Best Christmas Ever

Yes, this has been the best Christmas/Christmas break ever. I was able to do everything I wanted to do and even stay at home longer and actually spend Christmas with my family instead of on an airplane! As I walked through the airport yesterday and heard Christmas music playing from the different restaurants my heart literally hurt to think of leaving. When I heard that they were looking for volunteers to leave on the 26th I practically ran up to the desk. When they told me they wouldn't need me to stay and said I had to get on the plane I sobbed. When they apologized for making a mistake and told me they would, in fact, need me to fly out the next day I practically ran back up the ramp to the desk. When they gave me a $400 airline voucher to fly anywhere anytime I want in the next year I officially knew that I am blessed.

I really didn't think it would be hard for me to leave on Christmas. Our big family thing is a few days before Christmas but then I realized I LOVE the low key, hang outey Christmas day at my Aunt & Uncle's house. Saying goodbye to everyone was very difficult. But surprising them when I came back was even better! There were wonderful reactions all around and lots of smiles. Which reminded me, once again, why I love my family so much. I love being somewhere that I feel like I am enough. Where I don't worry that people are going to get angry at me for nothing or judge me because I'm not just like them. I felt complete joy the entire time I was there last night. I loved talking with my cousin Tommy. I've always loved talking to him but he is so grown up now and we have really wonderful conversations! He is a really great kid. I loved hanging out with Jason too, oh ticklish Jason. They are both such kind and loving people and I really enjoy being with them.

As I was leaving last night I gave my Uncle a hug and he said, "See, this is why you go to church! Things like this happen." I couldn't agree more. My prayers were answered yesterday and I had my own little Christmas miracle. Seriously, best Christmas ever.

My whole trip has been fabulous. I had a great time with Jen, Heather & Laura. I loved being in the temple with them and then seeing another friends mom, who we haven't seen in many years, as we walked into the dressing room. Before I even connected in my mind who I was seeing I was completely filled with warmth. When my eyes caught up with my spirit I understood why. It felt wonderful to see sweet Sister Chon in such a special place and while I was with 3 other girls that I grew up with. At that moment I felt like I was exactly in the right place.

I even travelled a little bit! I went to visit my Joanie & her family the day after I got here and it was just as I hoped. I loved talking with Joanie and Joshua, cuddling with her cute cute little boy and receiving shy smiles from her cute cute little girl from across the room. It is always fun to see what your friends are like as parents and Joanie is definitely one of the best. Her kiddos are smart, social, funny and very very loved. They are a great family, thanks for letting me spend a few hours with you! I love you all!
The next day I had a sleepover in PA with my bestie Corinnie! Oh man! I wish we lived closer. I loved just hanging out, making cookies, watching movies & looking at old pictures. I felt completely comfortable in her home. I love that she is married to John, not only because he's a fantastic guy for her but because I knew him during my teenage years and it is always really fun to see him and to feel comfortable because I don't worry if he'll like me or not. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time (oh those pictures corinnie...) and was desperately sad to leave. I wish I could have stayed a few more days.

There is more to come, a few pictures, a few videos and maybe more cheesey cheese about the best Christmas ever. I'm blessed, and now I feel ready to go back to my family in Utah, all of them. Sare, Jerr & Austin, who I really do miss a lot. Especially my sister who allowed me to whine to her and call her often while I have been home because it has been a bit emotionally confusing for me. And back to my friends who are my family that I missed, even after just a few days.

Hummph

Have you ever felt like your radio was mocking you?! Mine does that every now and then. It's like it reads my mind and then plays songs that fit perfectly but that make you think about things you are trying to avoid. At least I got a laugh out of it this time. Silly radio.

She

One time...just ONE TIME. I would like to hear a positive comment when "they" are talking about "she" (that's my new name...). And I would really love to be able to go places that should be safe places without worrying that I'm going to hear something negative being said about me. A person can only stay in their bedroom under the covers for so long.

Sorry, this just hasn't been my day and a girl just needs to vent sometimes.

I wore a coat today.

Just thought you all should know that it finally felt cold enough for a coat today. Actually it was downright freezing today, but it sure did make me happy. Someone (ehem Sassy...) mentioned my lack of blogging since the month long blog-a-thon and so I decided to bless your lives with yet another....

Little known facts about BETH: Christmas Edition!

I know, I know you've been dying to hear more. So here it is...

-I am discovering that I have a mild obsession with the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". I have many different versions and I love to listen to it over and over. Of the Christmas songs that focus more on the traditions of the season it is definitely my favorite.

-If I am driving when it starts to snow I always go and sit in my car by the temple and watch the snow fall in front of the temple before I go home. It became a personal tradition without really thinking about it.

-I love coming up with gifts for the people I love. It becomes a challenge to myself. I am always trying to come up with the perfect gift for that person. I think I am always more excited about the gift then the person receiving it is. This year I am spending less money and it has been fun for me to come up with meaningful gifts that don't cost a lot. When I look at the gifts I have purchased so far I can say, without a doubt, that I purchased each one after much thought and although inexpensive or simple I purchased it with that person in mind specifically.

-I hate wrapping Christmas presents. I always want them to be beautiful and they never are. That frustrates me.

-Although ridiculously expensive, I love Hallmark cards with sound and I feel they are worth every penny. I've seen two that I absolutely fell in love with, one I already bought for someone so I won't describe it, but the other has Linus on the front and when you open it you hear Linus explaining what Christmas really is all about. I love it.



-I really really love James Taylor's Christmas album and I am not ashamed in the least.

-Up until tonight I have slept with my window open every night. It's finally too cold for that. Although I will miss that glorious moment that I have had so many years in the past when I wake up and know it snowed because my window is open and I can smell the freshness. Call me crazy but I love that feeling.

-I prefer soft lighting. This is the case year round but comes out in force around Christmas. I would rather turn on a few small lamps then use a harsh overhead light. Perhaps this explains my obsession with lamps...and it all comes together.

-I almost bought one of those DVD's of a crackling fireplace tonight. I still might go back and get it...how relaxing would that be. Fireplace won't work? Next best thing...

"Oh, it is wonderful to know that our Heavenly Father loves us—even with all our flaws! His love is such that even should we give up on ourselves, He never will.

We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won’t, for He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming."

As my own little memorial to Elder Wirthlin, who passed away last night, I decided to read my favorite talk that he gave "The Great Commandment". The quote above is from that talk. Every time I read the talks from conference I feel a little stronger and I get something a little different depending on what is happening in my life.

