Days 1, 2, & 3 in NYC or "A Series of Unfortunate Events"

Yes, we made it to the Big Apple! If you have texted me over the past few days and asked me how everything is going I probably said GREAT, and it is great, but that's not the whole story.

It all started on Sunday when our flight was delayed an hour...and then another hour...and then another hour. Landing us at JFK around 10:30 PM. Fortunately the journey via the subway to our apartment went without any major incidents. Little did I know that hauling 3 suitcases through the subway would be the easiest part of the week!

As soon as we arrived we were basically starving since we hadn't eaten since about 12PM, so CJ headed down the street to our neighborhood McDonald's. Obviously. I took it upon myself as queen supreme wife to put our new sheets on the bed while CJ was gone. Everything was going well until I climbed over to the bottom right corner of the bed and CRACK CRASH BOOM BANG the entire bedframe came crashing down. I could have died...I felt like the worst wife of all time. CJ came home and I had to tell him that I broke the bed. It's about 1:30AM at this point. LOL!!! So what did we do? The mattress is connected to the bed frame by tubes (it's some fancy air mattress thing that is not very comfortable) so we did not have the option to move the mattress to the floor. So we fixed the bed and right as we were putting the last piece in it broke again. So we went through the whole process again and didn't put the last piece on and slept on it without incident. We finally went to bed around 3:30AM.

CJ woke up about 4 hours later for work and there was a rather curt note from the neighbor on the door giving us some "friendly New Yorker advice to not unpack and refurnish the apartment at 2 or 3 in the morning while our neighbors who have to work early in the morning are trying to sleep!!" Thanks, bro. Cool advice. Trust me, I wish we could have slipped quietly into bed when we got home!

Monday was one of the worst days ever. I slept so late because of the time change and everything and I was too scared to leave the house without CJ. I know, I am a dummy but I am pretty much over that fear by now as I basically traipsed through the hood yesterday while the old men kept saying "EY MAMA EY MAMI." And it was fine and I made it to the subway.

Anyway, I cleaned the apartment and unpacked all of our stuff and waited for CJ to come home. Also, our internet was down so there was actually nothing to do and I couldn't google how to get places etc because I also don't have an iphone or anything like that. McKay called me in the middle of the day and I just sobbed to him about all my problems and worries and told him he was the first person I had talked to all day. My sweet brother calling was one of the best parts of my day. Then CJ got home from work and I was so happy. For FHE CJ and I got a treat and CJ dedicated our apartment. It was wonderful.

On Tuesday I finally left the house! Dropped CJ's pants off at the tailor and went to the grocery store where pretty much everything is 4.99. BUMMER. Then I realized that my key to our apartment building doesn't work! HOW COMICAL. So I am standing by the door hoping someone comes down to leave when I think to buzz the neighbor. Yes, the same ones who had written the note. We told them what happened and they felt really bad and told us that they are in our ward and can help us if we need anything, etc. so homegirl buzzed me in. Then when I came up she asked me to return the favor and watch her baby for five minutes. So I did and now all is well with apt 614.

Then I traipsed through the wrong side of the barrio to get to the subway and this abuela helped me find which way to go. Good thing I speak Spanish! I was headed downtown to put our names in the Wicked lotto and meet CJ after work. You have to pay for the tickets with cash if you win so I hauled booty through Times Square to get to an ATM and that was pure misery. I hate tourists.

Alas, we did not win the Wicked lottery but we still managed to have a great night. We walked over to Sprinkles for buy one get one free cupcakes and ate them in Central Park...what a dream! Then we headed over to the High Line for dinner and the free stargazing that happens there every Tuesday night...amateur astronomers of NYC bring their telescopes, it's cool! We got tacos from Chelsea Market  (LOVE) and ate them at the park while we watched the sunset over the Hudson River. I LOVED High Line Park and definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the city!

We came home and were looking forward to watching Arrested Development all snug in our bed when it BROKE AGAIN. R U KIDDING ME? This time it was 10:00 so I didn't feel as bad for the neighbors but we basically just took the entire thing apart instead of trying to fix it again and our bed is now ON THE FLOOR inside the bed frame.

FFW to this morning after CJ left for work as I am sitting at the computer desk and I feel something crawl up my leg. I look down...the biggest cockroach I have seen in our apartment yet! I was so panicked that I didn't even think and I swatted it away. GREAT. Now it was loose in our house right by our bed. Fortunately I found it later and sprayed it with a vengeance.

