Tis' the Season!

And there it goes...another Christmas in the books!  We had an awesome Christmas this year, and it was such a blessing to have a couple days off with each other to enjoy the festivities.  I had so much fun decorating our apartment, making cookies, elfing, wrapping presents, fitting puzzles, etc. etc., and I'm grateful I had time to do it all.

I don't feel much like writing today, so I'm mostly going to post pictures.  With that said, I still want to write down one of my favorite 2015 Christmas memories:

On Christmas Eve, we got home super late after a painfully slow drive (through a terrible and dangerous snowstorm) from Provo to SLC.  We were tired, and the plan was to drive back to Provo early in the morning to be with Don's family.  Both of us wanted to get to bed, but I insisted that we take a moment to relax and enjoy the moment.  So, we turned on our Christmas tree lights and sunk into the couch.  This probably sounds cheesy, but we spent those five minutes in the most perfect calmness, just soaking in the quiet, magical anticipation that is Christmas Eve.  I loved just sitting there, consciously committing that moment to memory forever.  It was perfect.

Now, for the pictures.

{decking the halls}

{winter wonderland}

{work holiday party}

{Don's Grandma, reading her Christmas story to the great grandchildren}

{baking cookies}

{matching pj's and family photos}

{first attempts with a selfie stick} 

Merry Christmas!!!!!

{Being grateful}

Ugh.  I'm late on the Thanksgiving post, but here goes.

Thanksgiving is such an amazing Holiday, and I look forward to it every year!  But this year, I found myself thinking much more about the point of it rather than celebrating it.  It's the one time of year that you're not supposed to screw up the "being grateful" thing.

I wish that I was one of those people that was just naturally grateful for everything in life, but I'm beginning to wonder.  Don't get me wrong...I do feel like I'm a grateful person, and I actually think I'm good at saying thank you.  Thank you for opening my door!  Thank you for taking my shift!  That text made my day!  I seriously love my new boots...

These grateful thoughts are constantly streaming through my mind.  But sometimes, I think I lose perspective on the big things.  It's tough because the daily grind is as real for me as my many blessings are.  Just because I have a ton a ton a ton of things that I should be grateful for, doesn't make the details of life any easier to manage.

So, I've been pondering how to find a balance between never forgetting the big picture (so many blessings!) and dealing with the daily problems that really get to me (that time I sent the wrong rug home with the wrong customer.  Awesome.)

I don't have any answers, really.  But I do think there is wisdom in barraging one's psyche with positive quotes about gratitude.  Right?

"It is not happy people who are thankful.  It is thankful people who are happy."

"Gratitude is the key to happiness."

"Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have."

So in true Thanksgiving fashion, I'm writing a list of things that I'm grateful for (in totally random order, except Don gets to be first :).  Here's to remembering the big picture!

{Don}
{Museums}
{Being Mormon}
{Holidays during wintertime}
{Summer}
{Ice Cream}
{Games}
{Prayer}
{Craft stores}
{Sunshine}
{Sleep}
{Mimi}
{Art}
{Running}
{Texas}
{Beaches}
{Family and Friends all around}
{Basketball}
{Good Health}
{Knowing God is there}
{Makeup}
{Anthropologie}
{Jobs we love}
{Sewing}
{My Patriarchal Blessing}
{Savings}
{My BYU glory days}
{The Young Women's Program}
{Our New York adventures}
{Traveling}
{Chocolate}
{Warm winter clothing}
{A fireplace}
{Frozen Pizza}
{BYU}
{Technology}
{Furniture}
{Nieces and nephews}
{Doctors and medicine}
{America}
{Treadmills}
{Moving}
{The Prophet}
{Reading a good book}
{Spandex}
{Food to eat}
{Flowers}
{Good Music}
{My Humanities Major}
{Talents}
{Owning cars}
{Priesthood Blessings}
{Fuzzy bathrobes}
{Hot water heater}

I'm also very grateful for pictures, and it wouldn't be a proper blog post without them.  To a happy, and thoughtful, Thanksgiving!

 

30's Cruise

Back in October, my college roommates and I got together for a much-anticipated and long-awaited reunion.  Even with all the hype, it did not disappoint!  We had so much fun reminiscing, and I love this group of life-long friends.

Back in the day, we used to joke around that we needed to have a reunion when we were all 30 years old.  It didn't matter where we were, what we were doing, or how far away...we promised each other that we would all re-convene in a decade for the most epic reunion cruise ever.  We not-so-jokingly titled our plan "30's Cruise".

