Thanksgiving

Well today has been GREEEAAT. I did scold Trina a little bit for leading me into the room wherein lie the homework I'm supposed to do, but I got over it, reached OVER the homework, and grabbed my lovely not-school book to read.

I told Trina I was getting up at 6am and I'd make my pie then and...guess what? I DIDN'T! It was wonderful! I answered my alarm at 5:40am - I was actually really confused because I didn't realize it was an alarm, I thought someone was calling or something. Either way, I ended it and crashed back to bed. And then five minutes later my CALENDAR went off reminding me to do the pie. I said, "Yeah right!" and went back to bed and slept for a few more hours. When I got up I got to making the pudding for the pie. Thank goodness for instant. It took basically all the work off me.

Trina and I worked a little bit, me supporting her through the prepping of the turkey, "Remove the neck? I thought they already removed the neck?" she said. "Um, I think they mean the skin." Haha and then she played with the turkey's wings and...anyway, it was fun. We prepped the casseroles a bit later (after I got to read for awhile) and we ended up eating around 2:30pm. All through dinner we went around and had to say something we were grateful for (no repeating). It was pretty good and even after we were still saying some.

My favorite part was going to the computer and randomly checking classes again, and being able to add Chinese 101!! Yes!!!! That cheered me up. And now I find it amusing I'll be starting my Chinese class the DAY after I get back from China. "Where are you from?" "China." "Oh how long have you been here?" "About twenty-four hours." Haha I am actually QUITE looking forward to jetlag. It'll make getting up easier. And going to FHE right after I get home. This is just going to be too much fun!!!

Did I mention my pie is amazing? I LOVE cooking and making it all prettified. I made the crust, put in the pudding, chilled it, then added the whip cream and oreo crumbs. I almost don't want to eat it!

I've been in a "words of affirmation" mood of late. I literally feel like running around and shaking people and screaming, "AFFIRM ME!" Kind of a weird feeling. We are going to Tangled now hopefully. I think I'll dress as a princess just to stick a pencil up Trina's nose. Just kidding. :) She vetoed it, so I feel like doing it anyway. But here we go! As a family! To a princess movie! Isn't that GREAT?! Happy Thanksgiving!

50 Things

Holy dang...we've had a couple times in our ward either at ward prayer of FHE where we were saying things we were grateful for and I just couldn't believe how much I was thinking of as we were going through. So I challenged myself, and I challenge you, to write down FIFTY things, just to get yourself in the holiday spirit.