Just some of our adventures here in Manhattan. Now I am off to meet CJ at the Gershwin Theater and put our names in for the lottery for Wicked tix. Basically my life is nothing like Friends or Gossip Girl or whatever but I DON'T CARE I LOVE IT.

Shish gets real

Last night CJ and I were talking about moving to New York, and I said something about how poor we are going to be or whatever. And he said, "Well I guess we can just move to Richland instead!" and I said "YAY YAY YAY!" and then I started SOBBING because I knew he was kidding. SOBBING. Because that was the first time that I realized that I am going to be moving really really really far away from MY MOM (and dad), my siblings, my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends...EV ER Y ONE. And I just wanted to crawl into a hole.

I thought about how I would feel if one of my grandparents dies while I am living so far away.

How I would miss playing with all my little cousins, or seeing new ones right after they are born.

No more summers lounging and drinking black pop at Indian Springs, watching my mom do her annual back flip off the diving board.

I won't be able to walk down to Gran's to borrow a book, or go to my Nana's on a Sunday morning to eat homemade biscuits before church.

I'll miss my house being filled with 25 kinds of pies and 2,500 people on Thanksgiving day.

This list could go on and on but I will just start crying at work and the people around here don't need another reason to think me mad.

This girl in the testing room has THE perfect ring and I cannot stop staring

So I got accepted to study abroad in Spain this fall. I started working on my application about a month ago, then I decided I probably wasn't going because I met a cool boy, and then the cool boy went away and I decided I definitely didn't want to go, and then the night before the application was due I decided to just turn it in/my parents talked me into it. So February 14th I completed my application around 11AM, got an e-mail at 4 asking me to come in for an interview the next day. I went to my interview the next morning and I got in. I am still trying to decide if I want to go...I think I have about 2 weeks to decide. We'll see, I guess!

And here's the surprise of the century: I was a crank on Valentine's Day for the first time in my life! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. LOL. So sue me. I'm pretty sure if the holiday didn't exist I still would have been cranky because I was just having a weird day.

I have never cared about school less than I do now. I still care more than the average person. Just not the average Caitlin. Also, I have become relatively disenchanted with Justin Bieber. You're shocked, I know. Just...the earrings and the clothes and the girlfriend and the Chris Brown friendship...you know.

Things I love:

New Fun. album. You can stream the entire thing here. Me and pretty much all my friends are going to their concert in March and I am really excited! Disclaimer: bad words sometimes.

Cazookie. Google it. Had my first one a couple of weekends ago and honestly I almost died of happiness. It was so good and just so perfect. Not to mention The Chocolate is the most adorable place.

Pablo Neruda and Martin Espada. They are poets. Look them up. You have probably heard Neruda but you just don't know it. Sonnet XVII.

Sweets. Honestly...you don't want to know. I have had a perpetual sweet tooth for about a month straight now. I hope you enjoy watching me blow up like a balloon.

I am going to the airport after work today to fly home for the weekend...and that is the best news I have ever heard.

Ciao, Provo.

Thanksgiving

Highlights:

Scoring the winning touchdown in the Turkey Bowl. 'Twas awesome. Someone made some snide comment like "That was just dumb luck!" And I said, "No. That was 12 years of dedication!" Dedication to the Turkey Bowl, that is.

The Muppet Movie and the singing that has ensued since we saw it.

Having 20 different types of pie at our annual piefest after Thanksgiving dinner...the best pie I had this year was Cambria's Key Lime with White Chocolate. Ohhhhh my.

Going to the temple with my family and coincidentally running into the Larsens there...small Richland. We did work for over 40 of our family members and for some reason I got baptized for like 30 women. Guess we aren't in Provo anymore!

Not shopping on Black Friday.

Watching Super 8 with my family and screaming the whole time. And holding on to Chloe for dear life.

Sh'bam class at the gym with my momma.

Picking out our Christmas tree even though it wasn't the one I wanted...tyranny of the majority was evident.

The food. The whole time. I am sick of living off food in a can and pieshakes. But I'm actually not sick of pieshakes.

I love my family but you already know this I talk about it all the time they are hilarious and wonderful kthanks, bye.

Famiree

I am so so thankful for my family.

And I am eternally and especially grateful to my mom and dad...I love them a lot.

