC, so close to our apartment. He hopped in the car with me. I didn't want to miss more work, aka use more sick time, so I ditched him at the curb of a stoplight. In the snow. Without a coat. & on top of that I never asked about his exam. 

Winner that is me.

& I was laughing as I drove away with him in my slushy tracks hahahah so terrible.  

I said, "Okay, I have to get back to work so I don't use more sick time, sooo will you please walk from here?"

"It's freezing out & I don't have a coat!"

Car is slowing & I'm ushering him out.

"You always say how much you like the cold, love you!"

hahhahahaha

Oh man, good thing he is quick to forgive. & good thing it wasn't actually THAT cold out, just a little snowy...

& good thing he really does like the cold...just probably not that much!

Except he always tells me stories of how he used to snowboard without a shirt on. Apparently he gets too hot for a shirt & snowboarding. He can handle a flurry.

xoxoI'dliketothanktheacademy...

Happy December 13th

12 days till Christmas folks... holy cow!!! 

Also, this song is classic. I love it. & much better than the new horrific video where she is barely clothed with 16 or 17 yr old Justin Bieber. Disgusting.  Anyway, don't watch that video, just know it's terrible. & so sleazy. I think she forgot the old days when she used to wear clothes.  & sled.

Hope ya'll are having a WONDERFUL Christmas season!!

Oh, dear.

I woke up at 7:45 this morning. Yes. Truely. 

So what did I do?

Brushed da teef, sprayed dry shampoo into da hurrr, wiped makeup on da face. & ran out the door after getting dressed.

I go all through the morning 8-2p work, work, work. It's all fine & dandy. Come home at 2. Eat lunch. Leave to go back to work. Wes is getting home from an exam right as I'm leaving the parking lot. I roll the window down. We smooch, say hi's & love you's. Then I start to roll the window up.  Then what does he have to tell me? I have toothpaste just about around my entire lips. OH MY GOSH.  hahahahhahahah I can't help but laugh. Seriously, all my dear coworkers & NO ONE TOLD ME! hahahahah

I'm glad Wes noticed!

So I was doing that really cute game on my drive to work of licking your finger & then smearing it on your face to rub off the toothpaste. hahah 

Oh, dear

This is my friend Nat O's crafting blog!

http://crafting-cousins.blogspot.com/

Check it out!

& they're having a giveaway...golly I hope I win!  We use our kitchen chairs as ottomans currently...our couch is really shallow, so it feels good to prop our feet up. bahah  I've been on a thrifting lookout for a good ottoman to recover lately, no luck yet, but this pattern would be my total fave!

Happy December 12th!

It's that time again....

My mascara ran out!  SO, I'm callin out to all you ladies who swear by your mascara wand & brand!  So, hit me with them, what is your favorite kind of mascara brand from the drugstore?  I don't spend a lot of money on my make-up, but I know that there are the Walmart mascaras that work great! So what's your favorite?  The most common problem I have when buying a new brand is clumping.  I usually use this stuff:

UPDATES

Besides my Christmas faves, I have been slacking on sharing our LIFE updates.

Here's a less than short version of what's been going on!

Folksies, I have been slaving away crafting for a few weeks! :) HOWEVER, lots of Christmas presents....sooo I can't share them with you yet, but after Christmas I will be posting them all! & let me tell you, I am giddy w/ excitement...they're turning out GREAT!  This has been one of the best Christmas season! Last years Christmas break was the GREATEST, but we were in such a pinch we didn't really slow down to enjoy the entire season as much as we should have!  Pandora is always playing our Kenny G station. & let me tell you, that is one fine-tuned radio station, due to Weston doing a great job babysitting the thumbs up & down!  

Our Christmas Season looks like this: 

Dec. 22 after I get off work, head down to Bicknell, stay there till the Monday after Christmas, come back that night for my work the next day. & then head back down Thurs the 29nd & then stay until the night of the 2nd. It's going to be wonderful!  I love Christmas! I am so excited to spend it with the Brinkerhoffs. Yet, also so sad to miss my family this time of year. This is my first Christmas away from home. It might be really tough. But I sure love my family! 

BTW. Update, met with a different doctor on Friday who was WAY more helpful than the last family practitioner I saw who ordered the thyroid biopsy.  That guys was nice, but I felt like when he wasn't really listening or caring. This new guy was really nice. He actually showed concern for the fact that my lymph nodes in my neck have been swollen to varying sizes for the past year.  I am meeting with an ENT to discuss those. I'm not really too concerned, but it will be nice to find an answer to that weird symptom!  & then did more blood work for the weight gain. He thinks it may be a hormone imbalance. I'll explain more to you about it when I find out more! It's all kind of above my head! 

A little sob story, I left my headphones at the gym one of the times I went this week... & no one turned them into the lost & found! It's definitely not a BYU gym or else they'd still be plugged into the treadmill or in the lost & found! Wes has been letting me use his, though!