I'm very grateful for Prophets & Apostles that speak truth with love and kindness in their hearts. I know that the words they speak are for a reason and today I was reminded of that as I read Elder Wirthlin's talk. I needed to be reminded that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me and He knows what I can become. Perhaps deep down that is something I know. That would explain why, in the moments of loneliness & sadness I have experienced this week I felt I could only turn to Him. He will always be there and will see past my flaws, my insecurities, weaknesses etc.

It's time...

I'm learning that change doesn't always just happen. If I feel like I need a change and it isn't just happening all by itself then it's time that I work to figure out what needs to change. After much pondering and prayer I have decided that it's time to say goodbye to my life in BYU wards. After 7 years and many wonderful experiences I am going to start attending a stake singles branch. I am within the boundaries and I'm excited for the change. I went to the ward today and I feel good about it. I'm nervous, because this is all new for me. For the first time in my years as a singles ward attendee I will be going to church & activities alone. I won't have the support of roommates as I try to meet new people but I am in a place where I think I am ready for that. I have hopes that I will be able to meet some great people and have an opportunity to serve in the branch. I haven't been in a branch since I lived at home and it was strange to see that the entire branch could fit in the small Relief Society room. This will be a new adventure, and I certainly hope it's a good one. :) I plan to make it the best that I possibly can.

Speaking of change, I'm doing something else that is new and different for me as well. I've been wanting to get a second job for awhile so that I could have a little more money coming in and also fill some free time. Every time I decide to do this my full time job announces that we will be working overtime for the next week/month/year...you never really know, and I get too overwhelmed and tired to even consider getting a second job. As you all know I'm a little addicted to Scentsy and I had a party this past week. Afterwards I got the whole "You could sell this too" schpeel and I was convinced. To be honest it didn't take much convincing because I LOVE the product and it basically sells itself. So, I'm going to start selling Scentsy and I'm pretty excited about it. If anyone is interested in helping me out as I try to start my own little business I would love it. If you want to have a party or already have a warmer and need more scents, give me a ring! :) The parties are so relaxed and as I learned at my party, there is no hard selling. The woman that did my party stood back, ate some cheese & crackers and let everyone smell the scents and make their decisions. So leave a comment if you're interested!

Enough of my sales pitch, thanks for reading.

And now, as you all know, this is the last day of November which means no more mandatory daily blogging. I've loved having a place to unload all of my random thoughts from the day but I'll also love not having to come up with something to write when I have nothing to say! I'll post more often though, don't you worry your little heads about that. ;)

Thanks for joining me in the fun this month! Your comments make me want to keep writing, keep em comin'!

And a bit of nostalgia, some pictures from my very favorite BYU ward are randomly spread throughout this post. The experiences I had there are unlike anything I could have ever imagined and the people I met in that ward are some of the very best friends I could ask for.

Happy Holidays!

As you can see by my blog, the Christmas season has officially begun for me. I began my Christmas shopping yesterday, continued with a little more today, and put up a few decorations that I got today. I put the wreath on the door, the smaller wreaths in the window, some garland & white lights on the balcony and a few little sit abouty things in my living room. Once I finish writing this I am going to make some Taco Soup, and then start watching some Christmastime movies. Beginning with A Charlie Brown Christmas then moving on to others. I love this time of year and I love the way the lights & decorations & weather fill me with warmth. (Yes, cold weather fills me with warmth, I love cuddling up in a blanket in a cold room.)

In other news, I smelled cologne today. Oh yummy. Lora was in search of the perfect cologne for her husband and I was the lucky one to go along on this adventure!! I love smelling cologne but rarely do it seeing as I really have no reason to. When I saw Hugo sitting there on the counter I had to go over and say hello. My friend Ryan used to bring out all of his cologne bottles when I went over so that I could sniff them and Hugo was my favorite. I would cradle the bottle in my hand and sniff it until he took it away. I did the same today, except no one was there to take it away. Since I couldn't take the bottle with me Lora & I sprayed some on the little papers they gave us and I stuck it in my purse. My purse has never smelled so good. Next time you see me ask to take a whiff. It will still be in there, I guarantee it. In our searching I also accidentally sprayed my hand with another cologne when I was trying to spray it onto a piece of paper. Luckily it smells good because for the last few hours my thumb has smelled like mens cologne. (even after washing my hands several times.)

So there you have it, the randomness of my day. I hope you are all enjoying this joyous holiday season! :) Oh and not to depress you or anything, but tomorrow is the last day of my blog-a-thon. I know, I know, whatever will you do without your daily dose of whit, beauty & humor. ba hahaha! Funny...



Here are some pictures of fabulous Christmas memories & traditions.

Traditions:

The cookie dough. Ohhh the cookie dough. And the pink bowl, you can't forget that.

Christmas Eve PJ's

Memories:

My uncle in that apron, now that is memorable. So was his reaction when he received it in a frame on Christmas.


Hanging out with my fabulous cousins. They aren't this young or this cute anymore and I think they're both taller then me BUT they both promised that even when they became stupid teenagers they would still love me.
My first trip to NYC over Christmas break a few years ago.

Ahh I love that I spent this whole day thinking that tomorrow is Sunday and having to remind myself over and over again that it is in fact only Saturday! It really is a fantastic feeling. Although I made sure to get all of my Saturday stuff done today so now I don't have any Saturday stuff to do tomorrow. I'm pretty okay with that though.

Tonight I decided to go up to Sandy to check out the Christmas decorations at Tai Pan Trading. I love that place. They have fabulous seasonal decor all year round and a lot of it is pretty reasonably priced as well. Not everything, but a lot. I was in search of a cranberry wreath and Tai Pan did not disappoint. The first thing I saw when I walked in was a display with 3 different cranberry wreaths on it. And then all throughout the store I found more options. I found one that I liked a lot and then found a little one that I liked even more. One of the fun things about Tai Pan is that you get to search for things. Everything doesn't have a set place. I found the little wreath sitting with a bunch of larger ones and then went in search of more. I got lucky and found them on the floor under a shelf behind two fake poinsettia's. How they caught my eye I will never know. But I do know that they were only $4 each and I got three of them to hang with ribbon at different lengths in the sliding door that goes to the balcony. Oh, and I got the larger one for the front door also. I'm pretty excited to put up a few decorations tomorrow. :) I can't do much because it isn't my own place but I can do my little part that will make me happy and then my roommates can add what they like as well.

After Tai Pan I decided to go up to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights. They always turn them on the day after Thanksgiving and although I knew it would be busy I wanted to see them and didn't want to wait until I could find someone to go with me. It was really busy as I expected but I really enjoyed the hustle & bustle. I love crowds this time of year. It makes no sense because usually they make me anxious but I love Christmas shopping on the busy days (like today) and I loved that I got to wander around Temple Square by myself and look at the lights.

