On a Wednesday

Christmas jammies, hot cocoa, and some blog-stalking. It's a healthy way to spend the night. 

PS: How do we feel about this Instagram sorta thing that my camera can do? Totally fad-tastic? Or just a wannabe? I am genuinely looking for input here.

Thanks!

I have sinned.

First of all, you should know that I am listening to the Buble Christmas album as I write this. I have debated all season over buying it, and that one missionary's mother gave it to me when I visited yesterday. I knew I always loved that family! (But for reals, best present ever.)


Christmas Eve in my family usually means lots of movies and lots of wrapping, and not a lot of leaving the house. This year was a little different. Today we went to Malawi's for lunch (which is amazing, by the way) to use up a gift card, and then all over town for some unnecessary shopping. Part of that shopping was at Williams-Sonoma.


If you're wondering, my favorite peppermint bark in the world is made by Williams-Sonoma. Also, it's stinkin' expensive.


So today Mom said she'd just run into the W.S. store to look at something real quick and then she'd be back. We were supposed to move the car to a closer parking spot in the meantime. Well, it does not require four bodies to move one car, so before the car got moving, I jumped out and followed her into the store. 


I walked right up to where she was standing and said a happy hello, noticing that she was right by the peppermint bark. She looked at me in a small panic and said, "You're supposed to be in the car!" 


Oops.


So I ruined that surprise. Since I suddenly knew about my present, Mom decided to declare that particular box of chocolate as family property. Not being a fan of this plan, I mused that maybe I could just buy my own box and savor it for the next month or so. Mom liked that idea. (No surprise! That means way more for the entire family...)


Essentially, it comes to this: instead of getting one free pound of my favorite peppermint bark, I did, in fact, buy my own pound of my favorite peppermint bark. $13.00. It was a worthy splurge, but don't think I don't wish I'd stayed in the car.

Nobody else in the world will eat a single bite of this. Sorry.

Seis Meses

At this moment, I think the thing I miss most about that one missionary is his hands. I've mentioned before that I have a thing for man hands. He's got really good man hands. I'll miss something different tomorrow, though.


I am also experiencing a serious need for his sense of humor. And I wouldn't mind having someone to just sit with, either. We're really good at just being, that one missionary and I.


During finals week, all I wanted was a quick conversation. He used to call on his lunch breaks at work, and I don't think I ever really understood why it was a big deal for him until just recently. When all you want is a break, and the only thing you don't have time for is a break, that quick phone call with that one person can do wonders. 

Good news: I get to talk to him on Sunday. 

More good news: 12.22.11 = 6 months. 

More good news: I got letters on Tuesday.

And even more good news: pictures!

"Me on the pyramid of the sun in a yellow tie holding up the pyramid of the moon"

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this boy is a gem. I think I'll keep him.

Birthday Boy

This little guy has completely stolen my heart in the last year:

He's all grown up now! You can tell because his hair is finally long enough for a solid mohawk. 

I'm so proud.

The list: 

1) He is the perfect baby. No joke. Not just saying that.

The end.

Emerson, I know you can't read, but I sure love you! Can't wait to be basement buddies with you in a few weeks. Thanks for your cute personality and big smiles, e'ry day. 

May you actually eat your own birthday cake next year.

Love, Auntie Lys.

Curse these dynamic views.

I looked through a stinkin' cute card-making catalog the other day. It made me want to change up my blog and live a life full of designer patterns and excellent color schemes. 


So I changed up my blog. And now I'm not sure if I like it. In fact, I lean toward strong dislike.


Therefore, this blog is now under construction. No judgments allowed if you stop by and it's in an ugly phase at the moment. And I think I should warn you that it very well may end up looking exactly the same as it did before I got this dumb hankering. 


Good thing we're between semesters right now, or this would really throw off my groove. 


PS: I would greatly appreciate any comments, criticisms, or ideas, for my well of creativity is all dried up at the moment. Gracias.

My newest obsession:

Mom found it. I love it.

Don't actually watch if you've ever felt awkward a day in your life. (But still listen.)

However, it's a pretty awesome music video. Might be worth it.

There's lots to interpret. I'm still trying to really understand what's going on.

Super weird, super awesome. Give it a chance.

Live from... my house.

It's been rather heartwarming around here lately. Not that that's a bad thing, but I think we'll switch it up a bit for today. 

Oh yeah. It's joke time, baby.