1. My family - duh. More specifically- my hard-working dad, my hard-working/creative/beautiful/supportive mother, my big Tin who can freak me out just by TELLING me about a zombie show, my beautiful sister who is continually trying to be better, my brother-in-law for being a brat, and of course Trey - but he gets his own.
2. I am so thankful for my big brother Trey, for serving a mission and being a great example to all of us. I miss him like crazy and it's hard to be thankful for it, because our family sometimes seems so CENTERED on him that it's hard not to have him for two years.
3. I'm thankful that it is very unlikely that there will be a zombie apocalypse any time soon.
4. I'm thankful that I've been feeling motivated and that I've been enjoying running.
5. I'm thankful for my ward, for my awesome friends therein.
6. I'm thankful for the guys in my life, as frustrating as they are. They make life interesting.
7. I'm thankful for my professors. They've all got their quirks and some of them I have a hard time with, but they are all great people who love what they teach.
8. I'm thankful for my mind!! So much! I'm pretty sure I'd be bombing school if the Lord hadn't blessed me with a mind given to writing and learning and retaining information.
9. I love writing and editing, and I'm so grateful I found that as my calling in life in my first semester, keeping me on track to graduate in four years.
10. Holy HECK am I grateful that this semester is almost over, and that Thanksgiving holiday is this week!!
11. I'm thankful that I get to go home for Christmas! I'll see my parentals, Abigail & family, Kendall, Janna & parentals, and my home branch! Dang.
12. I am SO blessed to have an awesome job that works in my schedule with school, supports me very well, and that I actually enjoy.
13. Along with #12, I've got a great boss.
14. Along with #12 and #13, I've got great co-workers who make going to work easier when I'm in a not-so-working mood (rare, but there are days).
15. God's creatures/animals -- e.g. Leia!! Sometimes I just see that cat gliding around and think how amazing it is that we live in a symbiotic relationship with animals. It's kind of weird! But totally awesome! She's pretty fun, if annoying at times (she was very excited I came home today since no one else was here. She sat on my bed at eye-level with me just waiting for attentnion).
16. Modern technology - what would I do without my laptop? I'd probably be bored out of my mind.
17. Good books - again, I'd be bored out of my mind. I also appreciate the great authors who can write a story without adding a ton of crap in it to make it more "sellable."
18. Old folktales/stories/myths/legends. I just have to say...greek mythology is pretty awesome.
19. Hot water!
20. Hot chocolate!
21. Health!
22. Height (I just had to continue the "H" trend) -- I love being tall! I sometimes truly feel like a strong Amazonian, though that fails when someone taller than me passes....but oh well! I feel awesome!
23. I love the days when I'm not blah or depressed. I don't appreciate them as much as I should.
24. Snow...it's hard to say since it is so COLD...but it's pretty.
25. My very bestest friend Hannah. I have other great friends, but she is always the one willing to pull me out of my deep depressed puddle of misery. She cheers me up just with a text.
26. Store-bought cookie dough! Heck YES! What would I do without it? Make homemade cookies? What an unattractive thought...
27. My calling. I've never felt such an appreciation for the birth of our Savior until planning the Christmas program this year. Wow. I hate that I have these great epiphanies for MYSELF and realize others have had it and tried to give it to me but it was a personal thing and I wish others could feel exactly what I've felt in the planning.
28. I'm so grateful for all the people that have come to choir. It means so much to me after that first discouraging week of THREE people.
29. I'm thankful to have a car. We've had good times, Ury and I.
30. A cellphone!! What would I do without it? I couldn't remind people about choir, text my Biffy, text emergency questions to Trina, or just plain TEXT TEXT TEXT. :) Or call my parents. That's important as well...though I don't do it as much.
31. I'm grateful for my dad's job - and for my parents helping pay for my education. It kind of goes hand-in-hand -- but mainly I'm glad my dad has a job, because I know it was hard on him to go for months without one when he was working so hard. The Lord has blessed us so greatly!
32. Clothes. Gosh I'm materialistic...but what can I say? Picking out coordinated outfits brings me joy, no matter how vain.
33. Painting - that's really it. :)
34. Singing! I love music!! It is such a blessing in my life, I'm grateful for the voice I have to glorify God.
35. The five senses...if people really focus and observe with all five senses, the world is an amazing place (except for when there is a scarecrow staring at you and it is just creepy). I'm grateful to have use of all five, though my ears are a little iffy at times haha.
36. E-mail, vonage, etc. etc. Whatever keeps me in easy contact with my parents 6,000 miles away.
37. Airplanes!
38. Blankets. Warm warm warm...I love warmth.
39. This land of freedom. I'm not often very patriotic, but I'm grateful for the sacrifices that so many men and women have made so that I can have freedom of religion, freedom of press, and more.
40. The Atonement. How could this not be #1? This is also something I definitely take for granted, but lately I've just felt its blessing so much in my life. I hope I can take advantage of it more and more.
41. Joseph Smith. I waver so much on some things, and Joseph Smith is definitely easy for the logical left side of my brain to doubt. But when I hear of his life and his testimony, it fills me with a sense of what a great man he was, and the knowledge that he is of God.
42. The gospel in my life is probably something I should be most grateful for, no joke. The knowledge of "the plan" is really the only thing that has kept me sometimes when I've been so low and depressed that I really don't see the point anymore. "The plan" is the point. I'm glad I know that. It helps me endure.
43. Christ. He is my Comforter, my Redeemer, my Good Shepherd (pun intended), and above all my brother. I love him so much, and I am grateful that when I ask he freely offers me the feeling of his and my Father in Heaven's love. It is another thing that lifts me up and gives me extra strength to hold onto the iron rod, hard as it is at times when the mists of darkness enclose me and outer forces press against me. As soon as I ask, he blows away the mists and gives me a breather.
44. Grocery stores - very accurately called "Convenience stores" at times. Am I right? They do call them that, right? I'm grateful to have the ease of going to the store at a moment's notice for any random thing.
45. My extended family. I was so glad to see my Lamb side of the family a week ago. I love them as much as any other!
46. The piano - instant music. I'm grateful Mom gave us lessons when we were younger, and that I could take lessons as I got older. Thank goodness for all the patience of my teachers.
47. Good kitchen appliances. I could not have survived with a table and a fireplace.
48. Notebooks and pens. It's just always been something I love to have on me. I really need to use them more, however...write down the thoughts running through my head. It might be a little crazy but it'd be fun for me.
49. Journals! I've had the best laughs at myself. I wish I would be better at doing that! It makes me sad knowing that I remember so little of my life, when I know it has been amazing.
50. China. Wow, how could I not think of it sooner? My home, the place that had a large part in making me ME.

And that makes fifty. I'm sure I could find more but that was my goal. :) And I love this scripture (and all the scriptures! How could I forget their uplifting part in my life?!), "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments." (D&C 59:21) We constantly need to be confessing the Lord's hand in all things. I am very conscious of the fact that all the wonderful things in my life are blessings from the Lord, and it amazes me how much he gives me when I feel like such an unworthy and "unprofitable" servant. What a great opportunity this Thanksgiving season it is to consider the things He has given us, and to thank him. Even now I'm thinking of more and more things I'm grateful for (having the temples so close and the opportunity to serve my ancestors there, the opportunities to serve that the church offers, compliments, etc.). My goodness I am so blessed. How do I even presume to be depressed at times? I remember, but I'm not going to worry about it.

So now I'm going to go make a list to take to that convenient grocery store, read the books for the education I'm grateful to be getting, and then go to family home evening with my ward family. Yay! :) Love you, have a wonderful Thanksgiving! And don't forget who gives you all those blessings!

My Weekend! St. George/Family/Road-trip...basically a blast!

Well on Wednesday I learned that my dear favorite cousin Justin (Connor) was in town. He's been in Korea for two years and their family was pausing in St. George to see the grandparentals before moving to Germany (yay air force!). Well I rather jokingly said, "Maybe I'll drive down..." but the idea caught. Why not? I can drive. I have a car which made the trip a month ago (and could hopefully do so again). So I sent to my parentals for permission and BAM I had it and it was looking to be like I was going. Sweeeeet. I canceled my plans with girls in the ward (they had a girls' night) and started planning. I had wanted to leave work an hour early to get packed and on the road earlier (Friday) but there has been a whole shabang of fun cross-shipping and stuff going on. It has gotten pretty busy this last week (thank goodness, I love busy -- but the cross-shipping was stressing me out). But thankfully I have others to shirk duties onto and finally got out of work around my usual time. I rushed home, showered, packed, and loaded up the car (I'd filled up on the way home). The day before I'd loaded up Tubby with a couple new albums and tried to do as much homework to make life easier for me (didn't work). I was taking my English textbook anyway in the hopes I'd read it in a spare moment.