It's always interesting to me the things that happen inside me after working many hours of overtime for a long period of time. It's always a little scary for me to face where my life is and to figure out what I need to change but it's a nice starting over period for me too. I think that if I just went along everyday the same way as the one before I would never really notice if I have progressed, gone backwards or stood still. It takes a big change, like suddenly having time to assess my life to realize the state it is in. I am happy to report that there are many things in my life that I am pleased with. Everything didn't go spinning out of control like it usually does when I work that much overtime, although some things did. I have a lot to learn and I have a lot to do to improve myself but that is part of life, and I look forward to the adventure (thank you Brian for that word...so much better then challenge or trial.)

I have enjoyed the few times in my life where I could step outside of myself and see that I have grown up. I feel like this is one of those times. This is a small thing but I can't think of a time that I would have thought to catch Trax, ride up to Salt Lake, walk around and then take Trax home, all alone. I like to be with people, don't get me wrong. I would have loved to do all of those things with a friend instead of alone but I'm grateful that I didn't just sit back and watch the opportunity pass me by because I was alone. I don't know how often or for how long I will be alone but I think it's a good thing to get used to. It doesn't hurt to be a little more independent, which isn't saying I don't need my family or friends. It just means that I can, every now and then, go and do something that I want to do even if I have no one to do it with.

So this is what it's like to be 25...weird.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was exactly what I hoped for. A nice relaxing morning spent talking to family & going for a walk. Then an equally relaxing afternoon of cooking, TV on DVD watching, eating, piano playing & movie watching with my bestie. The best part about it all is that I get three more days of nothingness. Tomorrow may include some shopping, or maybe I will just sleep all day. Either way I'm sure it will be a great day.

I have been given so much in my life. So much that I can't express it all but I would be ungrateful not to show gratitude for what I have.

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
I am grateful for the testimony I have of the gospel and for the strength it gives me every day.
I am grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. For His sacrifice & the peace that having a Savior brings.
I am grateful to know I am a daughter of God, Heavenly Father loves me and I can see that every single day.
I am grateful for my family. All of them and for their support, love and example of the kind of person I want to be.
I am grateful to have friends that I can call family. The support system I have in my friends always amazes me.
I am grateful for blessings that come and help me to be stronger then I feel is possible.
I am grateful for the struggles I have had and for the lessons I have learned from them & also for the blessings that make me want to continue to work harder to make myself better.
I am also grateful for self-control. It sure made this Thanksgiving even more enjoyable for me. :)
I am grateful for the friends that I can just "be" with and that there doesn't have to be anything spectacular going on for us to have fun. And I'm grateful I was able to have Thanksgiving with one of those friends.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope your day was as wonderful as mine and that you were able to think about the blessings in your life.

Oops

I forgot to post yesterday. You get to hear from me twice today! Lets pretend like it isn't Thanksgiving and I don't have to be grateful so that I can rant for a second.

We all know I have a hard time finding shoes to fit my clown feet. It's a constant struggle for me but I try to keep a good attitude. My love for flip flops is beyond anything most people could imagine. The joy I feel when I find shoes that fit is unmatched as well. But once in awhile I get sad. Like when I see these.

http://www.keenfootwear.com/product.aspx?p=472

I want them. They're expensive, I get that. But lets pretend there is no price tag over there and pretend like I could just buy them if I wanted. I would. Except that they don't have my size!!! It frustrates me to no end! I find it sad that Payless is the only place I can find size 12 shoes at a reasonable price (although poor quality.) And then I have the "fabulous" Zappos & Shoes.com, which I hate because I can't try the shoes on first. The way most women are with jeans I am with shoes. My feet fit in different shoes differently so I have to try them on. I've had to send back almost every pair of shoes I have purchased on the internet. I have been told that I can get shoes at Nordstrom but, unfortunately I'm not made of money. Sad, right? And don't even get me started on Nordstrom Rack. If you recall those fabulous purple leopard print pointy shoes from a few weeks ago you will know how I feel about The Rack.

Really what I'm saying is that I'm annoyed with the size of my feet. And I should probably move somewhere that it doesn't snow so I can just wear flip flops year round without catching cold, getting frostbite, or having wet feet 8 months out of the year.(So I'm exaggerating the number of months it snows in UT but I'm most certainly not far off...)

This has been a really long but good day so a short one.

I'm grateful for my sister and the fact that she supports me & that we got to hang out for a long time tonight with no little boys running around!

I'm grateful for supportive friends.

I'm grateful that I get off work at 2 tomorrow and then have a 4 day weekend! Hurrah!

I'm grateful for my incredibly soft comfortable bed that I am about to fall asleep in.

And last but not least, I'm grateful that it is almost Christmas and that I get to experience the best of both worlds. Time at home with friends & family as well as time in Utah with friends that are coming back for a visit. How I have missed my Rach, Brian & Daniel. I've missed long talks with Rach, lots & lots of laughs with Brian (along with fabulous deep talks), Just as many laughs with Danny & also his big smiles & big hugs. Oh and BB with B (Brotherly bonding with Beth) on Thursday nights.

I just found this website where you can put your face in ecards, including HSM 3 singing E-cards. I made one of myself (it's in the post below this, I couldn't embed the card into my own blog, jib jab had to do it for me, rude.) and although it makes me laugh quite a bit, I wish I was in it more. (Vain right?) I only say this because I made one with the face of a male friend and Troy gets way more face time then Gabriella! No fair!! I wouldn't dare share the other one but here is mine. Check the site out they have a bunch of them! And don't be surprised if you start to see more...they are that funny to me.

So Funny!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Is it just me?

Or did Mr. Belding's forehead get bigger?



Someone needs to write him a nice note and suggest he make the top of his hair poof less...or perhaps suggest he just shave it off completely.

Don't worry, I still love Saved By The Bell. I laugh I cry I realize how pathetic it is that I have seen each episode at least 3-10 times. I also realize that it's pathetic that I still cry when Zach & Kelly break up. Just like when Corey & Topanga broke up. Breaks my heart every time. Don't worry everyone, both couples get married in the end.

Oh, and one question. Does anybody else think of Jesse when she was all doped up on caffeine pills whenever you hear the song "I'm so excited & I just can't hide it...."



Ahhh brings a tear to my eye...