A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says, "I'll take a beer, and one for the road."

Q: Why do melons always have big weddings?
A: Because they cantaloupe!


Q: What do you call a blind deer in the forest?
A: No idear!


Q: What do you call a blind deer with no legs in the forest?
A: Still no idear!


Q: What do you call a blind deer with no legs and a dog on it's back in the forest?
A: Doggone it, still no idear!


(Man, those get me every time.)

Two peanuts were walking in the park. One was a-salted.

(Ha. HaHA.)

Q: How does Hitler tie his shoes?
A: With little Nazis.


Q: What did the Buddhist say to the hot dog vendor?
A: "Make me one with everything."

A grasshopper walks into a bar. Bartender says, "Hey, we've got a drink named after you!" and the grasshopper says, "You've got a drink named Steve?"

(Steve.)

Hope this could relieve some finals stress for y'all because it certainly did so for me. 

Humor is great. Jokes are the bomb. That is my life motto.

Over and out.

"Picture a Christmas"

Picture a stable in Judea:

Picture a sacred, silent night:

And can you hear the angels near:

And see the star so bright:

Picture the little baby Jesus: 

Think of His life and words so dear:

Sing praise to Him:

Remember Him, as you picture Christmas this year:

(Photo credit to Mariah for that very last one.)

(Lyrics from a favorite Primary song, found here.)

He's 50, but you wouldn't know it.

Happy birthday, father!

I know you all have seen this picture already. Tough.

My dad is so awesome. Check it out:

1) I know I say this about everyone, but his sense of humor is hilarious. Like he beats everyone else that I've already said it about.

2) He lives a very service-oriented life--to church, family, neighbors, strangers.

3) He listens to General Conference talks in his car, and he blasts MoTab.

4) He is Mr. Fix-It. He once changed our minivan's transmission all on his own. That's hard.

5) He has a strong testimony, and he lets us know it regularly. I admire that.

6) He also has strong opinions, and he lets us know them regularly. Don't say "Obama" at our house.

7) He works hard to support our family and to simply keep everyone happy.

8) He would love to live without TV and cell phones. I would love to join him. 

9) He teaches us by example. I know how he would have me act by watching how he acts.

10) He's shown me everything I need to look for in my future husband.

I've always had a special place in my heart for the idea of daddy-daughter relationships, which is because I've experienced an ideal one throughout my entire life. I could go on and on about the things I've learned from my dad, but I'd hate to show birthday favoritism, so I'll keep the list to 10 :)

I love you Dad! Thank you for everything you do for me every day. Happy birthday!

Tidings of Great Joy

Feel free to listen to today's favorite Christmas song arrangement as you read: 

 

This weekend was our big choir/orchestra Christmas concert. It was incredible to be a part of such a huge team, and the Christmas spirit was strong at every performance. Sister Applonie, the director of our choir, is one of the most inspiring people I've ever met, and she said something before each concert which I've thought about all weekend: 

"God's gift to us is His Son. His Son's gift to us is the Atonement. We must remember these most important gifts."

What a powerfully simple way to state the meaning of Christmas and the symbolism behind the gift-giving. I love that. 

Then, last night I attended the First Presidency Christmas Devotional up at Temple Square. President Uchtdorf spoke about the meaning of Christmas as well, and this quote stood out to me: 

"This may be the most one-sided gift exchange in the history of the universe. The Savior's gifts to us [immortality and forgiveness] are breathtaking...Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, not only are we guaranteed an infinite quantity of life, but he offers the possibility of an unimaginable quality of life as well."

What incredible gifts we receive if we but follow Him! We cannot repay the debts of these gifts, but that should never stop us from trying. He will accept our every effort, and then bless us with even more gifts in return. This is the never-ending cycle of His love, which is incomprehensibly perfect in every way.

It is true that the spirit of Christmas is not found in presents, but it is also important to remember these first and most important gifts, given by a loving Father and Son to each of us. Let us never forget the original example for our gift-giving, for God really does bless us, every one! And those are tidings of the greatest joy imaginable.

I promise it's not you.

There are three self-imposed guidelines that I try to follow on this blog:


1) Do not vent/complain.
2) Do not be vague.
3) Include pictures.


And I'm about to ignore all three in one fell swoop.

::

There's a human in this world whom I am beginning to dislike strongly.

(The end.)

