My Christmas Highlight

(Photo Thanks to Adam Baxter)

There are many legends about the moon. A full moon is said to be a symbol of love and romance.  On that, 

I must agree.

There was a total Lunar Eclipse on Solstice this year, visible in Alaska on the Eve of Winter Solstice. 

My dear wonderful Travis took the special night, December 20th, 2010 to propose :)  

Yes, we are engaged!  

I think there is some special symbolism in it.  

Just as the celestial bodies aligned that night, 

Travis and I aligned our hearts in a promise of celestial significance.  

I love that man!

Merry Christmas!

It has been a wonderful season.  Its now Christmas morning, 10 am, and we still havn't opened out presents.  Lysie isn't even awake.  But Yesterday was great, I got up and went to Breakfast with my dear sweet Abbey, and then we did a little bit of last minute shopping, and then I headed out to Northpole.

 In Northpole, I helped Travis and his Mom put Christmas Eve Dinner on the Table-we even used the fine china!  It was all delicious!  His mom makes delicious moist Turkey, and yummy green bean casserole, and the BEST sweet potatoes-oh, they're like dessert!

Then I came home and with my Family we read the Christmas story and used a nativity set to act it out (usually we do a big theatric production with the Hulls, but they are Utah cuz Tyler just got Married!)  And then did our traditional caroling around the piano-mom accompnying.  Really makes me want to learn Piano so I can continue the tradition with my own family.  I decided last nigh singing around the cd player or Ipod wouldn't be the same....

Then this morning, I got up, finnished wrapping a few presents, and now we're just lazing around till Breakfast is ready.  Rulon brought the genious tradition of eating a big fancy breakfast before Christmas Presents. I love it because it makes the Christmas magic last a little long in the day, the anticipation with the presents builds up a bit more, and beacuse we have our bellies full of breakfast we don't get grouchy because we're hungry and tired.  And we don't fill up so much on candy....   I LOVE the Breakfast tradition.

Usually I'm more excited about Christmas morning and getting to the presents sooner rather than later, but I must confess, Santa got me a few presents early.  More on that coming soon.

Merry Christmas everyone!

What I'm thankful for this year: (in no particular order)

Adorable little Brother Liam
Adorable Little Sister Elyse
My mommy
Rulon
Robin
Amanda
Jordan
Clara
Travis
Kimmie
Rhea
Oppourtunities to go visit Grampa, Grama's Elmer and Johnson, and Dad's site.
The oppoutunity I had to work for Uncle Sid in California nannying Alex
Human Anatomy-its cool stuff!
Medical Assisting Program/knowing what I'm doing with my education and career!!
Modern Medicine (allergy shots, Liam's hospital visits) and the health care team!
Ballroom Dance Club of Fairbanks
Artisans Courtyard teaching oppourtunity (even though it didn't really work out, I learned alot while using the space for teaching shelly)
Stefani Borrego
Melody Debenham
Abbey Tsigonis
Ariel Cheney
Jennifer Kendall
Krystal Duval
Brittani Sunderlund
Wendy Madsen
Randi Ellingson
Missionaries
The Gospel of Jesus Christ
Temples
The Preisthood
Sealing Ordinance
Uncle Dennis getting sealed to his family
Roses
Pres Duval, Pres Olsen, Bro Maynes and all other church leadership
Lori Moser
Scriptures
Red Wood Forrests
LaMyrl Sandholtz
Family History
Good Music
Dance
Baking
Balloons
Christmas Lights
Mountains
Vehicles
Good Shoes
Warm Clothes
Friends near and far (I love you even if your name was not specifically mentioned.)
Family Near and Far (Again, I love you even if you were not individually named)
Federal Student Loans
The Dividend
Pumpkins
Airplanes
Pools on Hot Days
Indexing
Good Books
Good Movies
Visiting Teaching
Munch n Mingle
Church Choir
Cousins
Family Home Evening
People who adopt Kitties
Sherry Wolf
Penny Tibbs
Christa Barttlet
I love you notes on my bed
Health
Excersise Facitlities
Hot Water
Technology
Pumpkin Pie
Beautiful Weather
Family Recipes
Instant Recipes
Warm House
Alaska
Patch Adams
Old Roommates
Stephanie Quintana



Theres lots more-but I'm getting sleepy.  So, Goodnight!  Happy Thanksgiving!