Today I had dinner at Tucano's. Oh my. If you're thinking "Oh, wow I didn't know that was Weight Watchers friendly" then, you're right. It's not. But it sure tastes good. I went with Chris so he could use his free Birthday meal and it was quite fun. I think it's so funny to see the difference between men and women. I stocked up on carbs. Pasta salad, bread, more pasta salad, more bread & some mashed potatoes. Where as Chris, had meat. Sure he got a few things at the salad bar but he just ate meat. I had meat too, and I like meat but it's funny to look around the restaurant and see the womens plates compared to the mens plates. Why is it that women are drawn to carbs!? I often use a line that I stole directly from Kiely. "I'm highly carbivorous." Or just good old "I'm a carbivore." It's true. I am. The 3 million homemade rolls that i ate yesterday are proof of that. I worked out for an hour and a half last night and lost a pound from yesterday morning, so now I know that every now and then it is okay to splurge as long as you are willing to sacrifice your Friday night to go to the gym. Okay, okay it wasn't that much of a sacrifice. I had no plans and I stayed longer because I started to watch "Don't Forget The Lyrics" and ended up getting so sucked in that I had to stay until it was over. Which obviously turned out to be a good thing. Could this post get any more random? Nope...so I will end it because I have nothing to say...except that mustaches make me gag.

Many of you know that my nephew is kind of my pride and joy. How could you not know if you've met me. Well, I learned that from the best. Not many people are lucky enough to have a very close relationship with an aunt or an uncle. As you may have noticed, my family is freakishly close, which I absolutely love. My aunt, who all of you know as Sassy, has been an enormous part of my life and I'm really glad. So yes, this is another "why I'm so excited to go home" post but uh, nobody is making you read it if you don't want to...:)



My aunt is pretty cool. She'll do anything for her nieces & nephews (and great nephew...but don't call her Great Aunt Sassy she'll put you on the bad list...The Great Sassy is perfectly acceptable however.) and pretty much has. When I was growing up if I ever wanted something and my mom said no I always knew where to go. If Sassy wouldn't get it for me she would talk my mom into letting me have it. When I was sick she would talk to me on the phone so that I could be distracted and not throw up (I hated/hate throwing up...but then again who doesn't.) She worries about me more then you could ever imagine, but I know it's because she loves me. (Even if it drives me nuts :) Along with all of that she is a very good friend to me and I know that she'll always listen to my random stories or annoying babble (which she never thinks is annoying, only an Aunt would feel that way) and she forgives me if I'm so busy that we can only talk in 5 minute spurts. I can always count on the fact that when I go home we will have a Beth & Sassy day or a Cousins day with Sassy. We already have the Christmas one planned and I look forward to it! As long as she doesn't pet me. I know you're reading this woman! Don't pet me! :)

Oh, and her birthday is next Wednesday sooo HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY Sassy!! You look younger every year. (Just securing that extra special Christmas present....)


And, since I know she would have my head if I posted a picture of her on my blog, here is a picture of her two favorite nieces. If you're wondering, I'm the weirdo with the bunny ears and bowl cut...

What makes Christmas Christmas?

I love this time of year because I get all warm and fuzzy inside and I feel such joy in silly little traditions!

When I feel "christmasy" It's usually because of a song or a movie. Growing up we listened to Bing Crosby, Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers, & Vince Gill. There may have been others but those are the ones that really make me feel like it is Christmas. Especially B-b-b-Bing. When I hear "I'm...Dreaming of a whiiite Christmas." I am officially ready for the season!

The other thing that really tops it all off is movies. I love Christmas movies, whether it be ridiculously cheesy or spiritual or just plain amazing I love it. White Christmas is, by far, my favorite. Followed closely by Home Alone (the original...none of the sequels are even worth watching.) Growing up one of my favorites was Prancer. I haven't seen that in forever, I think it's time to watch it again. I do not like A Christmas Story. That stems from my childhood and I won't even give it another chance. I despise the fact that they play it for 24 hours a day on TBS around the week of Christmas. Ilch. Terrible.

Here is a clip from White Christmas that I absolutely love.



So, what makes you feel that warm fuzzy Christmas feeling? Is it music? Movies? Food? A certain smell? I love to hear the things that people grew up with that are Christmas for them.

Oh I can't wait!

In less then a month I will be at home and I really can't wait! I'm so excited to see my family, to schlep across the city with my Aunt after she gets me from the airport, to actually be home for Christmas Eves Eve which is the most important part of Christmas for me and to see some friends. Now, all of these things are equally exciting and I'm sure you'll hear more about it in time but right now, the friends. Oh the friends!

I was pretty much the luckiest teenage girl in the whole world growing up. I made some amazing friends in my ward that are, to this day, some of my favorite people. We are spread across the country right now and I miss them so much. We were so lucky to all be in Utah for a few years together and I seriously loved that no matter what was going on, if I needed them they would drop everything for me, and vice versa.

One particular time I was having an awful time. It concerned something I didn't feel I could really talk to anyone about but I just knew I could go to Laura. I called her and she told me to come over and I proceeded to sit on her bed with her and cry for a very long time. I exploded and told her everything that was bothering me and told her things I never ever thought I would say out loud and she just let me. She told me that I was, in fact, not crazy and helped me to look at everything rationally. The other night I was missing her so much and I remembered that day and I just had to cry. I wish she wasn't on the other side of the country but I sure am glad that where she is is where I will be in less then a month!! That leads into my ode to Laura. My first memory of her was when she was about 4 years old and she was mad because she didn't have any powdered sugar on her french toast. Yes, it is that big of a deal!! We have been friends as long as I can remember, but much closer from teenagehood into...whatever it is we are in now. We used to fight like sisters and make up soon after. Her sarcasm is unmatched, except by her mother of course. She has been my inspiration for sarcasm, some may think that's a bad thing but her sarcasm is hilarious, you just have to know her to understand. She was in Utah on vacation when I moved here and I have to say I don't look at that as a coincidence. She made it so much easier for me to settle in. She is the one that I know I can go to for anything, even if we haven't talked in a very long time. I think she feels the same way about me, at least the middle of the night phone call when she got her first kiss & the fact that we always said that I could speak dolphin because I could always understand her when she cried & talked. I miss you TONS Laura Marie and I can't wait to see you soon.

The other two girls that I get to see in LESS THEN A MONTH are Jeffer & Heffer...or Jen & Heather, or Fur Brain & Heatherfer...call them what you will (I obviously do.) but I can't wait! They're both married (just like Laur) and living in two different states, oh they're sisters too. I love them and I love their family and I love how happy they make me! Heatherfer and I are the closest in age and have been really close since Beehives. She is so level headed and so dang funny. We had a lot of fun times when she was living in Utah still and I miss it so much. But, I'll admit, I'm glad she got married even if it did take her away from me. :) Jeffer is so fabulous and always in a great mood. I laugh forever when I am with her and always feel better about life after spending time with her. She has a little girl and I can't wait to meet her! I can't believe she is 1 and I still haven't met her! Heartbreak.