Week of Thanks

Thanksgiving this year was absolutely wonderful. We went north for some quality time with cousins and aunts and uncles. So much family, so much fun. And the best news of all is that I had a camera the whole time! That means you get a total picture overload. Get ready.

Here's a little taste of our family's Thanksgiving (if you'll excuse the pun).

We  had plenty of indoor time. 

Took this while playing. Tricky? I thought so.

Bear-dog = Kenai. Love.

SO adorbs. They sat like this for a while of their own accord.

My best friend Lydia. (But like for reals.)

Rye's "horror film face." Cracks me up.

I match Mom by outfit, and I match Emily by personality. It's cute, ok?

However, the real fun was to be had in the great outdoors.

Welcome to the annual turkey shoot:

Rockin' those boots

I've never been very good at scenery photos...

25 points, somehow.

The "I just shot a clay pigeon on my second shot ever!" face, of course.

Wow. Overload indeed. Sorry. 

Also, I'm sorry that there is not a single picture of food here.

But it was more about family anyway, and seriously, we all had a great time! Not to be sappy, but I love my family and I'm thankful for the week I had with them. Nothing allows me to feel rested and ready to carry on like a week spent with family, no matter how great my friends may be. Here's to hoping this Thanksgiving becomes a tradition in the future!

(Jus' rill quick)

This is what we did for Thanksgiving. 

It was a bit of a culture shock for our family of 5 girls. We loved it.

More to come. 

Picture List

Well not to complain terribly or anything, but today sure stunk. 

Now that that's out of the way...  How bout a little Pinterest?

Today's about colors.

Thinking about a blog redo. Maybe, someday, in the future?

Or like maybe never. It's a lot of work. I'll just redo my room instead.

Anyway, colors: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

To another best sister in the world:

Well it's that time again, and we've got a birthday to celebrate! Whose turn is it today?

Lil sister Mariah, of course!

10 things you should know: 


1) She has a hilarious sense of humor, and she pulls the best faces (see examples above). 
2) She does a mean imitation of "E'ryday I'm shufflin"
3) She's probably the most compassionate person I've ever known. Mother Theresa status.
4) She's amazing with kids. It's a gift I envy.
5) She's taller than me.
6) She's incredibly generous with her time, effort, money, everything, etc.
7) She plays the guitar, which rocks.
8) She's a great student and a hard worker.
9) She's very tolerant and always willing to serve.
10) She's my role model.


Love you little sister! Happy birfday!

Gross=3AM

What I'd really like to be doing right now:

What has prevented me from doing just that: 

Ugh.

Biology is just not my favorite. 

It'll be so ironic when I get the flu from staying up so late working on my research paper about the flu.

Like I said, 3AM is just plain gross.

The good news is this: I get to sleep now. Good night world. May you never catch the flu.

Tidings of Great Joy

I have some excellent news, folks! 

See that black thing? That lil guy means I no longer have to steal Mom's camera every time I want a picture on this lil blog. Hooray!!

Also, feel free to note how long my hair is getting (even though it's not entirely presentable).

I am loving it.

Have a lovely Tuesday, amigos!

So, funny story...

A couple weeks ago, my family and I went to Tucanos with a few birthday coupons and intentions to celebrate. However, I had a concert at BYU with a call time 30 minutes away, so I needed to quickly eat and go. My mother explained this to the waiter, and he very kindly took an interest in making my meal at Tucanos the best one I'd ever had. 

It really was very sweet of him. Unfortunately, the entire family noticed. 

We ate lots of meat and even more pineapple, drank Brazilian lemonade, and had a grand ol' time. Mr. Super-Nice-Waiter checked up on us a few times, but not excessively. At one point, the quote from Madeline was used in reference to his talent to converse: "He's got charisma!" (I'll admit it was true.) When I stood up to put on my coat and head out, he beelined it to our table.

It was very thoughtful of him. Unfortunately, the whole family noticed.

Him: "Are you leaving already?"


Me: "Well, yes, remember? I have to get to a concert. I'm already late for call time, actually, so I need to bolt."


Him: "Well if you're late as it is, why not be more late? Just stay and celebrate!"


Me: "I really should go..."


Him: "Oh fine. But you're my favorite!"


Me (a little thrown off): " ... Thanks, I'm flattered. And thanks for your great service today! And goodbye." 

It really was just so kind of him. Too bad the whole family noticed...

