Herrrrooww?

Remember when I used to blog here? That was back when I was good at doing things like keeping up with two blogs, taking lots of pictures, doing all my writing, normal work stuff of course, working out, having a social life and all that other good stuff all at once. Apparently my multi-tasking skills have decreased with age. Who knew turning 26 was going to take such a toll on me ;)
I blog tons...like every day at munchercruncher.blogspot.com, so if you're going through withdrawals head on over there. I even do giveaways and such every now and again. I promise if something super cool happens I'll try and be better about blogging here too. This interweb stuff gets overwhelming! SHEESH! ;)

Mary did you know?

There are two Christmas songs that I don't like...
1) Mary did you know. Lindsey and I always laugh when we hear it together because both of us hate it and we hear it ALL the time.
2) The Christmas Shoes. Just give the kid the shoes already you greedy store keeper! Sheesh. The ultimate in depressing.

Anyways. The Christmas celebration continues.
December 6th: We had Christmas FHE at our Bishop's house. We went around the circle and told some of our favorite memories of Christmas, and fun traditions that we do. I told The Dollhouse Story, which is one that I will never forget. Oh you sneaky family you. It still makes me laugh. It was so fun to just go around and hear all of the fun and Christmas-y things that people do. It really helped to bring the spirit of Christmas. The only qualm I had was my seating location. I was sitting next to their revolving tree that had a reindeer that was just at my eye level. Every time the tree revolved around the reindeer stared me down...I made Brady take a picture with it.

I don't think this photo does it justice.
December 7th: A VERY busy day. My goal for the day was to read Luke 2 because I knew that there wasn't going to be much time for festivities. Benita (FINALLY) came home from NY, so her Sara Beth and I ended up laughing our heads off on my bed until like 12:30 AM. I had to be up for work at 5:00 AM, so I ended up going to bed. What is more Christmas-ish than laughing with friends, anyways?
December 8th: Ginger bread houses! SO FUN!!

 Alex's "Falling Water" inspired by the late Frank Lloyd Wright, and my classic house.

 My house and Mark's "pyramid."

 Moss did some great work with his assistant Sara Beth. They built in the rich neighborhood.

Rodney's duplex's and Benita's extremely stable floor plan.

Ryan Moss, Dean Peterson, Benita Bates, and Alex Merchant.                    Rodney Hansen, Lance Moses, Sara Beth Johnson and Mark Keller.

The Pride Family Christmas House Decoration Contest. (We missed you Lola and Ryan!)

December 8th: Christmas Music Day. Nothing but Christmas Tunes...allllll daaaayy longggg.

Favorites as of right now? 

- Christmas With The Rat Pack

- Nsync Christmas, still...it's hard not to love it when you know every word to every song.

- Glee Christmas. 

- I'm ok with Jessica Simpson's new Christmas album. She still kinda bugs.

December 9th: Ward Christmas Party. Always a good time. 

December 10th: Elevate Christmas Party. I love the people I work with!

I hope your holidays continue to be festive and fun!

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la

I had to sing that a lot of times in my head to make sure I got enough "la's." This December has turned out to be extremely awesome thus far, and here is why.

I decided to do something "Christmas-y" every day until Christmas. I, unfortunately, hate winter. So, I decided to make this winter AWESOME. It's all in your attitude, right? This is what I've got so far...

December 1st: Baked gingersnaps and gave them away to hungry neighbors. What smells more like Christmas than gingersnaps?
December 2nd: Made a count down to Christmas, paper Chain and watched the classic clay, stop-motion film, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. "Just put one foot in front of the other..." Did you know that was made in 1970? No wonder why it feels like Christmas when I see those. I've probably watched it every year of my life since I was BORN. I love them. It was more like Ryan made the paper chain while Sara Beth and I exchanged Christmas music and watched clips of Conan O'Brian wearing jeggings. Worth it.

And voila...the final product...
(and of course more phone pictures...)

December 3rd: I drug my friends to the live nativity at the Provo Tabernacle. They are good sports. It was quite humorous...Basically there was a 40 year old recording that the "cast" mouthed to awkwardly, a chinese Angel Gabriele, two individuals having a sign language battle, and a baby Jesus that almost crawled off the stage. Needless to say we were trying to hide our laughter 90 percent of the time. Oh, and I forgot to mention the live animals outside. Oh hello Sally...