We have already conversed and are going to get together, all four of us, when we all go home for Christmas and I know we will just pick right up where we left off. I am so grateful for these wonderful girls and for the influence they have had on my life. You knew me when I had bangs and you love me anyway. That's huge. I love you girls!

Ahhh Low Fat...

Yeah, that's right. I'm doing Weight Watchers. And with that comes the whole, watching what you eat thing. I kind of love it and have become one of the "go to" people at work for ideas on yummy things to eat while staying within your daily points. It has been a lot of fun for me to share my recipes, share my favorite quick & easy snacks/meals and to have a good relationship with co-workers because we are all doing this together! (Some background, I'm doing a WW work program. My HR department started it and our WW leader comes once a week to my place of employment for weigh-ins and meetings. There are about 20 women & men that are doing it and it's such a fun thing for everyone to work together! In 7 weeks our group lost over 400 pounds total...As our leader put it "that's a football player and a skinny cheerleader!!!")

Anyway, a lot of people have major issues with low fat or no fat foods. And yes, I agree where some foods are concerned (like fat free ranch...helloooo cardboard) but there are others that I can't even tell the difference! I love light string cheese! One cheese fulfills a daily dairy product & only costs me 1 point! I actually like them better than full fat string cheese! Less oily, try them out! The other thing I don't mind in the least is fat free ice cream. I've had some nasty fat free ice cream but I found the best of the best in Blue Bunny Ice Cream. Oh delicious. The point of this post is to drool over this new wonderful low fat dessert that I just found. I have never been a really big ice cream person. When I do have ice cream it has to be on a cone or in some form other then just in a bowl. Tonight I was in search of something new while I grocery shopped and came across Weight Watchers Smart Ones Desserts. My Aunt has raved about these before & so did a friend of mine but for some reason I never bought them, probably the price tag. Anyway, today I splurged and oh man! They're delicious! I had the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough one and I'm a believer. If you are looking for a low fat treat to take care of a sweet tooth I highly suggest these things...and no I'm not being paid I just like to share my findings...and plus, who ever thought I would give this much detail about my Weight Watchers participation? If you are curious, it's still going well. I am loving trying new recipes & eating healthier. I really enjoy working out as well, once I get there. So there you go, it's going well.

Country Music & My Mom

Many of you know my mom. All of you that know her know how absolutely fantastic she is. It's impossible to miss. She's kind, incredibly loving, friendly, easy to talk to, funny, faithful, obedient, really good with kids especially children with disabilities and much more. No matter what is going on in my life or how long it has been since we talked last I know I can always count on her for advice, a fun conversation or a listening ear when I need to vent.

Now, since we all know how fantastic my mom is I want to tell you about something you may not know. But first, some background. On Saturday night I went to dinner with Al & Chris for their birthdays. We went to Texas Roadhouse which is a favorite that we don't get to go to a lot. It was a Saturday night and the place was crazy! A few times while we were there they put on some music really loud and the waiters would dance to it. I'm not ashamed to admit that I love country music. I go through phases where that is the only thing I listen to and it always makes me happy. Sadly, I don't have all of the good old stuff that we had when I was growing up so I was quite pleased when they started to play a Garth Brooks song at the restaurant. I love Garth Brooks. The first concert I went to (around the age of 8) was Garth Brooks and I remember being insanely happy. I also remember feeling like I wanted to cry and being very confused by that because I thought you only cry when you are sad and I was so happy! Those are big emotions for a little person. Anyway, the song that was playing made me miss my mom so much! I could actually hear her singing along in my head, that's how many times we have listened to it. My cute mom loves to sing. I love to sing also, but I don't have the blessing of sounding like my mom when I sing. She has a beautiful voice (I can pick it out from a choir) and some of my favorite memories (now, when I was little I just thought it was embarrassing.) are of our old house, when I was coming home from school and could hear country music blaring out of my house. We always knew it was cleaning day when the windows were wide open and the country music was blaring. Mom was always singing along and dancing sometimes too. It brings a smile to my face! I'm sure she still does it, I would hope so at least!

I know this blog is completely out there, but there are so many fun things about my mom that I think about this time of year because it's so close to when I get to see her. She has instilled in me a love for the holidays as well. I can't listen to Bing Crosby or Dolly & Kenny's Christmas without, again, hearing my mom singing along in my head. That music IS the holidays for me. That is what gets me into the spirit of the season more then anything. I always have a craving to bake around this time of year also. My mom used to make a bunch of different kinds of cookies every year for Christmas. She sure can bake! Thanks for giving me all of these fun things to do in my own life mom and for instilling in me a love of music (country & others as well) and the ability to laugh & have fun. I can't wait to go home one month from today and spend time with her and with the rest of my family & some friends too. I love this time of year!!!

I'm addicted to YouTube right now. Here is a video of the song they played at the restaurant the other night. Love it!!

I'm not really in the mood to blog today. So, here's a picture of some of my friends that I desperately miss these days.

"Gracias, danke, merci whatever language is spoken, 'thank you' frequently expressed will cheer your spirit, broaden your friendships, and lift your lives to a higher pathway as you journey toward perfection. There is a simplicity even a sincerity when 'thank you' is spoken."
--Thomas S. Monson, "The Profound Power of Gratitude," Ensign, Sept. 2005, 3


It's that time of year where we all begin to do a better job of showing gratitude. I try to be grateful all year but I know I have a long way to go too. I realize that I can be quite selfish at times. Instead of thinking how another person may feel or being grateful what people are doing for me I often just think about me. I realized yesterday that I want to be better. All of the time, not just during November & December. :) I always appreciate it when the people I care about tell me that they love or appreciate me so why wouldn't I do that as well? It's easy to forget to tell the people you are closest to that you appreciate everything they do. It's also easy, for me, to forget to express gratitude to people that I may not even know, or don't know very well. How many times during the day are people kind and I don't acknowledge it. Sure I always say thank you, but I bet my tone doesn't always show that I'm grateful. I love when I go to the grocery store and the checker is super friendly and helpful. Why not be the same way back to them?

Anyway, this is kind of random and I haven't had a lot of time to collect my thoughts on the matter but there it is. :) Above is a youtube video of one of my favorite songs on Josh Groban's Christmas album. It's called Thankful and it's kind of what started this whole tangent in my head. It's beautiful and served as a good reminder to me. :)

And, in the spirit of the holidays but more so the spirit of the joy of life, things I am grateful for today.

-Seeing Mamma Mia with my co-worker & friend Callie. I love that I can be friends with some of my co-workers outside of work as well.

