A conglomeration of happy events. For which I am grateful. {Better late than never.}

(these events are listed in order of appearance. not importance. of course.)

Carrie Underwood + Little Big Town = {Carnival Ride Tour}

Boy, oh, boy! I went to Carrie Underwood's concert with my wonderful roommates (even though Jess has moved since then...she's still our roommate.) {the sad, tiny truth is that I found out Coldplay was coming about a week after I bought the Carrie Underwood tickets...and I may or may not have wanted to buy those instead....uh...lol...oh well!} HOWEVER, this concert was great fun anyway; and Little Big Town?! Oh, helllooooo!!! LOVED 'em! I was surprised at how much I really did love them! A big "thank you" shout out to them for having a real soprano, a real alto, a real tenor, and a real bass...AND for having great, rich harmonies. AH!!! It's refreshing to hear singers who really appreciate what they're doing. And Miss Carrie is impressive in her own rights with those pipes of hers! Two enthusiastic thumbs up to her power-singing abilities! AND...she joined with LBT for their own rendition of "Paradise City" and I was nearly blinded by their powers of awesome. :) The only suggestion I have for them is to learn from Kung-Fu Panda, and remember: "There is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness." I should have been able to go to that concert for free. Mehe-heh-heh-heh. :)

[* Savior of the World* ]

This is the second year in a row I have gone to see this beautiful play. Last year, I went with Woahn, Bingham, and Rees and we cried and cried all the way through. The people and the music just took us right back to Nauvoo, and we just couldn't help it! I want desperately to find the time to even be a little angel next year. {Please, please bless I can!}

The message is so incredibly beautiful, and I am absolutely in love with the way it is portrayed. I love it when performing crosses over into the heartfelt testimonies of those on stage and brings such a beautiful spirit to the audience. I especially love the first half; the portrayal of the birth of the Savior always overwhelms me, and yes, I sit there with tears streaming down my face the entire time. This year, I went with Cali & Bryan and Jeni. Thanks so much, Cali, once again for getting the tickets! I love these people, and to be there with them was just as wonderful as the last time I went. :) Best part of the holidays. :)

{Gilmore Girls live here}
This is a short goodness: Wal-mart is selling the Gilmore Girls seasons for $15 each. Yes, that's right. You can judge me all you want, but I love that show, and the witty banter all through it. I have been too cheap in the past, however, to buy them. However, my dream of ownership has now come true, and I have started my collection. Zippa-dee-doo-dah!!! I can sit down and live in Stars Hollow now whenever I want. :)

*^* Thanksgiving: my favorite holiday above any other. {Even my Grandma agrees with me on this one.} *^*

I really love Thanksgiving the most. Of course I love Christmas. That goes without saying. But I love the food the most at Thanksgiving. I count down to the turkey, the yams, and the stuffing. I can't possibly wait until Thanksgiving to have pumpkin pie, though. Just ask my roommates. We made two as soon as they started selling canned pumpkin for just a little cheaper. {I think that was in October} and it didn't stop there. I can't explain it. There is no excuse. And my dad makes the best pomegranate salad on the planet. Yummmmmm. :) *happy sigh of contentment* I am grateful it only comes once a year, though. I couldn't possibly keep up with my love of it if it came even once more in a year. :) AND it's always so much fun to have my whole family together. I miss my siblings way way way too much, and most of all, I miss bugging my brothers. :) {They secretly love it. I know they do.} We took some fun family pictures that day as well. Just ones we took our selves. I suppose we could pay someone to take the pictures; that way, we'd probably have at least one where Adam isn't making a silly face...hahaha...but that just wouldn't be true to life!!! I love it just the way we are. My family is crazy and weird. And I love us. :)

* Moment of silence, please *

The only sad part about Thanksgiving was I missed having my Alaina friend just around the block. :( I know you're having a blast in Russia, dear girl, but could you just come home quick? I miss you most on holidays. :) I just wanted to go on a walk through the leaves still piled up everywhere, pass the Phippen's house at least once [for old times sake, of course!] and eat chicken quesadillas with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce while we caught up on all the crime shows with your mom. :) That's all I'm asking for.