I was looking at pictures of all my little cousins on facebook this afternoon (I am the oldest grandchild on both sides) and I am so excited to go home at Thanksgiving and see them!

My family has the best Thanksgivings ever, and I didn't get to go home last year and so I am very very happy to be making the trip this year.

And going along with the theme of families I just can't help but say that I have been VERY anxious to have my own lately...it's called babycrazy and it is running rampant in my apartment.

I watched this film this weekend and it is very beautiful. Don't know if I recommend it...but if you watch this trailer it gives you a pretty good idea of the film. You don't get much more plot in the actual movie than you do in the trailer so just expect that if you decide to get it from redbox.

JR, Sean Kingston.

I tried to call my mom like six times last night (over a period of about 4 hours) and each time it went straight to her answering machine. So I texted her, and then I texted my dad...no response...so I called McKay, no answer. Then I called my dad, no answer. At this point the thought had crossed my mind that my entire family was in some sort of crisis and I was coming to the end of my wits. So I called Carter, my 13-year-old brother who I knew would be asleep (it was 10:30 in Washington) as a last resort. 50 rings later I was getting closer and closer to tears, and Carter picked up. And it turns out everything was fine, my mom's phone was just charging and everyone else was away from their phones and blah blah blah.

Anyway, I ended up talking to my mom and the topic of my blog came up. And both of my parents were pretty disappointed that I haven't blogged in so long (hi, dad), which I completely understand. I hate when people don't blog for like a month. Like, how am I supposed to stalk your life if you don't blog?!?!? Well, I am that person. That person that I hate. Sorry.

And I said, "MOOOOMMMM, I don't have ANYTHING to blog about."

But I guess I kind of do.

I quit my job at Zupas, and I work at BYU Independent Study now and it's reeeeallly fun. I'm actually at work right now..heh heh.

I moved into my new apartment at King Henry and there are SoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO maNy cUtE bOiZ (hi, dad). And also I have two new roommates, Baylie and Bella, and I like them both very much. Baylie grew up on a farm and she is supes totes blunt and hilarious, and Bella is from Atlanta and is as southern as the day is long.

School may just kill me this time around. Most of my classes, actually all of them, are pretty easy but I have A LOT to read. A lot. Plus, with work and everything there's just not very much time for me to sit down and read 7 long, boring books about the American Revolution. Hate to break it to you, prof.

The good news is that University of North Carolina has the number one library science program in the United States (they actually are tied with University of Illinois). Helllooooo, graduate school and my life dream of living in North Carolina. WHAMMY KABLAMMY. Oh, PS, I'm going to be a librarian. If you didn't already infer that.

Sammy's is my one true love. SAAAAMMMMMMY'S.

I'm auditioning for Divine Comedy tonight so wish me luck!

Rain, rain

Let me tell you a little something about the rain...I used to hate it. Up until like...today? Ish?

I don't know what it is, but today when I walked out of class at 5:50 (earlier than usual, my class doesn't get out until 6:30 most days) it was POURING rain. I even heard one crack of thunder. I don't remember exactly the last time I had seen rain like that before but it took me back to my childhood in Illinois.

In case you didn't know, the Midwest has the best thunderstorms out of anywhere ever. And in my neighborhood when it would pour, me and all my friends would go outside and race boats we had made down the gutters. Barefoot. We would run through the backyards on our street, splashing in puddles and squishing our toes in the mud, shouting to each other, our voices competing with the thunder. Quick bursts of lightning brightened the sky for moments at a time. I lived for those days.

I love Richland, but there are no thunderstorms. They don't exist. It rains sometimes, yes. But not very much and not very hard and there is basically never thunder involved. Lightning, yes. It's the desert, after all. I think that's probably the time I turned bitter toward the rain...once it became JUST rain. Useless. Annoying. I hate when the bottoms of my pants get wet and I hate it when my socks get wet. But today when I walked home from class, I loved the rain. And I love it right now, too.

THE ROYAL WEDDING!!!!! (jk)

Blogging after you haven't blogged in weeks is so awkward. For me it is, anyway. I feel like I should have blogged five times by now, and there really isn't any way to cover everything that has happened during the past however long it's been. So, posterity, I am truly sorry. I will do my best to record the things of my heart.