-Getting my hair done so that I won't have to look at my nasty roots everyday. :)

-Knowing that a good friend is willing to make a sacrifice in order to make me happy & spend time with me, even though it really shouldn't be about me at all.

-Target. I love that place so much...soo much.

Beth Bethers...

Okay. I love nicknames. I have had many in my life. The most common being Bethie, Bess & Bethers. Others include, Diva, Feather (oh those were the days...), Besafer, Bessie, Goober, Death Beever...and the list goes on.

I love when people call me a nickname, I've never really known why but maybe it's a comfort thing. I don't go around calling people random nicknames unless I'm very close to them, so I guess I just assume that when people use a nickname it's a way of showing love & friendship. Random...but this doesn't just come out of nowhere, promise.

Chris was looking on facebook tonight and one of the people they suggested that he become friends with had the last name of "Bethers". We were thinking about how cool it would be for me to be named Beth Bethers. I would seriously love that. Seriously. Now, how do I make that happen...hmm.

Do you guys have any nicknames that people call you that you love? Or hate for that matter? I certainly don't love to be called Beth Beth. It's my least favorite nickname that I've had so far.

PS Thanks for the comments on my last blog! I rented some musicals tonight and started to watch The Music Man but can't finish it because my roommates are watching a movie. I'll let you know which are my favorites when I finish!

The theatre the theatre, whatever happened to the theatre...?

If you can name where that quote came from you are #1 on my list of super cool people. And I don't call just anyone super cool. Especially since I don't use the word super very often, and mostly only if I'm mocking something, except this time. It's kind of like so good...but I digress.

A few posts ago Adele asked me what my favorite musical of all time is and boy was I grateful! Thank you to Adele for giving me something to blog about! You saved the day!

So, to be honest, I haven't seen that many musicals. I have seen some and have loved every single one of them but I am not your average mormon girl that grew up on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers or Singin' In The Rain. I did grow up on White Christmas, which is now one of my favorite movies/musicals. Thanks to some of my musical lovin' friends I have seen some new (to me) ones since living in Utah but I want to see more!

To answer, Adele's question. Although before this summer I had never seen it or even heard much of the music, my favorite musical thus far is Les Miserables. No film, play, song etc has caused me to feel such deep emotion as Les Mis did. I think that there were a few things that were going on that made it even more touching to me then it normally wouldn't have been but mostly it is just incredibly beautiful.

I like silly musicals, like High School Musical & Bye Bye Birdie. I love the few good old fashioned musicals like White Christmas. I just want to know which other ones are the very best! The ones that you think I am truly missing out on. Share your suggestions! I will consider them seriously and report back after I watch them! I promise! Maybe I'll go to the library tomorrow and borrow them all so that I can have a Musical Movie Marathon tomorrow night!

“I testify to you that God has known you individually … for a long, long time. He has loved you for a long, long time. He not only knows the names of all the stars; He knows your names and all your heartaches and your joys!” -Elder Neal A Maxwell

I can't ask for a better friend than one that knows my every thought, heartache & joy. Sometimes life gets lonely. On days like yesterday I wish that I didn't have to be alone, and then I am reminded that in the most important ways, I'm not.

I'm grateful for that reminder.

Don't expect much.

I'm grumpy. This day was long & kind of sucked. I am exhausted which is causing me to feel unreasonable annoyance & anger about pretty much everything. I just want to watch a movie, drink hot chocolate and relax. But I don't want to do it alone. I want a friend. I want a friend that lives close enough to just come over to lounge on the couch. I don't want to have to entertain or talk and I don't want to be the ever loyal "listener", I just want to be. But I don't want to "be" alone.

This really isn't a cry for help. It's called, I promised myself I would blog everyday for a month and I have no energy to come up with a single thing to say besides exactly how I feel. I'll be fine tomorrow.


For your viewing pleasure, the BEST picture ever taken of my nephew. Huh-larious.

A confession...

I went to see HSM 3 a few weeks ago and loved it.  I loved it so much that I bought a few of my favorite songs on itunes.  I loved those few songs so much that I bought the whole soundtrack.  I am now listening to it and have been since Saturday.  I'm not ashamed.  Not in the least...just don't tell anyone.

Speaking of being sick, I'm not!!!  Positive thoughts & swishing your mouth with Listerine always work!!  I learned that from Kiely who learned it from Sister Hall of BYU choir fame.  

I'm working a lot this week. A LOT.  That's why this post is so short and I'm writing it on a break.  Fit it in where I can.  Lata!

I am not getting sick.

Because this year I'm not getting sick at all. I've decided this and so the cough and warm face and scratchy throat that I have been feeling this evening are all a fluke. I'll wake up tomorrow and feel perfectly fine. Do you hear me immune system?! Fight this!

Okay, hello everyone! Another day another (short) post.

I enjoy honesty. I think it is an important part of relationships. I also think, however, that it isn't always necessary to say everything you think, honest or not. Sometimes it just isn't worth it to hurt someone or make someone feel disconnected from everyone else just so that you can be honest. If it's about something that isn't that important then, in my opinion, it's okay to just not say it. Small rant, my apologies.

You're never going to believe it...

I found these absolutely darling shoes at Payless tonight and they were TOO BIG FOR ME!!! They were 13's which I can usually pull off but these flipped right off my feet when I walked. Never have I left a shoe store desperately sad because the shoes I loved were too big, NEVER. It was an interesting turn of events.

I had another day of adventure today. I overslept because my cell phone decided not to make noise anymore and it also decided that I was no longer allowed to make or receive phone calls. It was such a super fun time. I woke up 2 hours after I should have been at work and when I called my boss I found out that everyone was in a complete panic because apparently I am so reliable that oversleeping isn't something people expect from me. Honestly, I don't expect it from me either. :) My boss told me that my sister was on her way to my apartment to see if I was okay. I called her immediately to tell her I was fine and then went to work in my fabulous pj's and nasty I just slept for 7 hours hair. When I got to work my boss told me that I can never say that people don't care about me. I would have to agree. I'm grateful to have people that care about me and worry when I don't get somewhere when they expect me.

The rest of my day was less eventful but still fun. We had book club and then I got to see Amy & Josh, who live a few hours south of here. It was fun to see them and to hang out again. I miss having them around.

If you can't tell my heart really isn't into the whole blogging thing today so now I will go.

Wow, if my life stays this interesting maybe I'll blog everyday for the rest of forever! Okay, just kidding my life isn't that interesting but tonight it was.