Well off I drove, and I tried to be very focused in the construction areas. Is was probably the first 45 minutes or more of the drive. It was also right as I was hitting Springville Mom called and asked for details and was concerned I'd only just left...but anyway. I was on my way!!! And wow was it a great trip. The weather was great, beautiful sunset, nice scenery, good music, and there were no jerks on the road. I will say this, in my boredom, I MIGHT have taken a couple pictures of myself with my phone (while maintaining my focus on the emptyish road). As seen below, I was very comfortably situated in my pajama pants, with one leg up and one by the pedals. It was actually the first time I'd REALLY used Ury's cruise control (I usually switched to manual when going up hills).
As I said, it was a good trip. I was sending occasional updates to Trina along the way. I didn't realize how FREEZING it was though until I got to Beaver for gas (by the way, I LOVE the 38 MPG thing with road-trips) and got out of the car. GHEUAYSAHA!!!! I practically leaped back in the car. Coooold. :( I got some Wendy's and a SOBE from the gas station (by the way, I LOVE gas stations. Have I ever told you that they are one of my favorite things about the US?) and headed back on my way. Another thing that had been entertaining me was watching my miles. About halfway through my trip my car's miles hit the heavenly number: "222222." I'd been waiting forever for it to do that. FYI - my favorite number is 2. Actually, my super favorite number is 22 because it is two 2s. I even snapped a picture of it (while maintaining a focus on the road around me).
Oh, Mom, for the record. The speed limit at the time of this picture was indeed 80. Also recall that my speedometer is 3 miles fast...slow...whatever. I maintained the speed limit the whole drive (unless I didn't realize it had changed) and never even went 5 over. :)

I got to St. George at about 7:30pm. Lo and behold all my jetlagged relatives (excepting Marcia and Justin) were zonked out every which way in the living room. My favorite was Uncle Jim - he was sitting looking at his laptop. I even thought he was awake but he had just fallen asleep in that position. Ha! Well Justin kidnapped me as soon as I got there and we went to Wal-Mart and Target to buy him new headphones (his had broken - not surprising. He wears them 24/7 around his neck. He looooves his music). While we were out we said, "Let's go to a movie!" So we called and asked permission and she said, "Yeah but come and get Deanna she wants to go." Soooo we did. And somehow it turned into Monica, Maia, and Jim going as well. It was all good fun, seeing as I've met the two littlie ones like twice. We went and saw "Megamind" which I wasn't actually thrilled about because I'm not fond of Will Ferrell or kids' movies of late. But it was very cute and I recommend it - also not what you expect from the trailer AT ALL.

After the movie we went home and....you guessed it - went to bed! :) Grandma had blown up a big air mattress while I was gone and it was very comfy. It was actually electric - it fills itself up and when you have forced out the large majority of the air it suctions the rest of the air out. Very easy to use, I loved it. It was good sleeping, and I slept in until 7:30am! Gasp! And then I got up and ready for the day, put up the air mattress, folded my bedclothes, etc. etc. I had gotten up a bit earlier in the hopes to read my English reading. I got a page or two in before Maia turned on the tv and there was no way I could read (and I was too lazy to leave). It was mostly Disney until Marcia told her to change it because it was stupid and mindless and didn't teach you anything. She makes good points. So we watched a Community (I'm a failure, Mom. I felt like, "shouldn't I leave since I don't watch this anymore..." but I just blocked the crap and watched it and I still feel no inclination to go back to watching tv). It was the Community where...little pill-popping brunette loses her pen. My goodness! I forgot a character's name! Anyway...onward.

Marcia and Jim had gone off shopping because they were having a hassle trying to get everyone proper garb for family picture taking the next day. Grandma took Justin and me later to take them coupons and to take Justin to get a pedicure (he's got bad toenails too...must be a Lamb thing. Thanks, Dad). Justin made me stick around with him for that (I didn't mind - I did say he's my favorite. Though I would note, Maia had insisted Grandma bring me back with her. Oops!), and I chatted him and the ladies up. After that Jim took us around the corner to "Port of Subs" where we had...brunch.

The rest of the day was lazy and we didn't do much until Kirky and family arrived. Justin had come to the horrible realization that I'm not very musically cultured (to his music anyway) so he kidnapped Tubby and added about seventy songs (I think) to him (Tubby). It was rather amusing. Everyone was betting and speculating (the adults) about when Kirky and family would actually show up. They were in Las Vegas for the night visiting Erica and said they'd BE to St. George at 11am. We get a call, they left LV at 11:15am (about what everyone expected). It was rather amusing.

Once they arrived and we'd all been reacquainted I believe we dawdled a little more and then went to the nursing home for Great Grandpa's 95th Birthday Bash! It was veeery thrilling. One of Jan's daughters (Kira) and HER daughters were there and then us. G-Grandpa is just too cute of an old man. But it was so sad. Grandma came in once and smiled at Grandpa and he was smiling at her and she said, "Are you trying to remember who I am again?" And he just smiled at her (yes). He can't even remember his own daughter...that is so sad.