I left my Russia. Sad day, happy day, all is well. As soon as I got to LAX I was smiling like a goon. Three or four airport workers went out of their way to help me with my bags, finding where to go next, et cetera. And two workers even made comments about my BYU shirt. In fact, this woman security guard who towered over me glared down at my shirt when I walked through the detector and asked, "You play basketball for Brigham Young?" and I said, "Uhhhhhaha...no...I go to school there though." She said, "Alright." What I didn't say was "Maybe you didn't notice that I am Hobbit-sized?"

Spent a week at home. Ohhhh how I love my home. My family is just the greatest. Everyone liked their souvenirs (huge relief), especially Carter who basically wore his hat everywhere. I got to watch my little sister's soccer game, two and a half of McKay's lacrosse games, and Quinn's lacrosse practice. Have you ever watched an 8 year old play lacrosse? Holy cute. I had a lot of fun while I was home. In fact, I was kind of thinking: WHY DON'T I JUST STAY HERE FOR SUMMER THAT'S SUCH A GOOD IDEA! and then I remembered last summer when I had literally NO social life outside of my family. Yeesh.

Drove back to Provo with my grandma who is going on a mission to Atlanta for the next 18 months. She went into the MTC last Monday to begin her work as a full-time missionary. What a woman! I have learned so much from her and I am so glad that she has the opportunity to serve a mission like she has always wanted to.

EASTER=I love my life, I love the gospel, I love Jesus Christ, I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I love the Hansens&Stroshines, I love the Sandersons, I love the Paces, I love Cadbury eggs.

Moved in to my new apartment, worst day ever, sometimes I really hate you, Liberty Square, I can do hard things. By myself.

I started to look for a job on Tuesday. I applied probably 10 places total, and through a series of weird/miraculous events, I was offered a job on Thursday. If you don't know my job search history, let me tell you, it's not pretty. I've been turned down by McDonald's twice. After interviews. Pretty embarrassing. But Heavenly Father is always looking out for me, and I know that anything good that happens to me is 100% because of Him. So thanks be to God for my new job at Zupas in Orem!

Started new classes on Wednesday. They are good. Missionary Preparation with Brother Bott (Now I know why everyone jumped on that bandwagon. He is awesome and I love him.), and Humanities 262 with Professor Sederholm. I am reeeeally excited for my classes. I love school.

Started running in Provo. What a mess. It's at least 100x harder to run here than it is in Moscow. Elevation and terrible air and whatnot. YUCK. But, I ran all but 1.5 of my miles last week. Yay, me. That's 18.5 miles.

Ate a waffle from Bruges Waffles and Frites in Salt Lake while I was there for a job interview. Oh me, oh my. Yummiest thing ever. So good. If you live anywhere in Utah Valley or SL Valley or even in Rexburg...you need to go. I want to go with my friends sometime and get some frites!

Finally saw the Justin Bieber movie...loved him before. Love him now. Seriously, what a cutie. Also, I would marry Scooter Braun if I had the opportunity. This was maybe my favorite part.

Saw True Grit. Good! And hilarious. I really liked it. And it made me so excited to read the book in my Western Lit class with Abby this fall! And ride horses at my professor's ranch!

Made new friends. SMILE FACE.

Watched the Cougar Lacrosse team beat the UofU 18 to 5...BLAM. I'd like to marry that team.

Went to my new ward and there are like 20-30 people. I love! It is so fun to be able to learn everyone's names and all be friends and blah blah blah. Oh, and I recognized this girl Mallory from when I was reeeeallly little and both of our fathers confirmed that they are, in fact, good friends and we have, in fact, met before. Such a small world! She lives across the hall from me!

My parents celebrated their 20th anniversary today. I am so thankful for them and how much they love each other! I hope that I can be like them someday because they really are amazing parents and amazing individuals.

Now I am listening to A Walk to Remember because Jodes is watching it in the front room. Cute movie, but I hate the fact that I know that she dies in the end...And I love this song. I like the original better, but...whatever.

Go Flowwolf, it's ya birt-day

Summer 2010, Oregon Coast.

Prom 2010, Richland.

New Year's 2008, Lake Tahoe.

What to say, what to say, what to say?

Happy 17th birthday to one of my favorite people in the world.

You always remind me to always have fun, do whatever the hell you want, and to never take life too seriously.

When I get home I will make you a birthday cake and a huge poster to hold up at your lacrosse games.