I went and met Chris about 15 minutes from Salt Lake tonight. After a fun dinner and some random driving around including singing/car dancing, we decided to drive to Salt Lake and walk around. When we got downtown I noticed it was surprisingly busy for a non-holiday weekend but figured there was a Jazz game (which there was). As we drove up to Temple Square we were shocked to see people everywhere. Chris had mentioned earlier that there was a protest at Temple Square tonight because of the churches support of Proposition 8. We both kind of forgot about it, expecting that it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Which is why I was so surprised to see at least 1,000 people walking circles around Temple Square. Since I was driving I wasn't able to see a lot of the signs that people were holding (which I think I might be grateful for...) But the one that I saw said "Mormons breed hate". There were people everywhere, including the median & the middle of the road. Temple Square was closed and it was only 8:00. A man stood right in the middle of the street in front of the car next to us even after the light turned green and stared the people down when they tried to drive. I don't think I can explain the feeling I had and how relieved I was when we got away from Temple Square.

Now, please, don't get me wrong, these people have a right to express their beliefs. However, I disagree with how they approached it. I don't want to get into the politics of everything, but I have to say that even in my car, with my doors safely locked, I felt so unsafe and could feel the anger & hatred that the protesters had. It made me sad to see Temple Square, a place that I consider to be peaceful & beautiful no matter what your religion may be, surrounded by such anger. The church had as much right to speak out in support of Prop 8 as the men & women that surrounded the temple tonight had but the thing I don't understand is what good this protest will do. Chris made a good point, had it been months, weeks, days before Prop 8 was to be voted on it would make sense but what good will the protest do after Prop 8 was passed?

I hesitated to even bring these things up, knowing that the people that read my blog all have different opinions on this matter, but I also know that my friends & family that read this blog are kind, loving & accepting people. And I know that you will understand the sadness I felt this evening. We all want to live in a peaceful world, which isn't always easy to find.

Here is a link to an article I found on KSL.com http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4728411

Speaking of finding peace in this world. I found some peace among all of the crazy-ness this evening. As I mentioned, I went to Salt Lake to hang out with Chris and it was a fabulously fun evening. We often plan ahead and stress about what we're going to do since we can never really go to either persons house without one of us having to drive for a nice long time. Tonight there wasn't much planning. We knew dinner would be involved and the rest just came. We didn't do anything outrageously exciting besides the things I mentioned above (singing/car dancing) and walking around The Gateway, eating ice cream and then getting stuck in traffic from the Jazz game while singing & car dancing some more. At one point during the evening we agreed that we have so much more fun when we don't plan anything. I'm not sure why that is but it worked quite well tonight. I loved hanging out with my best friend and feeling the most me that I have felt in a long time, at least around another person. I love that I could sing into the microphone aka my thumb, at the top of my lungs and not be afraid of what someone was going to think. I am quite grateful for that familiar, comfortable feeling I have on nights like this. Chris & I have been friends for several years now and over and over again I have been able to look at our friendship and without a doubt know that we are friends for a reason. Perhaps it is one-sided and I'm the one receiving all of the blessings from this friendship, whatever the case may be, I came home tonight feeling happier & lighter and more able to face the demands of this week because I got to have a relaxing night filled with a whole bunch of nothing and a whole lot of fun. Chris, Thanks for being the kind of person that I can be myself with and that sticks by me even though I've given you plenty of reasons not to.

I apologize if you all get sick of hearing me blabber on about how grateful I am for this person or that person, but I really have been given the best people in my life. I only know of a few of you that read my blog but I can think of at least one, most likely many more, times that I have been insanely grateful to have you in my life.

Frogger?

Today wasn't very eventful. If I were to write about the majority of my day you would all stop reading long before I was done. Work is draining the life out of me like never before. I'm pretty sure there is a lot more to it then the 55-60 hour weeks because I've done that before and survived just fine.

Anyway, a story for you. On my way home I stopped at the store and then sat in my car getting things situated (plugging phone in, taking ipod out of case, hooking it up, getting to the correct radio station...all of which are things I do each time I get in the car, as you may know if you have ever driven with me.) I looked up and saw a man drive by in a truck and park his car. He didn't park next to me but he kept looking at me. Then he got out of the truck and started to walk toward me. Like the good little girl that grew up close to a big city that I am, I made sure my doors were locked and then started my car. I drove across the parking lot and then parked again since I had not yet gotten situated and in the moment that I sat there the man came up to my car! I was totally freaked, gave him a weird look and tried to ignore him. Again, remember I grew up being told to ignore people that spoke to me as I walked downtown, never open my car to strangers, etc. He continued to stand there and so I cracked my window the slightest bit. You most certainly couldn't even have fit a hand through the crack and he said "I'm meeting Frogger here, are you Frogger?" I promptly said no and then drove away. (ipod on, phone plugged in groceries in place) I couldn't help but wonder who he was meeting, as I left him standing in a grocery store parking lot. My guess would be an internet gaming friend, I mean really who else would go by "Frogger"?


Or maybe it's the first date set up on an internet dating site. Whatever the case I can guarantee that by the way he was dressed his beloved "Frogger" would not have been wearing sweat pants, an eatza pizza shirt, running shoes & a hoodie topped off with some super fantastic I-just-left-the-gym hair. Good of him to consider me though. And, true to the way I was raised, I spent the next 10 minutes of my drive trying to get my hands to stop shaking because I had been so afraid that the frogger lover was going to hi-jack my car. Now I'm home, safe and sound and considering taking a nap...because only Grandma's go to bed at 8.

Shoes=The bane of my existence.

Thanks to you wonderful people that are commenting on my blog! It makes my day every time! Speaking of my day...Here is a summary.

This is what I walked out of my house to this morning. I was actually quite excited...

Until this happened...my feet were wet and slushy. Now, you may all be thinking "but Beth always wears flip flops in the snow." Well, it's official ladies and gentlemen I'm not as young as I once was and now I'm concerned about catching cold and keeping my feet warm...strange.

So, with the help of my good pal Al I went in search of the perfect shoes. Here they are!!Okay....sick. That's a joke. These were size 13 and they fit like a dream, too bad they're dang ugly.


Okay, okay here they are for real. I drove almost an hour to Payless and found these shoes! (You may ask yourself, why did she drive so far for Payless? Well, because I'm lonely and my friends live far away so I drove far so I didn't have to shop alone.)

My cute new shoes. Oh and I got two sweaters too. So exciting!

Oh sweet scents...

Have you guys heard about the latest and greatest at home party, Scentsy? I can't imagine you haven't. It's kind of everywhere. Or maybe that's just in my life. I have friends at work and outside of work that are going nuts over these things! Walmart even has their own generic version of it.