Justin and I were doing the rounds being sociable with everyone (within our family anyway). Marcia kept telling us to go talk to Preston. He and Roxanne were off to the side...well, Justin did that, and I went to Grandpa (Bear). He had me sit on his leg, "Here sit on my bad leg, it's good for it." Uhhh, ok....I sat very tentatively on it and chatted with him about editing. He told me, "Oh well you need to be careful with those books some are very naughty. [Romance novelist #1] and [Romance novels #2] and [Romance novelist #3] write very naughty books." I said, "Haha how do YOU know, Grandpa?" He looked all flustered and said, "Oooh...well, I found out VERY accidentally. Very accidentally. That's what I told my bishop." hahahahaha After awhile I said, "Uh do you want me to stand up now?" and he nodded and nodded and pushed me up and gasped for breath (jokingly).

Justin and I after awhile retired to the couch and we were both so EXHAUSTED we were just trying to pass out. Someone took a picture but I am waiting for many relatives to start posting said-pictures on facebook. In fact we spent like a half hour taking pictures and pictures and pictures which I am excited to see.

After the party we all separated. Justin/Deanna/I went with Kirky and family to Costco. I thought it was just for sustenance until we ate later so I didn't eat anything. Main point of this story is that we were talking and for some reason Justin noticed a kid (a fat kid - let's be honest) and said, "Look Tub-Tub bought [insert name of game]." I'm sure he wasn't intending to be RUDE and I said lightly, "Justin that's rude!!" and Erica noted, "Yeah welcome to America, people are LARGER here so you can't just say that." Justin accepted it and said, "It's not like I was calling him fat-a or something..." Agree. So we were doing our own light scolding but a lady from the table beside us who had obviously been eavesdroppping said, "DON'T be rude! I don't care WHERE you're from, RUDE IS RUDE!" (Somehow it had been mentioned he hadn't been in America for awhile) Ummmm...hello? I don't care how rude he is I was annoyed that she was being defensive of something that was none of her business. Don't defend her. I thought SHE was rude and...UGH. She just really irked me. And yikes. I guess I haven't quite forgiven her yet. Oops. I should probably work on that....so Justin said, "Yes ma'am..." and apologized or whatever. But when Maria and Kirk came back (it had just been us teens while they looked around) and we were leaving, the lady said, "You need to teach that boy some manners blah blah blah blah blah" -- again with the irking. Way to make him feel terrible about himself. So I grabbed him by the shoulder and marched him away before I was snotty in return. heh. I'm very respectful of my elders.

In the car we had a nice little chat about it haha. Maria was like, "I was confused. I thought she was going to say Preston. But then I was like wait...Justin?" haha that angel-faced innocent Justin of ours? Never! I should stop talking about it. Forgive and forget. Right-o.

More dawdling and then Kirk/Maria/family went back to Las Vegas to drop off Erica. Lots of pictures. Justin and I decided we were going to dinner since everyone else had apparently eaten when we thought we were eating later. So we went to Cafe Rio (once again "Take Deanna with you!" - I didn't mind taking her (actually Marcia told Justin on Friday night when we were off by ourselves "You can't monopolize Tess!" haha) but everyone made it out like we hated her and didn't want her with us and I think Justin was getting a hard time for asking for money and blah blah blah...he was just really off for the rest of the night). When we got back I headed home.

The ride home was mostly uneventful until I got gas. Once again, it was freezing, I was tired, and I spaced on putting the fuel cap back on. Well...that's gone forever. I went to Wal-Mart when I got back to Orem but there weren't any (I saw where they were SUPPOSED to be but they were all gone. That made me feel better that other people are fuel cap losers). Anyway, that loss was a bit much for my cousin-missing tired constantly-emotionally-strained nerves and I sobbed and sobbed for much of the trip home (mainly after I went to one gas stop and the lady bluntly...okay she was a LITTLE nice about it....that they only had fuel caps for trucks). So I sobbed and sobbed until Stephen had assured Trina who had assured me that I didn't need to worry about it until I got home. Yeah I still need to get one...but either way. I learned something about myself this weekend. Initially, I overreact to everything. Give me a little while and forget my initial reaction and I'm normal, but at first I stress and panic over things to the point that people stare. Oh yeah - funny note --- the first song that popped up on Tubby on the return trip was "On the Open Road." Oh and I lied about uneventful - going back over hills was very windy and hard on Ury. Poor guy. Also, what with people never closing the doors hard enough, I finally pulled over to reclose all my doors. I didn't realize how windy it was until I got out of the car and nearly got blown away. DANG. Poor car. No wonder he wobbled (the steering wheel).

Well that's my weekend. I feel like I had more to say about the days after...oh yes. Last night was what I feel to be my first "late-nighter" getting homework finished. As I mentioned before I didn't get everything completed that I had wanted to, and I don't do homework on Sunday, so I had to cram it all on Monday. It worked out okay, until I finished and realized I had even more to do. Jooooy. But it is all good now. :) Bring on Thanksgiving! I am already done with one of my classes until after the holidays. YES!!

Love you. I have to flee from before Trina and Stephen's home teachers now.

My goodness...

I was observing to Trina that I kind of look like I've been photoshopped into all the pictures I'm in. No joke. My awesome unnatural size just kind of makes me POP out. I shall be putting all such pictures on here from now on. For seriously though...I think I rather like it. Proof of that I'm not even just TALL I'm overall BIGGER in all proportions. hahaha

Grateful

So I have just been having Problem-Magnifying-Syndrome for a little while, and along with some discouraging depressing thoughts I was just sinking. Well I was at my lowest last night when I came in from ward prayer. But there was Trina at the door welcoming me home (we'll just ignore the fact she'd locked me out). Either way, that was all I needed, because I was crying and she chased me into my room and dragged talking out of me. It was good to let loose - a great release of pent-up depression and such. Felt MUCH happier today. So I'm grateful for my sister. She's pretty great. Happy Birthday, Trina!