[ ~ Pie - Face ~ ]

And, my friend Seth and his wife, Rachel, were in town through the Thanksgiving weekend. It was good to see them. I went over to visit on Sunday night; successfully interrupting their family scripture chase. Yes, I joined in, and yes, I won some tootsie-rolls. {So did everyone else. That's not the point.} Afterward, they had this miniature pudding pie-eating contest...I could only make it through two of the little pies before I thought I was going to puke. However, the third pie ended up partially on my face, and partially on Seth's little brother's face. [I still call him Turbo in my mind...I know he's growing up, and it doesn't fit as much as it did when he was little, but...give me a break. I still call the youngest Olsen child "Boy" in my mind too. Old habits die hard.] :)

[Framed and Finished!]

AND, my grandpa helped me cut the glass for my Nauvoo picture, so it's finally done!!! WOOHOOOOO!!!!! My dad helped me bind the back together as well, so I can now hang it on my wall, where it's been dying to be for months now. :) It's the best Thanksgiving present of all time. :) Could I be any happier?! I think not. :) I was going to post a picture of the final project for your viewing pleasure. But I've already put this post off long enough. Just trust me. It's beautiful. :) AND it only cost me a total of about $25. The prints are a good $300-$400. I feel pleased.

Today's distractions...

1. The semi-crazy lady with awkwardly good intentions who works on my floor stopped me today, once again, to introduce me to her son by saying "Sweetie!! Don't you think she looks like (insert a boy's name who apparently is one of her sons' best friends...yeah, you read that right.)?!?!??! The poor boy then tries to explain that I look like I could be in his bff's family. There are pretty girls in this family, he says. Stammering. While his mom continues to try to prove her point, much to his embarrassment as well as my own. Don't worry - this is about the fourth time she has made this comparison. Only...the first time, she tried to set us up on a date. Because she thought he would like me. Because I look like I could be his bff's sister?! Ack and ugh! REALLY!?!?! Hahahhahaa....
   
2. Whenever it rains, I just want to be curled up with a good book. Today is no exception. But hey - I have a job, I love it, and I should be/am grateful.
   
3. Today, I really need chocolate. Not a lot, but a definite store within my reach. And yes. For obvious reasons.
   
4. Along those same lines, the ice in my water melted really fast today. The audacity. Normal, natural occurrence, yes. So why was I irritated and felt it should have asked my permission!? Ooohoohooh, boy. :)
5. I caved and joined a gym. Finally!! It's been making me crazy, and it's far too cold for me to go running outside. I don't enjoy freezing. I also don't enjoy fighting the BYU masses in the teeniest, tiniest little gym I've ever seen. Even if it IS free!!!
6. FHE tonight. If I go, (and I will) this will make the second week in a row. Staggering stats, I know. But progress is progress. :)
   
7. Must. Get. Library. Card.
8. Jaylene brought chocolate milk today. LOVE her.
   
9. I can't wait for: Savior of the World w/Cali, Carrie Underwood concert (w/roomies!), THANKSGIVING (yams, stuffing, turkey..mmmmmm good!) All this month. :)
10. And for CRYING OUT LOUD, could BYU please just supply me with ONE graduate program that gets me excited enough to go back to school, but will let me keep my job at the same time?! I don't understand why this is so difficult. Makes me downright grumpy.
    

Halloween

This year, I felt like I had to be dragged to any/all Halloween festivities. Why? I have no idea. Other than I think my friend Bethany summed it up nicely: Halloween was way more fun when we were little. :) Or...at least it seemed to have more of a purpose. Candy, candy, and more candy. :) We had a great little work get-together with some of the best chili I have eaten in a VERRRY long time, and I successfully got donut icing in my eye during the donut-eating contest. Clearly that takes talent. :)
In other Halloween events, I did manage to get dragged to our ward halloween party by my very persistently social and stubbornly involved roommate, Shallie. :) (That's a compliment, Shall!) It was fun. I just absolutely did not care this year. Agh. Lame, I know. But I didn't feel lame about it! I did what I wanted to do. Which was practically nothing. :) It was a long week at work, so on the actual halloween night, I came home and watched "what not to wear" and "she's the man." I feel that was enough people getting dressed up in one night. :) Mehehehe...I usually care. Really. At least enough to put forth some real effort...like the year my roommates and I decided to absolutely destroy our hair and be treasure trolls. :) That was probably my favorite halloween costume of all time. And no, we did not go naked with little jewels on our tummies. Gimme a break! Khaki pants and skin-colored shirts complete with a jewel-shaped foam cut-out safety-pinned to my skin-colored shirt covered tummy. :) Thank you very much. :) I don't think my hair has ever been so ratted, pink, or high before. Or since. :) Ah, but it was fun!