I didn't think much of it during or after the concert. In fact, I wouldn't have thought much of it probably ever if I hadn't learned the following: 


When I left, my father got talking to this waiter. They chatted about his mission, his family, his life in general. Dad thought he seemed pretty cool. Then, since the whole point of Tucanos was to celebrate birthdays, my family ordered brownies for dessert. Mr. Super-Nice-Waiter bragged that they had the best brownies in the world. Dad disagreed. He claimed that his daughter, "the one that had to leave, remember?", made the best brownies in the world. You can see where this is going, right? 


After some debate, my dad ended up with the waiter's number, and the waiter ended up with an invite to brownies on a Tuesday or Sunday evening in the future. Which means I need to make the best brownies in the world, and soon! Yikes.


Nothing has come of it yet, and we're now a solid two weeks past that day, but Dad brings it up whenever he and I are talking. I'll keep y'all posted if there are developments, but don't get too excited. 

Moral of the story: Never perfect your brownie-making skills, or your father just might set you up on a blind date based off of them. 

Two videos to make your day.

My mother showed me this today, and witnessing it for myself landed promptly on my bucket list: 

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Seriously, though, isn't that the most amazing thing??
If I see a murmuration of starlings and the Northern lights sometime in my life, I'll die happy.
(Learn a little more in depth here.)

And this is simply for the sake of all things adorable:

In my family, we believe in cheap thrills and really cute giggles.

Best moment at about 0:48, in case you don't have a full 1:39 to spare.

Hope your day's as brightened as mine was!

Something less frivolous than usual.

Today, because of the time change, I walked to my car during sunset.
I remembered watching really beautiful sunsets that one summer.
I remembered how it was simply assumed that we would watch, even if it only had potential to be a good one. 
I remembered how I'd comment on its beauty, and he'd agree, but then he'd say, "Except it can't compare to you."
It was all very cheesy. I know that now and I knew it then. But it was nice anyway. 


When the sky finished flaming, I drove myself to our cute city library, where I met a friend.
We discussed life as it currently is: school, family, boys, missionaries, and singles' wards.
We discussed life as it was in the past: high school, movie quotes, and family deaths. 
We delved into our interests: the common one of educating others someday, her's in ASL, mine in math.
We secretly creeped a little bit on that one lady from the news.
We laughed a little too loudly for a library setting, but it's ok because we were in the children's section by the stained glass window.
It was good times all around.


My family came. We watched a play called The Hundred Dresses.
It made me laugh. 
It made me criticize, but in a positive fashion.
It made me reflect. 
It made me cry.
It made me resolve to never ever judge another human ever again.
It was a very strong message for a supposed "children's play." I like that.


I knew there was a letter waiting for me when I got home. 
I devoured it. Actually, them. 
I devoured them: the online one to the family and the three in an envelope to me.


He wrote in Spanish, which is nearly impossible to decipher at times. 
He suggested a few songs, which I never saw coming.
He answered all my questions...from September. (I'll hear about last month's questions come December.)
He promised to accept pancake-duty for the rest of eternity if need be, for which I was very grateful. I cannot make pancakes.
He kind of, sort of, maybe made my day.
He bore testimony, therefore strengthening mine.
It was needed and appreciated.


Yesterday was a not-fun Sunday despite my efforts to make it a good one, and that was disappointing. However, today was much better, and with only a few small changes. 
I really enjoy when that happens. 


I'm grateful for the directions my thoughts were taken today. 
I'm grateful for late-night blog posts where I don't care how this might sound when I read it tomorrow. (Don't judge me.)
I'm grateful for time to ponder. For introspection.
I'm grateful for the things that I have, tangible and otherwise.
I'm grateful for the life that I live, because it honestly couldn't be better. 


Happy November, everyone. :)

Get Your Craft On

Tonight I went Christmas-card-crazy. 11 cards, 3 hours. It was for a good cause.

(All of these were made with patterned paper, stamps, and ribbon, for anyone who's wondering.)

They'll all go into a package with testimonies from various friends and family members to go to Mexico in the near future. That one missionary will get 25 cards total: one for every day of December up to Christmas. I'm in love with this idea! But I definitely can't take credit. Kudos to his mother for her excellent planning.

Please enjoy an impressive photo-bomb job by little sister Mariah:

Also, if anyone wants to get in on this little project, just holler! I believe I speak the truth when I say he'd love to hear from anyone. In the true spirit of Christmas, let's just say "the more the merrier!"