Thanks for being my brother and my best friend and having a mullet.

Love, Sister.

All aboard the train of thoughts

First thing I'm going to do when I have a bad breakup is listen to Adele's most recent album, 21. And hopefully I will listen to it 100 more times before then, too. It's wonderful.

The only thing better than a root beer float is an orange soda float. I die.

Probably not going to Dubai anymore...did I even mention I was going to go to Dubai next week? Anyway. Surprisingly, I feel fine.

I watched this TED talk called "The Birth of a Word" and it was so fascinating. You should watch it. BE A SMART HUMAN.

I am slowly but surely remembering all the books I read last summer. I'll be like "Yeah, I readGone With the Wind last summer. I love it so much! Oh, and I read East of Eden. And have you ever read The Poisonwood Bible? What about The Picture of Dorian Gray? That's like my favorite." Hot damn, I read a lot of books. And good ones, too. That's not even all of them.

Sorry to freak you out, parents and Gran. But can everyone please stop blogging/facebooking/talking about getting/being married? Or maybe...everyone stop getting married! You are driving my brain to insanity! ALL I WANT IS ONE DAY WHERE I NEVER EVEN THINK ABOUT A WEDDING OR GETTING MARRIED. I plz can haz? Thanks, brain. Thanks, world.

I drew a little family in my journal the other day and named the children and it was a horrible trainwreck. They were perfect until I gave them names. For example, Dieter MacInnis. Great names that I will probably use, terribly tacky German/Scottish combination. Also, how do you think I should spell GREYSHA? I just can't think of a good spelling. All the spellings suck. Gracia, Grecia, Greisha, Graysha, Greysha, Greicia, Gresha, Graisha, Gray-shuh.

My hair is in a terrible condition. I mean, just...really bad. It's not a real color. It's the color of nothingness. The second thing I am going to do once I get back to America is go get my hair done. But how? My automatic instinct is to do the blondie-blonde Sweet Valley High highlights that I always do. Mom said on skype, "Your hair is getting really dark...maybe you should stay dark." And I say BLEH I LOOK LIKE A GHOST THAT JUST AIN'T ME, MA! But Mom is a genius and maybe she is right. So. The other other option is Rihanna. Totally still an option. Ombre? How do you say that? Ohhhhhmbre? Ahhhhmbre? OHMBER? But let's be real. I hit my hair peak circa May 2009. Best highlights I have ever had, best bangs I have ever had...I had that ish down to a science.

Am I close to London? Could I take a train? Justin Bieber is there...

March madness is easily my favorite holiday season. I need to do some research before I fill out my bracket tomorrow. If I could get a perfect bracket, like 100% correct, my life would seriously be made. And people would probably give me millions of dollars while other people would accuse me of being a fraud. Such is life when you are famous.

Some people will never understand why Richland, Washington is the greatest town on the planet. And I will never understand some people.

And PS everyone I know knows everyone else I know and I basically know everyone at BYU through other people by like 5 degrees or something. I have come to this conclusion through excessive facebook stalking. It's fine.

143, baby. 143!!

I. LOVE. VALENTINE'S DAY.

That's right, everyone. I've been single for the past TWENTY-FIVE YEARS and yet, it is easily one of my favorite holidays. FAY-VO-WRIT. I'm never going to complain about a day that gives me an excuse to wear pink AND purple AND red together, and eat candy and sweets all day long.

Mostly I don't understand people who say "Waaaah waaah wahhhhhh I'm single and it's Valentine's Day so I'm going to pout and WHHIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNEEEEEEEE! WAAAAH WAAAAAH PITY PAAHHHHTY!" To those people, I say: You know why you're miserable? Because you missed the entire point. It's not about YOU. V-day is about making sure that everyone you love knows you love them. It's about showing love to the people who make youlove being alive and being thankful for the presence of those people in your life.

I also don't understand why people say "If you're in love, then Valentine's day should be every day! YOU SHOULDN'T NEED A HOLIDAY TO CELEBRATE LOVE IT'S JUST A CONSUMERISM EXCUSE TO BUY THINGS BLAH BLAH BLAH." That's like saying "If you really believe in Jesus you should celebrate his birth every day! You shouldn't need a holiday!!!" Or, "If you're ACTUALLY THANKFUL, you should be thankful everyday...THE ONLY REASON THEY MADE THANKSGIVING IS FOR FOOTBALL AND TO MAKE A FORTUNE!" That's really dumb. That is really dumb, for real. Sorry if this bursts anyone's bubble but HELLO, all holidays have some commercial aspect. That's just the way it is. And if you choose to think of holidays that way, then that's your own cranky problem and you need an attitude adjustment right quick. I mean, you should just do like I do and ignore the fact that Hallmark is making roughly one million trillion big ones today.