We ended the evening with some warm soup at Gloria's Little Italy, hot chocolate, and a showing of How To Train Your Dragon. That movie is precious.
December 4th: Christmas Gift Planning and Sara Beth and I participated in some ABC Family Christmas Movie Marathon...Hello Harry Potter, which we later drug our neighbors in to as well. I also met up with Janae for some frozen yogurt, which was SO fun. I feel like frozen yogurt can be holiday-appropriate for any holiday of the year, or any non-holiday.
December 5th: Read two Christmas talks. Roxanne and I are trying to read a Christmas themed talk every day (I had to catch up from yesterday, so I read two today.) It has been awesome to help get me in the right spirit of Christmas. Today's talk was exceptionally great. What are you going to give Christ for Christmas?
Church was really AWESOME today. It was definitely decked with holiday cheer, and the Christmas devotional was great as well. President Uchtdorf is awesome.

So far I feel like the month is off to a great start :)
Oh and yesterday I received the BEST news ever...The Fitches are moving back to Utah!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh. this made my day.

My last thankful day.

November 30th. Although some of my posts have been pretty scarce, I have loved the thought process of having to evaluate my day each day and think of what I am truly thankful for. I feel like I could probably go for a year of posting something daily, and I would still be coming up very short. I purposely saved my most thankful thought for the last day because It is by far the most important. Today, and every day, I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am a basket case a lot of the time, let's be honest, but the one thing that keeps me grounded is my faith in Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for his atoning sacrifice in my behalf. I am eternally indebted to him for that. I am grateful for his capacity to understand and know us each individually. I am grateful that because of that capacity, He is able to help me with His grace. I am grateful for the knowledge of the gospel I have, and for the plan of salvation; knowing that because of his atoning sacrifice I will get to be with my family forever.


I don't know if there is a better way to say it than through these words...

I know that my Redeemer lives.
What comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, he lives, who once was dead.
He lives, my ever-living Head.

He lives to bless me with his love.
He lives to plead for me above.
He lives my hungry soul to feed.
He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply.
He lives to guide me with his eye.
He lives to comfort me when faint.
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears.
He lives to wipe away my tears.
He lives to calm my troubled heart.
He lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heav’nly Friend.
He lives and loves me to the end.
He lives, and while he lives, I’ll sing.
He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King.
He lives and grants me daily breath.
He lives, and I shall conquer death.
He lives my mansion to prepare.
He lives to bring me safely there.

He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”
He lives! All glory to his name!
He lives, my Savior, still the same.
Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives:
“I know that my Redeemer lives!”

So much to be Thankful for...

I could go on. It's amazing how sitting to think and pick one thing that I am thankful for from my day has really caused me to reflect on how many blessings I have in my life. I think that the holidays can really make us take a look at what is important in our lives. Today I am grateful for tender mercies. I am amazed at how clearly I can see the Lord's hand in my life when I am looking for it. The tender mercies that occur happen so frequently. When you look at it in that respect, you can't deny the truthfulness of this gospel. This year has been a really challenging one for me, and it continues to be so. I have several things that I look at from the forefront and think...how in the world is this going to work out? However, I know that it always does. I know that every single thing that we go through is not without purpose. Our job is to find the lessons in our trials, and learn from them. It is the tender mercies that we experience each day that remind us that we are going to be ok, that we have someone looking out for us.

1 Nephi 1:20 - "But I Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."

Bless you daddy-o

We left AZ at 8 AM.
What should have been a 9.5 hour drive turned into a 12.5 hour drive...Looks like the weatherman was a little off on the great blizzard of 2010.
Lots of snow.
Lots of cars.
Not a lot of speed.
Today I am grateful for answered prayers and dad's who drive like Greg Biffel. Way to go daddy-o.

Deck The Halls...

Christmas lights really are magical. Today I helped my mom put up Christmas decorations, and it just makes me smile. There is something about those lights that just makes me happy. Throw in a little green and red glitter, and some fancy schmancy ornaments and I'm a goner. I love Christmas!! 

It is always fun to help my mom with holiday things because she is so dang good at it. She has so much attention to detail, and she is so creative. I followed her around all day today. I'm pretty sure I have been following her around since I was tiny, and what a great example to follow. She is absolutely amazing. One of the most positive, upbeat, genuinely loving people I know.