Best Halloween Week EVER

Greetings! SO I have had a perfectly beautifully lovely wonderful fun awesome week. I will go in order by day, but start by saying I celebrated Halloween this week 9-10 times! Haha That involved something going on every night, some nights more than one thing. :) I also dressed up about 7 times. It was a great week, though I'll admit I feel like crap today (Saturday). hahaha But that is actually only because I slept in til 10! Gross.

So Saturday the 23rd -- actually the ward had a "5k to Eternity" which I actually went to. I walked the whole thing with the twins and their parents (of course) but it was still fun. Even cooler was that as soon as we were done IT STARTED RAINING. How nice of it to wait for us, huh? Anyway, it was at that 5k that Melissa invited me to the Halloween shindig she had that evening. I wasn't really sure about going, but I did. I dressed up in black with an 8 on my back and holding a blue triangle in front of me that said "Try Again Later..." I was a magic 8-ball!! We'll actually call that one 1.0 as you will learn why later. ;) But that was fun, fun people at that party. Most from the ward, but some new friends. And I actually had to leave early to go to a movie ("You Again") with a friend. THAT was TONS of fun. I love love love REALLY laughing and we were cracking up the WHOLE time. Story - there was a guy in the hall once when I went for napkins and he was just so STILL that I was like "Is he a manikin?" so when I came back he was gone. Creepy, huh? SO, creeped out, I RAN back into the theater and THERE HE WAS. With that robotic style, he looked over at me and then looked away. EVEN MORE CREEPY! So I ran all the way back to Lindsey.


Monday the 25th - I actually had no intention to dress up that night, just to go to FHE. But lo and behold, a girl from my ward requested help at a party for kids on UVU Campus. SO I went to help for an hour, garbed in my princessly/pride and prejudicey attire. I had fun rocking out to the music hahaha and I'm sure I looked VERY princessly doing so. All I really did was supervise the tables where the kids painted pumpkins, and then I marked off on their little papers that they had done it. SO CUTE!! I saw a little baby dressed as a lobster in the lap of his sister Ariel. So cute, huh? And then I saw little twin chunks in bear costumes getting their picture taken among the pumpkins. I almost died.


After that party I ran and picked up a girl from the ward and we went to FHE, where we played Halloween games all night. Actually I was talking to a guy friend who used to be in the ward and was just visiting. He is moving back though. Yay! Not to the ward though. :( That is mainly what I did anywho...we also played the "What If" game and laughed and laughed.

Tuesday the 26th - I had actually been kind of been planning only to go to a guy named Wes's Halloween Party. (He is probably someone I've told you about before, just a guy from the ward - pretty interesting character) I wasn't CRAZY about the idea of going but he planned it accordingly to get a lot of people so I was going to go anyway. Anyway, I was invited that day to a party BEFORE, another Halloween party/Birthday bash. I went to that for like an hour before I had to leave for Wes's party (This was night of the Lazy Nudist on Strike) and lo and behold, it was snowing A LOT outside. Enough to make it a hassle to drive.

But I went, and it was super super great. Wes had planned really fun Halloween candy and stuff, including a marshmallow brain. The movie (Van Helsing) was uber good (blueray) and I didn't mind having to sit by a really cute boy. Or rather...him sitting by ME. Baahaahahaha. The party before had had some cute ones too but....I think I enjoyed the second a little more. Ahem. Anyways. No more details than that, don't ask.

Wednesday the 27th - I didn't have to dress up!! YES! I just exercised on Trina's treadmill and one of the programs (Trail Run or something) made me actually JOG for 5-6 minutes straight. And I did it! And it didn't kill me! My breathing has gotten TONS better since I started exercising. The only pain I had in that jog was some discomfort in my legs, which is to be expected. :) After that though, Stephen and I (Trina was at work) went and ate chili at the family ward Halloween party. So that counts. I just didn't dress up.

Thursday the 28th - I had been planning since Sunday to ask somebody out - like a date - to go to the "Alma Martyr" murder mystery party. Of course I chickened out. I asked my friend from English class instead, Natashya, and we had a blast. I picked her up after work and brought her home and we did our English reading together and then wrote our papers about the reading. And THEN we ran and got ready.
So that was fun. The Murder Mystery thing was a hoot! We walked in and this girl came running up to us, "OH MY GOSH I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN FOREVER! *hug*" I was thinking, "Who are you, creeper..." and then I realized she was one of the actors. She was the head cheerleader/student body president who had planned the 10 year highschool reunion. The whole setup was that a certain guy from our class had been killed and certain people had gotten letters (the actors) asking them to come. Apparently he was a real alien freak and wanted everybody's money to fund it, etc etc. We didn't have specific characters. There were a lot of my ward people there which was fun...a little awkward in some areas (like a guy I may be a teensy bit fond of on a date with my friend...). But it was fun. UGH! Throughout the whole night I kept having balance problems, which is usually my case, but one time Natashya ran to catch me and I stabbed her with a pencil. Haha poor girl.

Friday the 29th - Probably the busiest day of my week HOLY COW. The BEST too. WOW. So I started the day with a HUGE load of stuff in my car. A pumpkin in my lap (carved as Harry Potter), my magic 8-ball 2.0 costume in the backseat, clothes for paintball, and Natashya's shoes which she had forgotten. Haha it made me laugh on the way to work because I had all this Halloween stuff then I look to my right and there is a pirate in the car beside me!! hahaMy work was having a costume contest, and I decided to try even if I didn't win anything, I mean I LOVE dressing up! :) Also, I had the silly carved pumpkin anyway. But I DIDN'T plan to wear my costume to school...which I did. I was getting smiles all the way across campus. It was pretty fun. Even if I was a blob I was a CUTE blob. For the record though, I was wearing a very cute outfit underneath and nobody ever got to see it.