Another reason why I've never been bitter about Valentine's day is because the Valentine Aardvark has visited my house for my whole life. Basically, my grandfather (Big Ron) is a genius and because of his grand idea, the Valentine Aardvark, I bet there is not a single person in my entire extended family who has ever been cranky on February 14th.

So, if you're sitting around today lookin' all frumpy, crossing your arms and pouting...snap out of it! There's no reason to mope. THAT'S WHAT MIDDLE SCHOOLERS DO. Watch last week's episode of Glee and move on with your life! Tell everyone you love them. Because guess what...even Russians fall in love. It's basically the only thing they have in common with Americans. It's basically the only thing that everyone in the world has in common so BE HAPPY ABOUT IT!

PS Once (if?) there comes a time when I'm not single then me and my boyf are gonna tear it up on Valentine's day. Diamonds, cupcakes, candy, cookies, paper valentines, Disneyland...the whole kit and caboodle.

18. Your favorite birthday.

To be perfectly honest, birthdays 15-18 mostly sucked. Can you imagine four sucky birthdays in a row? No. You can't.

But when I look at pictures from my Sweet 16 and really think about it, that was probably one of my favorite birthdays for a few reasons.

-Sweet 16. Such a magical birthday.

-My first birthday in Richland.

-The invitations were awesome. I literally invited everyone I knew.

-Boo was there visiting.

-At this point, my dad was still living in Chicago and working while the rest of us were living in Richland, and my dad flew out for my birthday.

-I looked awesome.

-My friends that were at my party were the most awesome friends ever.

-I sang "Drop It Like It's Hot" karaoke...

-I had three cakes over the birthday weekend.

My Birthday Party

My favorite picture of myself that happened like that night or something. Britton hoodied me.

Family Party with Quinn. His birthday is the day after mine. Cute.

Sunday dinner at the Larsens'.

11. Your siblings.

Over winter break I didn't really leave the house...these kids are all I need.

Montgomery house, 2005. The cheeks!

Mexico, 2009.

Richland house, Summer 2010. (Minus Carter.)

Disneyland, November 2010.

My kids are going to have the coolest uncles and aunt on the planet.

I LOVE YOU, MCKAY, CARTER, CHLOE, AND QUINN.

Mi Familia

They are my greatest blessing and my best friends. I think I might just be the luckiest girl in the world.

Fireworkzzzz

I cannot wait to go home and see my family and sleep in my room with Chloe and my dog. Today my mom was telling me what was on everyone's Christmas lists, and Carter only wrote two things.

foreign candy

boxing gloves (unless mom says no.)

And that is why he is the sweetest person in my family.

THIS IS SERIOUSLY SO FUNNY. YOUTUBE IS A GREAT INVENTION.

.

I am Uncle Rico.

So heeeeere's a story. One time, McKay got asked to prom even though he was a sophomore. And I was home for summer. And feeling slightly desperate for attention by May. So while McKay was getting ready for prom, I snuck into his closet (my old closet), took my prom dress, and put it on right when I got out of the shower. And I surprised him. And everyone in my family kindof just shook their heads like when people shake their heads in disdain at a crazy person. But I demanded that my picture be taken. And so it was. The end.

Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song...

Things I currently love. Most are newfound.

1. Going on walks with my dog in the desert and letting her off the leash. She is the cutest dog ever and she chases after jackrabbits and stuff...like she goes along the side of the trail in all the sagebrush, tumbleweeds, bushes, etc. and every once in a while I catch a glimpse of white bounding across the hills. ADOR. Plus, exercise for me. And moo. Unfortunately though, I ran into everyone I knew on the way home from the trail. So they saw me in all my sweaty, dusty, drooly, yoga capris glory. Cuuuuute.

2. Zac Efron. I know, I know...I should have jumped on that bandwagon back in 1999 when HSM came out..I didn't. I thought he was Zac and Cody's older brother and that his mouth was like a muppet's. By now, I think he's one of the hottest things ever. 17 Again? Yes. Charlie St. Cloud? Bring it. Already read the book, suckas.