(One day the phone photos will stop...that day is not today)

Today I am grateful for examples. It's been fun to be here with the Barney family, and get to hang out with Nichole, as well. Watching her with her kids, friends, and even strangers I am always amazed because she is just such a positive, fun, optimistic person. Everyone loves to be around her. I have always looked up to her, as well as my big sister Lindsey, who was kind enough to let me mimic her my entire life...She is another great example of someone who I want to grow up to be like! I am so blessed with awesome friends and family members who I look up to so much. I am not ready to go home. I just keep getting texts about how cold it is, and dad and I are supposedly driving through a storm tomorrow. Wish us luck. I'll miss you AZ sunshine. xoxoxo

Black Friday

People are crazy. I rather enjoyed sleeping in and going to the gym when I woke up this morning. I just don't have that desire to fight the crazy crowds to save a buck I guess. More power to ya for those that do. Today's events included...
- a mid-morning trip to the gym (it's always more fun to work out when you're with people you love)
- an afternoon trip to Target, the one place we decided to brave on this chaotic shopping day
- going to see Tangled. SO cute. I loved it. We saw Unstoppable last night and it was awesome as well.
- dinner at Dayna Park (a collaboration of Paradise Bakery, Pei Wei, and Sauce)
- games at the Barney's, always a good time.

We had so much fun, and it was a beautiful day. 70 degrees in fact. The sun was shining and the sky was gloriously blue. Today I am grateful for the sunshine. It really just makes me happy. I hope that Utah decides to treat me right when I return on Sunday.

Full and Grateful

I'm stuffed. Today has been such a great day. My mom and I went to the gym this morning. I came home and dyed my hair, and then the cook-off began. We were in the kitchen cooking and prepping for a good part of the day. It was so fun. I loved being along side my mom helping out. She is an incredible hostess, and she puts such detail into things, which just makes it really fun. After dinner we went to see Unstoppable, which was great. Then it was back home for dessert. I am so happy to have been able to spend this time with my family. Today I am grateful for traditions. Some of our standard Thanksgiving day traditions are;
- Dad cooking the Turkey
- Mom's Rolls
- cornbread stuffing, I am not a huge stuffing eater and this stuff is good.
- mom's cinnamon apples that nobody likes
- kids making gumdrop turkeys
- candy corns under the plate for the prayer
- saying three things we're thankful for
- lots of leftovers
- pumpkin pie
- going to see a movie
- watching Home Alone (miss you linds)
- lots of laughing

What a good day :) Happy Thanksgiving!!

Turkey Day Eve

Today was a solid day of favorite things. We woke up and picked up Nichole and headed to Last Chance. Love that place. I walked away with some gold Sperry's, and cute sweatshirt and some Betsey Johnson tights. I felt good about the purchases. I did not, however, feel good. I started feeling sick on Monday night, back in Utah. It got worse yesterday, and my mom was kind enough to send me to bed pumped full of meds, like a good mom should. I woke up this morning still feeling not myself. It's amazing how even your favorite things seem like a chore when you don't feel good. After we went to Last Chance we headed over to Fashion Square mall which is AMAZING.  It just seems to keep getting bigger, and better. We ate at The Pita Jungle. I wish they had one in Utah. It's so good. My mom and I split a turkey pesto pita, and it was SO good. After lunch we went to H&M and F21, two of my favorites, and I was ridiculously unmotivated to shop. I was absolutely exhausted, and didn't even care to look much. What?!? That is not me.

After we got home my mom and I decided to get some of the baking done for tomorrow. She made a pumpkin cheesecake, and I made my healthy pumpkin pie and some healthy oatmeal pumpkin chip cookies. That took us a while, and by the time we were all done we were hungry for dinner again, so we went and ran some errands and picked up some Paradise Bakery soup and salad to go. Another place I love with my whole heart. We came home and my mom and dad did some more cooking prep for tomorrow while I blogged and sang Christmas music :) I feel WIPED. It's super annoying. It made me realize how grateful I am for good health. Today I am thankful for a healthy body. It's amazing how much I take it for granted. I do so much in a day; work, lots of working out, normal day to day functions, sleep, and hardly ever take the time to realize how amazing the body is for doing all these great things. What an incredible blessing.

Total unrelated side note:
This morning I get the following text from Benita...

Benita: You missed a real floozy. (This is the view of Highland Park from our apartment, post last nights "snowpocolypse")
Me: hahahaha I am so lucky. I don't think I would have made it out of our parking lot.
Benita: I knew it was a hoax.
Me: The Blizzard of 2010...one for the books. We will be telling our grand kids about this one.
Benita: I am a survivor.

We make me laugh.

It's the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine.

Get out your 72 hour kits. The snow hype today in Utah was CRAZY. I swear I never remember hearing anything like this before. It seemed like we were living in Arizona and this foreign element called snow was going to be coming. Everyone was leaving work, school, and whatever else they were doing. Wait...haven't we had snow every winter...ever...in Utah? Calm down everyone.