After school I didn't have to go back to work (YES!! I love my job but it was still a great feeling to not have to drive to work but to go PLAY!). I went paintballing with Finance, which of course, is all the people that sit by me. We had a BBQ with yummalicious ribs and buttery corn and baked potatoes. It was fun. I hadn't eaten lunch with my people in awhile so I just enjoyed being there. Oh yeah - when I first got there I stripped in my car and changed into paintball-worthy clothes. I still got some bee-yootiful welts though. I'm so proud. :) My BATTLE SCARS!

Paintballing was UBER UBER fun. However, my hair had been all wavy and ready to be teased for my costume later that night, when in the first ten seconds of the first round of our paintballing SMACK - I got hit in the head with a greasy yellow paintball. haha Well didn't think of THAT. It was so much fun. I actually got a few people out and people WANTED me on their team hahaha. It was nice. However, in my last round (because I had to go get ready) we played "Humans and Zombies" in honor of Halloween. There were two zombies and you could only kill them with a head-shot, while humans were one-shot-death and turn into zombies. So we basically charged the zombies which the ref said he'd never seen before hahaha. But I got turned into a zombie, and as soon as I officially touched the cone or whatever signifying it, SMACK. I got shot IN THE FACE. The stinking paintballs went UNDER MY MASK on my jaw. It made me cry I think more from shock than pain but still. I was embarrassed that I was crying in front of everybody haha. Toni was very sympathetic though.

So here is my before and after picture - seriously. The after is about twenty minutes after the before, that's how GOOD I am. I went then to the church and finished setting up my fortune-telling booth. I felt like I was kinda lame cause I totally had no idea what to do. But after awhile I just kept pulling the image of dogs out of the crystal orb, totally made up that I was reading something out of the cootie catcher, and when I was figuring out when someone was getting married from their palms (this question came a lot and was kind of awkward) I would find their life line, their heart line, find a dot by the heart line, and then connect the dot to the life line most directly and say that's where they found their true love and got married. hahahaha Then I handed people a fortune cookie. Some went longer, some went shorter. It was fun. I really liked my caramel and oreo dipped apple.
My FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE part of the week (besides paintballing) was the multi-stake dance after the ward Halloween party. I actually danced, I was asked to slow-dance (which I've decided I hate. My friend with my didn't ever get asked to dance and I know and hate how that feels), and my favorite ward people (some of them, not cute Tuesday boy who I shan't name) were there. It was just uber uber fun. And I LOVED my costume. I have been planning that one since I couldn't wear it at Madison's reception. I just had a great night. Stayed the whole time (til 11:30) and then went home and crashed.

Saturday the 30th - I woke up at 10, gross. And then I vacuumed a little and went on the treadmill again, and then scrubbed up with soap. I ran some grocery errands, took pictures of Trina at her work (she was a fairy) and then other errands. I got home, changed, and went to the temple with a friend from the ward and her friends. It was a great visit, went very smoothly and quickly (though not rushed) and it was just nice and peaceful. And then I came home, wrote the large part of this letter and THEN got ready to be Belle. Actually I'm going to do that now, then I shall take a picture, attach it, and then be DONE with this freaking novel. hahaha

DONE! Here I am! Funny thing is, the most elaborate costume, and I didn't go anywhere. :) Oh yeah, a guy I danced with at the dance last night invited me to his Halloween party (I JUST met him) but I didn't go. First of all, I'm not really interested. Second, I didn't feel like going to American Fork. And oh yeah - I also went to SEVEN OTHER ONES!!

Cinnamon Rolls/Baking

I don't know what it is about Sunday that just suddenly gives me the motivation to want to bake something. I decided today I wanted to make cinnamon rolls, a scary task since I've never made them FROM SCRATCH by myself before. So I texted a couple people for recipes, since I didn't find one in Trina's Super Magic Recipe Book. My friend Jamie sent me one and I made that.

Firstly, when I was making the dough it was just so GOOEY. I had to keep reminding myself that I hadn't even put aside all of the flour suggested in the recipe (it said 5-8 cups so I put out like 5). Finally it got doughie and I left it to rise, all of which done between talks while the choir sang (General Conference). Then I decided I'd try my hand at cream cheese frosting!

Overall, the cinnamon rolls were 50-50 success and disaster. The second batch had been too packed close to each other and a lot of those were gooey. Eeuuuuggghhh!! But since they were already golden and brown....FLOOP! I just tossed them. Poor starving children in India. They'd be so ashamed of me. But, the rolls that WERE good were nice and airy and good. I probably could have put some more filling (more cinnamon sugar - I used brown sugar. I have discovered that the majority of the world uses brown sugar and we Lambs are just weirdos for using white). Either way, it was a good experience. Oh yeah - and they are also some of the ugliest rolls you've ever seen!! :) I think I should've added more flour.

By the way, I'm never making cinnamon rolls ever again. Who in their right mind takes two hours to make some rolls? Trust me, this was a one time deal. I think I'd rather spend a few bucks on a cinnabon when the fancy takes me. I'm too lazy otherwise. :) I wonder how my future husband/children/family will manage for Thanksgiving dinner. "What? You want a feast that takes half the day to make and WEEKS to prepare? You're out of your mind!!" Or maybe I'm out of mine. :)

A lovely morning

So I kinda woke up at 6am today. Actually, not at all. I just pretended to be awake until I finally got out of bed at 7am. I then got cookie dough out of the freezer (or was that 6am?) and straightened my hair and then frowned, not wanting to get ready for church yet. Adrianne was coming at some point to practice for my musical number, so I started making cookies. I had decided last night or this morning or whenever that I'd make cookies for Dad to take on the road to ID Falls. So while the first pan of cookies baked (thank goodness for store-bought cookie dough...yum!) I made a cute little container for his cookies and stuck a piece of bread in the bottom which apparently keeps the cookies nice and soft.