3. Silly Bandz. Oh, you've never heard of SB? Get some...seriously. Sometimes when I am sad I cuddle with my Silly Bandz. If you go to the website, read the letters. Especially number 6. PS-People suck.

4. Coconut Cupcakes. My mom made some two nights ago. I made the frosting. They are amazing. See also: Sweet Mandy B's Strawberry Cupcake. Ron Bennington Cupcake (below) from Molly's Cupcakes.

5. Gone With the Wind. You know this. Can you blame me for being so obsessed with it, though? It's already consumed hours of my life, and there's really no end in sight. Well I'm a little over halfway..nevertheless. GWTW is easily one of the greatest books ever and you should read it. I'm totally asking for it for Christmas or my birthday or something. (I would say I'm going to buy it as soon as I finish, because I totally would, except I really don't think I'm going to be buying anything in the near future. Or the distant future.) I have two or four other books waiting for me once I finish so that's motivation enough, I think. Oh, and I'm going to watch the movie once I finish. Okay sooo read this book.

6.Pretty Little Liars. It's a stupid, STUPID show, and lame in the way only ABC Family knows how to do. But, unlike my experience with Secret Life, I'm willing to look past the horrible script, acting, etc etc and enjoy it for what it is--a trashy soap opera with a creepy twist.

7. Every Rose Has Its Thorn-Miley Cyrus. This is not a typo. I love the song, and I love M-dawg's cover. I think my mom almost vomited when I made her listen to it. And she went on a huge rant about how she "cannot think of any other cover that she hated more." Whatevs, Ma. I don't really like the rest of her CD though...but like I'm her biggest fan? Don't know how that works out...she must have REALLY blown it. I couldn't resist the picture...

Someday at Christmas

Well, finals are over, Mexico is over, and now I'm just loving being at home, waiting for second semester to start.

Finals were fine.

Mexico was AWESOME.

Thanksgiving

Well, I am back in Provo after a week in paradise for Thanksgiving break. That "paradise" remark is not sarcasm, I assure you. I got into town at like 1 AM Saturday, and I left at like 7 AM Friday...it was a good visit. Mostly I just loved being in Richland with my family.

On Thanksgiving we saw the movie Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was very very weird, and even though I fell asleep for like 10 minutes I still enjoyed it. Like 15 minutes into the movie my dad said SO LOUD, "This is WEIRD." and the people behind us were cracking up at his little remarks. Thanksgiving is possibly my favorite holiday. My favorite time of the year is October-January 1st. LOVE IT.

Yesterday...I did little to nothing productive. I read some of Boyd K. Packer's The Holy Temple for my family history class, but that was really pretty much it. The thing is though, not only was I not doing anything productive, I wasn't doing anything fun either. So I'll have to work on that...I did, however, go to In-n-Out to get a milkshake (of course I ended up getting a burger as well). That's fun..? Oh well, I guess I will just have to suffer today to get the things done that I need to...after I go to Target after class! Hopefully I don't spend tooooo much money :)

This weekend I stayed at Heather's house and on Sunday night we went to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights! So pretty.

"Intelligence without ambition is like a bird without wings." --H. David Burton

Step Into Christmas!

I made it home! If you were wondering.

Soooo saw New Moon on Thursday at midnight. It was SO GOOD. Even though I have read the books, and knew what was going to happen, I was still devastated when Bella turned down Jacob and chose Edward. Not that Bella deserves either of them. At all. ESPECIALLY not Jacob. But anyway, New Moon is my favorite book and I loved the movie. That's my point. We waited outside for 3 hours to see it--worth it.

I just realized that I wrote that New Moon is my favorite book. WOW. NOT TRUE. Let me clarify, New Moon is my favorite book in the Twilight SAGA. Whew.

Anyway, I love being home. Yesterday I got to see my bestest friends and it was awesome. AND I found out that this ice cream place by my house called Sweet Treat has frozen yogurt! And their Pumpkin flavor is better than Red Mango's! WOW yum yum yum.

I've been listening to/watching Chloe practice her audition song and she is doing so well! I can't believe it but I almost cry everytime I watch her perform her audition song, "Maybe" from Annie. She is such a talented girl and I am so proud of her!

Listening to Christmas music :)
Moo ran away :(