I was at the airport and my plane was delayed a couple of hours, but I made it to Arizona just fine. I guess after my flight left they pretty much canceled all other flights, so I was extremely glad I made it out OK. I am anxious to hear how this storm really goes down. Keep me posted UT peeps, k?

Today I am thankful to be home. I love being home for the holidays. I can't wait to hang out here for a few days. I wish the whole fam could be here. We will definitely miss them!

So long. Farwell.

I've seen enough of these faces for the week. 

 

The dog days are over. Thanks again to Benita for saving my scared little hind. The dogs randomly started freaking out at three in the morning last night, which threw us both off a bit...we scare easy. Turns out everything was ok...as far as we know that is. 

I go to AZ TOMORROW. Yessss....I really can't wait. It's going to be awesome. I think I've talked to my mom like 6 times on the phone today. You'd think I never get to see her...sheesh.

Our pilot light in our house is SO annoying and won't stay lit. Our landlord was supposed to fix it like last year, but hasn't. Sometimes I'll come home in the day, like today, and our house will be colder inside than it is outside. It's amazing the difference it makes as soon as it comes on and it's warm again. Today I am thankful for a warm place to live. I can't imagine what it would be like to be cold all the time. I think of the pioneers and realize I would have probably died, or been purposefully left behind for my complaining. I don't know if I could hack it, seriously. I know there are people who don't have warm beds to come home to, and that breaks my heart. I feel very blessed.

Countdown until I'm in AZ: one day.

I countdown to my vacations funny. Or so I'm told. I don't count the current day, and I don't count the day I leave. It's closer that way. I talked to my mom tonight and I'm even more excited to go. Why do I love being there so much? Oh wait I know...while I am there my life consists of sleeping in, playing with my family, working out, following my mom and sister Nichole around, making Kiley hang out with me, playing games with everyone, going to movies, shopping, eating lots of frozen yogurt, going to dinner at all my favorite places, laying out, being warm, sunshine...sounds rough huh?

Sundays really are divine. Benita and I woke up early to dogs panting outside the door of the room we are sleeping in. Yep, I'm still dog sitting. Benita has pretty much saved me by coming and staying the night with me. I don't know what I would have done with out her! I decided to make some muffins for ward council because I had the time...and then we had a great meeting. Our bishop talked to us a lot about how much we can make a difference in the life of one person. It kinda lit of fire under me. It was great to hear.

Church itself was great as well. A bunch of us in the ward, (mostly my good friends, coincidentally) were assigned to a dating class. Today we talked about what girls and guys hate about dating and it was pretty dang funny. The conclusion: guys shouldn't talk about themselves, girls should be more honest with their interest levels, guys shouldn't take girls on marathon dates, girls need to give guys more of a chance, girls and guys both just need to be patient. "It all works out." Marriage really is a miracle. Oh dating...isn't it so fun? I can't wait for the day when I look back on the dating years and think...how funny...why did I stress so much about everything? That day will come, right? Today I am thankful for this stage in my life. Hard as it may be. Frustrating as it may be. I am constantly learning and growing, and I know I definitely have a lot more learning and growing to do.

I wanna be just like Dorothy

Who doesn't love sparkles? I remember being a little girl and seeing the glittery red mary jane shoes that looked just like Dorothy's shoes from the Wizard of Oz, and drooling all over them. Benits fulfilled a childhood dream and got me these bad boys for my birthday. Glitter, Toms, and Black. All of my favorite things combined. 
 
(Don't judge the fact that my left ankle is still twice the size of my right ankle. NBD.) Just like I thought...it started snowing tonight. Goooooooooo. It's happening. However, it makes me realize that today I am grateful for clothes and shoes to keep me warm in this wintery weather.

November 19th and All is well.

It's almost the end of November. How in the world did time fly by this quickly? I mean...I'm stoked that I'm three days shy of departure to AZ. I can't wait for sunshine and warmth. It's starting to get cold here, and I don't like it. I think I get less and less resistant to the cold every year. I am not really cut out for these temperatures, this smug sky, and these white skin tones. I like warm, and tan, and happy. But...it's amazing that we've made it this far with out any insane snowstorms or anything. Today I am grateful for 60 degree weather on November 19th. Who would have thought? I'm sure tomorrow will be 30 degrees colder and full of snow, but today was nice. At least I know I can make it until tuesday, and then the warm will be right ahead.

Betty Crocker

Baking is like therapy for me. I love creating things in the kitchen, and the smells warmth that comes along with it. Tonight we had enrichment with our bishops wife and she showed us how to make pumpkin pie from a fresh pumpkin...pretty awesome. The whole time we were there I was just reminded of how much I like baking with my mom. She is such an awesome cook, and I feel like I've learned SO much from her. I made these yummy Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffins tonight. They are healthy and SO delicious.