Oh man, they're amazing. My friend got one and even after 15 or 20 minutes the whole place was filled with the amazing smell of Pumpkin Roll! The office area we were in was not small but the whole place smelled amazing! I just ordered mine and I can't wait to get it! It almost feels a little cruel to have to wait 2 weeks now.

I ordered the Embellish warmer. It matches my room quite well. Here's a picture of it.


If you haven't heard of it, don't worry, in order to get some discounted stuff and share the love of the Scentsy (Fabulous Christmas gifts eh?!) I'm going to have a party at some point. You're all invited! :)

I'm sorry for the random sales pitch but I am incredibly excited!

Oh and P.S.

Uh oh...

It's only day 3 and I already have writers block?

Oooo, I know. I am in love with this time of year and especially the weather we are having. Yesterday it rained like crazy! There was even a little bit of thunder & lightning! When we got to church and found that there were no close parking spots I decided to walk without an umbrella (ella ella...) into the building. The walk wasn't too far but far enough that by the time we got inside my hair was completely soaked and so was my shirt & skirt. I had to get paper towels to dry my hair so I didn't drip on anyone. I loved it!

And then today! Ahh! Today I walked outside after work at 5pm and it was starting to get dark. I don't know what it is about this time of year but it makes me so happy! When most of the world starts to get depressed I am filled with joy! I love the cool crisp air and the way the sky looks when I leave work. I love wearing sweatshirts, drinking hot chocolate and the excitement I feel when I realize that Thanksgiving is coming. When I walked out of work today and the weather was perfect I had that "fall" feeling that I have been craving for weeks!

I really do look forward to Thanksgiving (and not just because I get 2 days off after a month of ridiculous overtime...). I think this year will be as low key as last year was but possibly less lonely, not that Veronica Mars wasn't good company last year. :) I think I might get to have Thanksgiving with my bestie this year and I look forward to that.

This could not get any more random. I'm tired and I'm thinking about a million different things, thus the inability to stay on topic. Until tomorrow...

Some of my wonderful Book Club girls. Starting with Lily, our youngest member, Crackers, Brenae, Laura & Rachel. Lora is missing from this one because she's the photographer.

I wanted a picture with Lora because I thought we looked like a pumpkin standing together. :) And because I luff her of course.

A reunion of sorts.

Wow, I'm in love with this picture. Not just because I am surrounded by wonderful friends that I love but because, man I was having a great hair day! Okay, sorry, I know that's ridiculously shallow but days like that are few and far between for me so I have to mention it. Thanks to VeNicia for posting this on Facebook, hope you don't mind that I stole it! :)

I had such a great time last night. I call it a reunion "of sorts" because most of the people I see pretty regularly. It's always such a nice change to go hang out with the Mansfield's though. I loved having a bit of a smaller group last night so that we could all sit together at one table for dinner. It rarely happens that way and I usually end up not getting a chance to talk to some people because there are so many people around. We had a nice evening filled with food, a game and lots of chatting. I always love being with these wonderful friends but I feel like last night was something I really needed. I'm struggling with expressing myself so lets just say that I haven't felt that "at home" feeling as much as I'd like lately. I've spent a lot of time alone because things are so busy or because the people I am closest to live 45 minutes or more away and I've had a lot of people comment on the fact that it's too bad all of my friends are married because married people are "boring". I have proof that that isn't true. Some of my favorite times are with my married friends. And just think, my friendship numbers have doubled because now I have the spouses of my friends as friends as well. Brenae, Cindy & John are the spouses that were involved in last nights activity (although Cindy was in the singles ward with us I just never knew her very well.) and I was just as excited to spend time with them as I was to see the ones that I hung out with in the old ward. I can't help but love them. It's practically impossible.

So thanks to everyone that came last night! It was exactly what I hoped for and needed and like I proved at the beginning of this blog post...It's all about me. :)

"Check me out! No seriously check me out."

Oh John Legend how I love you....Oh wait, sorry that's not what this blog is about at all but I am listening to the John Legend station on Pandora and I'm pretty okay with that.

So here is the beginning of the 30 straight days of blogging. Prepare yourselves this will most likely be the best month of your life. :)

Yesterday was Halloween, not sure if you were aware. I dressed up as a pirate with my co-workers. It was a pretty fun day, except my dang parrot kept staring at me, falling off my shoulder or pecking people in the eye. One would expect that from a real parrot not a styrofoam parrot. I thought you were above that Patrick...shame. The company I work for gets pretty excited about Halloween. I've never liked Halloween. I have pretty much always hated dressing up because I can never come up with the perfect costume (have yet to find it FYI) but when you work at ____, you have to work really hard to dislike Halloween. There are a lot of talented & creative people there and it's a blast to see the costumes that people come up with. On my way home from work I kept looking into peoples cars and seeing people in costumes. Halloween is such a funny day! I loved seeing so many people dressed up. My favorite moment was when I was driving to the gym and saw a guy wearing a skeleton mask while raking leaves. That's just plain funny. I laughed a lot yesterday. Last night was pretty chill. Went to the gym with Al, made Chili (watched her make Chili?!) ate a yummy points friendly dinner with her and then enjoyed a visit from my darling nephew, sis & Brother in law. It was fabulous to see them, especially that little scarecrow that got chili all over my clothes. Didn't phase me in the least. Oh and if the only words he ever says are "woah" & "hi" I will still think it is the cutest thing as long as he says it just the way he does now. I laugh every time he says woah. It's hilarious. (I realize he'll say more as he gets older because he's dang smart but...well you'd have to hear it to understand) After they left Al & I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies then went to Laura's for a party. We ended up sitting in Laura's room talking about life, being all deep and stuff and it makes me laugh to think about because that's just so like us now but so unlike us 3 years ago. Growing up is weird.

Enough of my babble, here are pictures of me day as a pirate. ARRRRR!

Callie & I. Notice Patrick staring at me...and Callie too for that matter.

This is me with the outcast in our department, Juli. She was too good to be a pirate. Ignore my bandanna here...it was a long day and I had just taken it off and didn't put it back on very well. This is Kristin. I absolutely love her but every time I looked at her yesterday I just had to laugh (or gag if I looked at the 'stache for too long...ick not a fan of mustaches) Don't you love her gold tooth? You can't see it, but it had a skull on it.
The Data Acq Matey's. Our ship was called the Screaming Siren. I don't know why but it seemed to fit. Quite the group I work with eh?
Look at the little scarecrow that wouldn't wear his whole costume! He sure is cute.
I learned that along with his new found love of hugging & cuddling Austin also poses for the camera and then smiles after you take the picture. This was my attempt to catch the cheese. I missed the majority of it but there is a little smile in there.