& thanks y'all for the great tips for removing my shoe tip...I haven't started on that project yet, but I will do my best to take pictures as I go for it & do a tutorial if it turns out successful! :D 

Pinterest is my anti-drug. Seriously I love that site. It's so inspiring, if you don't have an account, ask me & leave your e-mail, I will send you an invitation.  Most of my projects have been inspired from it. Where was pinterest when we were planning our wedding? BTW we've been married for a year & over a quarter now. Boy has the time flown! I cannot believe it!

We have also been all over the place with our career. Shh don't tell. We've been considering applying for the firefighting position at Colorado Springs. Weston wanted to start working & his degree is one of the few that he could do online. However the academy starts March 26. A month before the semester ends. Which would throw off his entire college career if he got the job, because he'd have to drop all his classes. & throw all that tuition & college credit away. Not to mention he's getting his EMT next semester!  He is so excited & I am so thrilled for him. Wes is loving school & doing SO well at it. School is not his area of expertise, but it is his full-time job. He is putting in so many hours. Friday night he did homework. Yesterday while I sewed. He studied & did homework. All day long. W/ exception of cleaning checks. From 11-11p he was doing homework. Talk about dedication.  He's amazing.  & he is so supportive of me, too. I couldn't ask for a more incredible husband who loves me whole heartedly. & unconditionally. & quite literally through the thick & thin. hahah 

Well, if you made it this far through all those words congrats, or more rightly, thank you for being so concerned & interested in our lives.  I sure love y'all & if you read my blog & I don't know about you, please let me know your name & your blog address, I love following new blogs & making new virtual friends bahah but seriously, I do! 

xoxowordswordswords

Happy December 11th!!

Love this. So beautiful.

I can't help, but hope that he really means what he's singing.

I know that Christ is our Savior & that he died for our sins.  I love the Christmas season & the innocence of it; of Christ's birth.

14 days until Christmas!

Happy December 10th!

I love this song.

Oh my goodness.

& it also reminds me of an awesome family gathering with the Raymonds a couple years back...oh my goodness. So funny.



2 wks+1 day till Christmas!

Happy December 9th!

This won't be me this year! But we're excited to spend Christmas with the Brinkerhoffs!!

Weston's taking this on Saturday

I have a situation.

I have some reconstructing I want to do to a pair of my shoes....however. It involves cutting off the toe of it.  Do you know how to cut off the toe of a shoe? My only idea is a machete.  However, I don't have one of those.  Any other ideas?

Happy December 8th!!

Can my babies be as cute as her?

Oh & as talented?

 I made a stocking for Melissa! :) I'll put up a picture of the finished deal later, she loved it!

 We got a tree! (from Lowe's)

It was the best decision.  It is beautiful & full & soft needles & fills the house with the most wonderful pine smell!

 Operation Tree

 We bought our first tree topper!

 Note in this awkward smile picture.  Look at the items sitting on the side-table.

It's the essentials. Our $2 BBB headscratcher.  Nail polish remover. Nail Polish.  Cotton balls.  Wrapping paper. Mason jar.  We drink from mason jars. Nom.

 Our tree!

 My TN sign being hanging crookedly & being swallowed up by the enormous wall.... It will be relocated, but I love it!

 My Argentinian Nativity & Tree of Life! Thanks Dad!

 Starring the tree!

 We love our tree!

xoxomerrychristmasfolks!

I'm so glad I'm done with school.

I don't miss these days:

Source: sayingimages.com via ashtyne on Pinterest

 

Source: tumblr.photojojo.com via Kalah on Pinterest

love

Source: etsy.com via Kylee on Pinterest

Hi little Polar Bear. You are my favorite animal. I used to play polar bears when I was little. Not house. If you pawed at my leg you would be in my apartment right now. I wouldn't be able to say no. You are so cute.

Source: livescience.com via Caroline on Pinterest

Happy December 7th!!!

If you haven't seen "The Nativity Story", see it. It is phenomenal. I remember seeing it in Cool Springs with my family when it came out.  There are very few words in it & the entire thing is captivating.  Obviously, it's about Christ's birth.  I love whoever put this incredible song with this awesome video.

18 days till Christmas!

Happy December 6th!

Someone please hook me up with the Christmas music for this....gorgeous!

Please enjoy this.

Source: tumblr.com via Kasey on Pinterest

Man, oh man, this describes some days perfectly.

I'm glad today is NOT one of those days!

Happy December 5th!

Love.

Zooey Deschanel definitely wears the brunette way better!

Walking in a winter wonderland.

This weekend was the BEST weekend.

I will post pictures tonight, so check back in.

Just know:

We bought a tree.

We decorated that tree.

We took about 3 trips to Walmart because we were missing things for the tree. Like lights.

We redecorated the tree.