Then when that was done I thought, "Hey! Adrianne left her milk here...and she's doing me a good deed for accompanying...I should give her cookies!" SO I made her a plate of cookies and a cute little note. I had extra paper so I thought, "Who else can I do something for?" So I wrote a Welcome Home note to everybody. Then I thought, "Well Trina got a prize (a cute sweater vest that everyone has except for her that I found at Wal-mart), Dad got a prize...what about Stephen and Tin?" So I left notes for both of them, and the leftover cookie dough for Stephen. And THEN I thought, "Hmmm...I bet they'd prefer to have a clean kitchen over cookies." So I did the dishes, which is really all that needed done.
And THEN I got ready for church, brushed my teeth, and warmed up my voice to practice. I did the rubik's cube, and now I'm writing this, and NOW I'm just waiting for Adrianne to come. :)

Back to School

I have really enjoyed working full-time this summer, it has kept me busy, and that busy-ness has kept me happy (meaning not depressed - for the most part). Yet for some reason I was just NOT happy about starting school up again. In fact when I left work after only two hours to go to class I was none other than TICKED OFF. I was just flipping MAD that I had to go to school. I pretty much stomped all the way across campus (and hurt my calf over-doing it on the stairs) - I didn't LITERALLY stomp but I was like a fierce and furious wind that flew across campus to my first class, Physical Science.

I was calmed by guys checking me out, because thank-you-very-much, I didn't look too bad. Maybe the scowl was a bit of a deterrent but the rest was CUTE! :) Too vain? My apologies. Well I decided I wouldn't be totally miserable taking Physical Science this semester (which didn't turn out to be a bad decision - more later) but I did learn my teacher is CATHOLIC. Weird, huh? But as I was listening and stuff I just felt calmer and was like, "OK. School. I can do this." I was still a little grumpy, but oh well.

Next class was English 291 - there was actually a couple there I knew from previous English classes. The professor I immediately liked, and he was suggested from other friends. Lots of reading in this class, which is a little daunting, but oh well.

New Testament was fun fun fun - my professor has a son in Hong Kong doing Cantonese as well. Cool eh?? I asked Trey if he knew an Elder Merrill.

Anyway, I finally went to the last class, which I was trying to add for my Editing minor. No luck, but I'm not too worried, because I don't feel like I need to do it right now. It sounds like a lot of work for an already stressful semester (just because of work added, I am scared of balancing). I guess I'm doing Physical Science after all!!!

So yeah - I have separated the rats, because I am NOT going to listen to them play wrestling all night and squealing and waking me up. ANNOYING. Good night!

Sense Deprivation

I definitely have a sixth sense. I always know when it is dark outside. I took a shower in pitch black tonight - usually I very much enjoy them. But the extra darkness just creeped me out. TOOO much darkness. I couldn't enjoy nice cool water and feeling my way around the shampoo and soap and razor (best shave ever when you aren't relying on your eyesight ;)).

But still - I encourage everyone to take a shower in the pitch dark at least once. Though, I should hope you get to know your way around the bathroom first or it could be pretty painful - OOF! Toilet! My priiide! :)

Redoing the Room

I'm sure Trina is going to write her whole own post with before/after pictures of my room. I just wanted to put in that that was EXHAUSTING. I have toooo much junk. I even started a DI pile of the things I'm so sick of seeing. Not many things, I could probably put other things in but other things tend to have a small connection to my heart, strings and soul.

It is nice to have the Princess Bed back. It is beautiful. Trina hated it - it took hours to build all up and was very stressful (I will let Trina give details). Then we had to rearrange my other furniture to allow for stuff. I'm so done. Done. Done. Done.

Does anyone else ever feel like burning down their own house after removing journals and books and back-up hard drives? Just to get rid of all the junk and start FRESH? Of course that wouldn't work in our case because we have a back-up house in CHINA. Sigh.

Traveling Back

Wow that was an eventful and crazy trip. And I came home to a crazy room.

I left my parentals and went through security feeling very mature. Step 1, Check-In, which was my main fear. So with that I could relax in the terminal and eat fries from Burger King and just wait for my flight. The two hours actually went pretty fast when you realize I was just sitting there daydreaming.

I wanted to try not sleeping on the first flight at all and - bam! Success! I didn't actually watch any of the in-flight movies because I started my book and halfway through, a flight attendant said, "I want you to finish that before we land." I didn't, but it was pretty big, and I was only a couple chapters off.

On the first flight I was seated by a couple, the girl of which was a daughter of one of the flight attendants. So all the other flight attendants knew her and were constantly bringing her special treats. I thought it was nice, especially as being in their vicinity, the flight attendants were very sweet to me as well. -- After the flight, with not sleeping, I was pretty tired and just kept getting more and more tired. I met a guy from the ShangHai branch (I don't know his name, but he was the one with the tiny blonde wife and now they have a little boy - as I learned when we got to SLC) and he made me his guest in the First Class Lounge. So I had a little granola cereal in there before heading to the gate to try and stay awake.

A little stupidity with that gate - it was in the International Terminal for today. That was annoying, as I walked all the way to the Domestic and through Security to learn my gate was back in International. Besides being annoying, it didn't ruin my day.