Through the years, we've sent e-mails here and there reminding each other that our, "30's cruise is only 5 years away!  Only 4 years away...nobody get pregnant! 3 years, etc. etc."  Until finally, it was time.

It's kind of funny now, thinking about how we stuck to our Freshman plan from 10 years ago.  Out of all 9 of us, 8 made it to our reunion weekend.  And of course, we skyped #9 in.  Although a reality check prevented us from booking a cruise, we did enjoy an awesome weekend in Park City instead.

{Sitting and chatting}

{Out for a walk}

{Cheers-ing to our next 10 years}  

(Also, does the fact that I'm the only one drinking mean that no amount of time will change my lack of self restraint when presented with food?!  Pull yourself together and just wait for the toast.)

{Skyping with Debbie, our #9}

{We mostly saw Debbie's forehead, but whatevs}

{Shopping}

{Taking selfies}

{Taking more selfies}

{Brunching on mountaintops}

{Reenacting Titanic while riding on a funicular}

{Sporting matching Ski Patrol socks}

Thanks for a fun weekend ladies...looking forward to 40!

{all the fall colors}

I can't believe how fast time flies.  It's mid-November, but I still feel like we just moved here.  We've barely started getting used to Fall, and it's already leaving us behind!

We've actually had some time to explore the Fall colors a bit, and for that I am grateful.  A couple of weeks ago, Don and I went on a lovely Sunday drive up through Gaurdsman Pass.  GP is one of the roads that connects the Salt Lake Valley to Park City, but you have to drive up and up and up and up and up to get there.

(or, if you're crazy like Don, you actually ride your bike from our apartment in SLC, straight up the mountain to the top of Gaurdsman, and back down the other side into Park City 4 hours later to meet up for lunch.  That was another one of our normal Saturdays.  nbd.)

Anyway, once we reached the top, we could see for miles...you really are at the highest point of the mountains.

We brought our nice camera along so I could practice my photography skills.  Ugh...I'm still such an amateur!  Don has a much better eye than me.  He doesn't even try to take great pictures, but somehow he just does.  Whenever I want a really good shot, I just ask him to take a few. :)

{along the road}

{view towards Salt Lake City}

{the Aspen Trees}

{view towards Park City}

I love this photo so much.  You can barely see the outline of the mountains and valley below, just above the pavement's horizon line.  It looks like these cars are at the top of the world, peering over the edge to take in the view.  

{the panoramic}

Happy Fall!!

Parade of Homes

I've been slowly but surely catching up on our summer blogging...We've been doing some fun things, I just haven't been documenting them!

One of our more splendid adventures from the summer was "house hopping" our way through the Parade of Homes.  It was so fun to see all of the innovative architecture and design.

The biggest home we went to was 9,900 Sq. Ft., and it had a 13 car garage.  Thir-teeen.  Cars.  It was called the "San Diego Ocean Estate", so naturally, it was located in the very mountainous terrain of Big Cottonwood Canyon?  I mean, there was a river running through the middle of the house, and a pool, and a hot tub...so maybe those count as ocean.

We also got to explore the miniature "playhouses", which were really cool, but also kind of weird.  Playhouses are structurally and architecturally sound, fully functional mini-homes that are designed and built by home builders.  They cost anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to the most expensive one that we saw which was $12,000.  Yikes! 

Oh, and their purpose:  to function as a very wealthy/very little person's backyard play place.  Or... as our new starter home.  Either one.  :)

The playhouse we took a picture with cost $8,000.  

Inside the mini-home!  Notice the amazing mini-chandelier hanging above the amazing mini-staircase.

And finally, I wanted to throw in my favorite design picture from the day.  It's just a simple dining room space, but I thought it's execution was impeccable.

This home was the perfect blend of simple and elegant, modern and classic.  So pretty.

Until next year, Parade of Homes!

T Swifty!!

About a month ago, I flew back to Boston to accompany one of my favorite Young Women to the TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT!

It was SO much fun, (I might have cried when T. Swizzle came on stage...) and Josie and I had the BEST time!  She brought her friend with her who I didn't know, but all three of us bonded quickly over our love of Taylor and Swedish Fish.

Before the concert, we *of course* did makeovers to ensure that our classic red lips were up to par.  The girls looked stunning, and I was reminded how much I love the art of makeup.

"Welcome to New York, welcome to New York.  It's been waiting for you."

Since day one, I've always passionately argued that T. Swift would be legendary.  I submit to you that I was not/am not wrong.  Do you agree or disagree?

#nobadbloodhere