Christmas and Miracles

Okay. Christmas. Yes, I know it's January. But let's pretend it's not. Let's pretend it's December 29th. That'd be a more acceptable date. Okay, maybe we'd have to pretend it's January 2nd. Yes. January 2, 2009.

1. Alaina came and stayed with me the night of the 22nd while she did some training before she left for Mexico after just having come home from Russia - while I finished up a last half-day of work, and then we hit the road. It felt so good to be going home!
   
2. Christmas was bee-yoo-tee-ful. Full of games and good food and time with the family. It always amazes me how much everyone changes even in just one year. But even though everyone is changing, there's still that comfort of being home - and that same feeling is there every year.
   
3. My grandparents live just around the corner from us, and each year, they get lights put on the giant fir tree in front of their house; complete with giant star at the top. It's the most beautiful sight, and one of my favorite things every December. People in our neighborhood love it too...and it's my grandparent's "gift" to the neighborhood. Totally better than the brownies and candies. But those can keep comin' too... :)
   
4. Yes, that is a picture of my mother right after she put her face straight into the bowl of muddy buddies. :)
5. New Years was fun. But we were so ridiculously tired at midnight!!! As you can see. Although...watching "Wait until Dark" after watching the ball drop (which I find lame, by the way...) sure woke me up!
   
6. Okay. The Christmas miracle. This doesn't belong in a list.

The day after Christmas, I left a family party a few hours early to make it to the Bountiful Temple to a session with one of the girls I served with in Nauvoo. She and one of the guys I served with in Nauvoo were getting married in Nauvoo the next week, but their reception and all other Utah things were that night and the next day. She had invited me to go to the temple with them that night, and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. But the weather was not so good that night - the roads were terrible.
However, I was optimistic, and just planned to leave two hours before the session would start - giving me a whole extra hour and fifteen minutes to battle the roads. Just in case. To say the going was rough would be an understatement. The session was supposed to start at 7:00 p.m., and at 6:45 p.m., I finally saw the temple from the freeway. For anyone familiar with the area, you'll know that from about the time you see the temple from the freeway (coming from the north) it still takes a good 7-10 minutes or so just to get to the exit and get into Bountiful. Let alone get up the mountain to the temple, park, go into the temple, get changed, and be seated all by 7:00.
I saw the temple and started to cry a little because I knew there was no way I would make the session. But remember the part where I had been driving for almost two hours at this point? Just to be there? I couldn't just give up! So I prayed really really hard and told Heavenly Father how important it was to me to be there, and begged Him to just...somehow...and I had no idea how...but somehow help me to make it to that session. I said it didn't matter if it somehow got delayed, or if I hit all green lights, or if somehow the roads would magically clear, or could he just slow time down a little bit? ...whatever. I finished the prayer, and I started crying a little bit. But then I told myself I just needed to focus and give Heavenly Father a chance to help me out.
Anyway. I know this might sound silly, but within seconds of that prayer, the roads were suddenly clear. I could drive at a normal freeway speed again. (I had been driving about 30 mph the whole time. TORTURE!) I made it to the exit, and drove into Bountiful...and really...hit every single green light all the way from the freeway up the mountain. I only ever had to stop at a few stop signs, and no one was ever coming in either direction. I drove straight up there, and parked in the parking lot underneath - and glanced at my clock, glowing 6:59. REALLY. I didn't even stop to think about possibly missing the session. It was just too close!!! I ran to the front doors, walked as quickly as was reverently possible, got changed like lightning, and went up to the first nice little temple lady standing at the corner, and glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:01 p.m. Then I turned to the lady and started to ask her if I had missed the 7:00 session, or if she thought I could make it....but I couldn't hardly get the words out of my mouth...I just broke down in tears. I couldn't even stop crying long enough to ask my question!! AH! Looking back now, I'm sure she must have thought I was so silly! But I just couldn't bear the thought of actually missing it and being so close. She told me she thought I probably had - you know - since the sessions usually start on time. Odd. But she told me she'd check.

Not two seconds after she left my side, another lady was right next to me and told me to run with her. Really. RUN. I made it into that session - just as they were about to close the doors. I sat in my seat, and my friend turned around just as I saw her, with the biggest smile on her face, and her fiance, also a wonderful friend of mine, turned at about the same time with the same grin on his face. That's when the tears really started. I knew Heavenly Father had answered my prayer, and that it had not only been important to me to be there, but it had been important to them as well - and He knew that. It's really so small, but I know I never would have made it from that bend on the freeway with the temple still a tiny speck on the mountain to sitting in my seat in only 15 minutes.

The reception and everything else was absolutely beautiful, and they were so happy and beautiful together! But the part I will never forget about their wedding was my little Christmas miracle in getting there. I'd have to say it was probably the best Christmas present ever given to me - besides the obvious one of the birth of the Savior. I know my little miracle was so small, and may seem so insignificant in the grand scheme of everything...but I really learned that night that even the little things are important, and Heavenly Father knows about all of them. I knew that before, but I guess I learned it all over again, and that lesson is a little dearer to me now because of that experience.

The end. :)

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.