Customs was TERRIFYING. They were just their regular stern selves (I think they practice in a mirror) and asked the regular questions, but I was feeling paranoid. I really wasn't sure about the claim thing on the customs. I put that I brought $50 worth of goods and blaaaah. Am I SUPPOSED to do that? So everytime they stopped me, "What's in the tubs?" I was like "I'M GOING TO PRISON!!"

I was so excited to get on the plane and take off so I could finally sleep. Fun Note: The plane is apparently the smallest (or one of the smallest) now being run by United. An Airbus A319. So this small airplane is apparently kinda new - it still holds like twenty-five rows of six passengers each. But it was making weird and discomforting noises on take-off. I zonked out when I decided we were leveled out and only flickered awake a couple times to reposition. Then what seemed like a couple minutes later (doesn't it always seem that way?) I woke up and the Captain was saying, "Flight attendants prepare for landing." Yay!!

That was the scariest landing of my life. The turbulence was really gross, what with landing in what was becoming a very windy rainstorm. It was actually pretty exciting (although terrifying). The plane shook back and forth a ton (still don't know how it stays together) and then DROP!!!.....DROP!!! That was my favorites, the drop parts. We had a few drops throughout the flight, and the older women clung to their armrests and wailed a little bit. Veerrryyy thrilling. Like a rollercoaster.

Trina picked me up...drove home...I was pretty much so tired I was kinda just out of it. Then we got home and were locked out. So I grabbed my spare car key and drove over to Tin's work (Trina had to dash to work) and got his house key. It was fun. Good to know I can still drive, though after I had taken Trina her dinner and come home, I decided it was definitely a good time to stop operating heavy machinery. I checked my mail, made a mental note to email Mom in my early jetlag morning (didn't work out as I got a worried phone call) and crashed on the lovesac.

All those hours on the plane sitting and sleeping on the lovesac made my knee (the one stabbed with cactus venom) start twinging again. I think it is weird it is still hating me. I did enjoy the three-hour nap before I woke up disoriented with some maniacal ringing going on. I somehow ended up in the kitchen grabbing the phone off the wall (completely) and managing to talk to Dad. I looked down in my hand and I was holding my cellphone, and apparently in my dreamy state I'd read a text from Trina. All very weird - I'm loving it.

Note: In my defense of not contacting Mom, I was so tired I honestly didn't really think about people's worrying and stuff. Sorry.

So I have decided traveling brings out the best in me. I am so intimidated by sour flight attendants and stern security that I am always trying to be sweet enough to get a pleasant response from them. That's good isn't it? Well there's my dear mother's update. Have a lovely day. Sadly, not much to say of the Mind of Roo as it is kind of dead at the moment.

School With Mom

Mom's little kiddies are sooo cute. I've been to her class four-five times now and they are all so loving and sweet. I came in yesterday and they all cheered, "Tesssieee!" I got to do show and tell cause I was coloring pictures to occupy myself and Mom told me to. They were very interested and asked good questions like, "Why didn't you do her dress blue like in the book?" (I was copying images from Cinderella) and "Why didn't you do the rest of the picture?" etc. etc.



My first day with them, a little girl named Emilly came up and hugged me and said, "I like you." Those kids are so loving. Heilam, one of Mom's very favorites, was accidentally still at school, after all the other kids had left, cause she didn't know her after school activity had been canceled, so she sat by me and watched me draw Cinderella's fairy godmother. She was much more comfortable with me after that. They are all so precious!!

It is especially fun to watch them with Mom. Yesterday she taught them the Chicken Dance and I jumped up to help. After the first run-through we were ready to be done but the kiddies kept cheering, "Again, again!" Yeah right. Didn't they know the Chicken Dance is traditionally only danced once a year in America? (They shouldn't be learning U.S. culture from out-of-shape Americans!)

Life in China

Quick Note: I really enjoyed traveling to China with Dad. Nothing like being with a gold member or whatever...easy check-in, better leg room, and a nice cushy shoulder to sleep on. It made the stress level of the event go waaaayy down. Thank you, Papa!!




So home at China has been lovely. After the two semesters of busy stressful school life it has been nice to just sort of sink into a chair and watch TV all day. Well...not really. But the relaxation has definitely been refreshing, with a little work here and there.
I have really loved the pulled noodles and riding scooters. I have been here for six complete weeks now and, while still enjoying home and will be sad to leave, I'm excited to get back to Utah with my car and my roomies. I've missed them. Scarily, I'll be looking for a job as well. That's pretty much what is going through my mind at the moment - excitement and dread.

We went out today (Dad, Mom, me) to lunch at Johnny Moo's. Dad wisely split Mom's meal (chicken quesadillas) and mine (bacon cheeseburger) between the three of us. Half my burger went to him, half the quesadillas, and half my fries to Mom. It worked really well - all the food (including appetizers) were eaten with only a small triangle of quesadilla left. I had a lovely heaven-in-a-cup frappucino (cream of course) from Starbucks. After we went to the Pearl Market and splurged (all of us) on shoes, purses, and jewelry.

SO now we're home and it's time to relax. Mom and Dad were planning a fun date night tonight - Dad told me "NOT with you which means you'll have to find something else to do. Maybe you can call so-and-so and hang out with her." HA! Mom said, "Hanging out requires conversation and the will to form sentences." Mom knows me so well. China has really set me back in my old un-social ways. Well, that's all for now. Relaxation, excitement, and dread - all in the Mind of Roo. :) (Cheesy ending? Thank you very much!)