We glued broken ornaments together.

Wes hiked the Y w/ Spencie & co.

I went to the gym & took about 4 trips to Hobby Lobby in 4 days. I need an AA meeting for HL.

We listened to LOTS of Christmas Pandora.  Kenny G style.

We sat on the couch. in sweats. & poured our hearts out while watching the beautiful tree!

We watched Lost... Too much Lost.

We had lots of visitors on Sunday.

Dave.

Jenna/Jordan. Jennordan. Still working on their morph name.

Kristin, Joel, baby Siena.  Krisoelena.

Then we went to Kristin & Joel's & played Phase 10. Wes won. Thank goodness.... bahahah it was fun

Happy December 4th!

Happy December 3rd!

This one is often on repeat.... 22 days till Christmas!

Remember the reason for the season!

Happy December 2nd!

This one doesn't require words. It's always given me a warm fuzzy feeling & a start bawling feeling. Strange.

xoxotakemyshoes!

Heaven is

the coldest crunchiest Fuji apple.

Happy December 1st!

Happy December 1st! That means 25 days left till Christmas!  I LOVE Christmas!!

I am going to post my favorite Christmas songs each day this month leading to Christmas! I hope you enjoy.

This first video.  Wow talk about tugging on my heart strings. I am an undeniable JB lover.  However, that is not the reason this video is making me tear up a little.  It was filmed in my dreamy hometown Franklin, Tennessee.  Boy do I miss that place. Haven't spent but a day there since Last Christmas.  I won't be home till late next year. But let me tell you this place has such a special part of my heart & always will.  It is so tender & soft in the winter, no snow (Yeah, sorry to break it to you, the snow in the vid is fake), but it gets chili enough for a hat and cute scarf & they have the most beautiful "Noel" sign that stands on top of the Starbucks across from the church where I tended kiddies every Wednesday night & counseled with them.  You can see the square behind JB with the incredible Battle of Franklin memorial statue in the center.  Every year there is the most enormous & beautiful Christmas tree set up next to that tall skinny statue.  This is what that statue looks like in daylight.  I stood on the statues steps to watch the 9/11 memorial on the 1 yr anniversary.  I also stood there to watch many parades. I also filmed my Julius Ceasar movie there for my high school project. When Wes & I were dating we posed sitting on one of the canons below the statue. Ah, I love that place.

The battle of Franklin was a key part of the Civil War. Come visit my family sometime & see all the sites, my mom will welcome you with open arms!

 Oh boy I miss Franklin & it's beauty & charm. I can't wait to move back

xoxoIlovemyFranklin

Okay, I just have to say that sometimes I am really tired. & last night at work I was spent. Wanted to sleep. It took a little longer than normal to close up & I was so tired. Then I take the trash to the dump & head back to the car to go pick up Wes from UVU where he was doing his homework.  Good heavens.  The car next to me had parked literally 3 inches from my car. & I was in my own stall. I was so mad.  If they knew my handicap of having rods all up & down my spine & that I can't bend my back, they would realize how rude that was to make me climb in the passenger side door & try to crawl through my car to the driver's seat. It was the cherry on top of my day.  Good day, just exhausted & overworked, I felt.

However, something to shake up the norm, I read KSL news every morning.  Monday morning I read a news article that sounded like one of my former tenants that had been evicted from our complex.  They spelled his name different, though, it was spelled Kristoffer Cox or Jones Monday morning.  A girl was missing & the news crew thought one of those names was this guys' name.  They said he's a transient in the area. I thought, "No, that can't be him." So I followed the story & Yesterday the girl was found, she had left the house w/ this guy.  Anyway, apparently Kristoffer Jones is a different guy from Christopher Cox.  & Christopher Cox is who she ran away with. Oh man, I thought, how many homeless Christopher Cox's are there in Provo?  bahahaha so this morning I was telling a coworker about the story & we watched the video accompanying the article....oh my gosh. It showed his picture. & it is so him.  Except his facebook said he attended BYU. That is not true.

Anyway, this summer I was watching a movie w/ my inlaws.  He had just moved into the complex & called me & asked me for a ride to Murray so he could "go see his girl."  Oh holy hannah.  I said no.  Then a few days later he called (I don't normally answer phone numbers I don't know, but when I'm the main contact for our tenants, I have to so that they can reach us) & told me he was at the mall in Orem & that he'd been walking all day & that he was SO exhausted & couldn't walk anymore & he wanted me to come get him.  I told him to take the bus. He said he didn't have money (then what are you doing at the mall?!) & so I told him to contact his bishop & he would help him out with a ride home.  Anyways, interesting kid & he has an interesting life story, don't worry he shared it w/ Wes & I when he'd come hang out w/ us while we were working.

& now he's on the news.

Read the article or watch the vid:

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=18284288&title=missing-orem-teen-found-with-19-year-old-homeless-man