Today I am grateful for my love for baking. I can't wait to have a family to cook for one day. Did I mention that I am dog-sitting right now? One of my clients went to Mazatlan and, so here I am. Bless Benita's heart for keeping me company over here. I owe her...

"You just need to have more faith."

That is what my mom told me last week when I was talking to her on the phone. Mom's are so smart. Such a simple phrase, but %100, completely true. I was reading my scriptures today when I came across this verse.

Ether 12:4

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." 

Believing in God = surety and hope for a better world.

hope comes from faith.

faith helps us to be sure and steadfast. 

As I read this over a few times I heard my mom's voice in my head, "You just need to have more faith. Everything will work out."

And I realized she was right. I need to have more faith. When we believe in the Lords power to aid us, in his Grace (divine means of help or strength) everything does work out. Today I am grateful for the scriptures, and the simple, yet profound, truths they teach. And of course for moms who know everything.

Huppy Burt-day! (said like GusGus from Cinderella of old)

Benita Marie Bates is 25 ladies and gentleman. 

It is true. She did it.

 

Today I am 100 percent grateful for Benita. She has been an amazing friend to me. She lets me hang out with her all the time, and doesn't even care that I sing the end of my sentences sometimes. 

She is genuinely caring, hilarious, and loyal. She is loved by everyone she knows...that just sounded like a sentence from a eulogy...but it's true. She is one of the greatest people I know, and I am SOOO glad we're besties.

(Here is a throw back photo for ya...) Happy B-day Bernice. You are the cheese to my macaroni. Although I don't really like cheese or macaroni. You are the granola to my frozen yogurt. There we go. Now, That is love.

Surprise Surprise Puppy Surpise!

Tomorrow Beans is 25. (Beans is Benita...cute nick-name, huh?) We're all really glad it stuck. She isn't so glad. I have been up late trying to get all the b-day prep in order, so from the second she wakes up she is celebrating. Tonight I have wrapped 25 presents/thoughts/surprises for her to wake up to.

 

I have them all timed out for her to open one an hour. I can't WAIT for her to wake up. I feel like a parent on Christmas Eve...not that the surprises are that great or anything, but I just get giddy when I think someone is genuinely going to be surprised. I hope she likes them! 

A lot of the surprises have to do with funny memories, or inside jokes that we've had in our bazillion years of being best friends. I did some good reminiscing while putting this all together. Today I am grateful for memories. The best times in my life have been shared with the people I love, and thinking back on them makes me incredibly happy.

Lotsa love up in here.

This has been a raiiiny Sunday. I'm glad it was rainy today though, one of those days where you're not too sad to be inside wrapped up in a blanket. I can still hear the rain outside my window, and I hope it stops by tomorrow. Please Mother Nature? Thank you.

Today in Relief Society we were talking about visiting teaching, and taking the time to look out for each other as sisters. A darling girl that I adore raised her hand and said that she was so grateful for me reaching out to her when she came into the ward. I didn't deserve an ounce of the nice things she said, but it made me think a lot about my last calling and what a complete blessing it's been in my life. As I was sitting through the rest of church I thought of a couple of instances where I had some sort of interaction with five or six girls over the past couple weeks that I became really close with when I was the RSP. They were girls that I maybe wouldn't have got to know so well otherwise, and they are SO incredible. I am thinking back now and my calling came at such a crucial point in my life. I had just moved away from being with Benita and Roxies, and I felt super lonely. My calling forced me to get out and get to know people, specifically the amazing girls in my ward and I gained so many new friends. I was one hundred percent blessed. It was amazing to sincerely feel so much love for all of the girls I was serving. Although, I received more love than I knew what to do with, and I know the girls in my ward did a lot more for me than I ever did for any of them. It made me realize how the Lord's hand really is in every detail of our lives. Today, and everyday, I am grateful for callings in the church. I am grateful for the way they make us stretch, for the people they mold us into, and for the blessings that come from serving in whatever capacity you are placed with all of your abilities.

On our own we may not be capable of much, but with the Lord working along side us, leading us along, and pushing us from behind, we can accomplish more than we would ever imagine.

P.S. Our Trip to Park City was so much fun...

 We stayed in a suite at the Westgate at the Canyons

 Had some dinner at the Main Street Pizza & Noodle.

 Did a little hot tubbing, both outdoors and in.

 Drank some sparkling cider whilst playing card games. Uno gets craaazy.

 And Laughed a LOT.

My friends are pretty dang awesome.