National Alamo

So-I think Yesterday was my last day at that car rental. I was working up at the airport and my manager had the lot attendants bring me my paycheck, and normally I should have next weeks schedule attached to it, but.....all I got was the paycheck.  I should probably be shocked and outraged that he would tell me in such a way that I'm done working there, and I'm a little concerned about my finaces-but mostly I'm just relieved.  It was a blessing to have the job for the last year, and it was quite the expirience.  Met some cool people, learned patience with some other people-and now I get to move on!   I'll be teaching a couple of childrens dance classes this fall-and I'm SO excited!  As for the car rental-here's some pictures:

First day at National Alamo

Trained and workin on my own

Sooo ready to have Trav home and a regular schedule

New haircut-also moved to Dale rd

Happy Birthday to me haircut!

hehe-Sittin in Chris' Desk

In November-I had a car situation, and so Chris told me to take a dirty home-it wasn't a very dirty dirty

Came to work and someone (Georgie?) had decorated for Christmas!

Love Stephanie!  She's how I survived that place!

Cousin Ian worked in back for a little while!  

Being goofy

Liked it....was on Chris' Desk

Been here tooo long

Happy to be going to Cali!

Back from Cali....

Now, here's the pic I took when I thought I was leaving the first time I thought I was done, and so, now I get to say hooray

Thats excitment on my face!  :D

Goodbye Car Rental!!!

My mercury is whack!

I have always prided myself on my ability to withstand the cold.

When I was 12, one time my family gathered at this lodge in the hills near Manti Utah for my uncles wedding.  This Lodge had a big wrap around porch-one side entertaining us with a hot tub.  Me and my cousins decided it would be fun to run from one side of the lodge (the hot tub side) to the other in our barefeet-and back.  It was april, but it snowed for us during out hot tub party which is why the run from one side of the lodge to the other was a fun idea.  After soaking in the hot tub, the snow was so cold it burned!  As we ran around, my feet went numb, but I was so "Alaskan tough" that I put on a face and sucked it up for sake of my state pride/ego.  A few of the younger cousins couldn't handle it, so then I carried them part of the way piggy back style-which was also cold, but I was just proving how "tough" I was...and what wussie's they were in the snow. 

When I went to school in Idaho-I refused to pull out my big winter down coat.  It was windy so I figured it was more logical to just wrap up in several layers of polar fleece anyways.  There were two days, only two that winter, that I will admit, to it actually being Cold.  I still say the rest of the winter was only chilly.  However, from the windy city of Rexdburg I did decide that Leg warmers aren't weird, but actually quite practical, and therefore, worth buying and cordinating with an outfit.  

I share these stories, to give you a picture of where my personal thermometor stood before.  I used to prefer cold to heat, I thought, "Theres only so much you can pull off when its hot out, but when its cold you can always pile more on."  My personal thermometer read 70 degrees as HOT.  And About 68 was ideal comfort level.  at 80 degrees, I thought I would fry.

That thermometer worked great for living in alaska.  However, I have a problem.  I'm in California this summer.  When I got here, they were having my ideal weather.  It felt great, but everyone else was complaining about the cool weather.  Then, it started warming up, gradually over the last 6 and a half weeks.  On monday, this pattern Climaxed at 100 degrees, at 3 pm.  And I enjoyed it.  I was outside in the sun, and I remembered my sunscreen, and to reapply it, so I didn't burn.  It was awesome!  Then, Tuesday night, at Sids softball game, it was 70 degrees outside, and I was chilly!  AAAAAH!   Help me!

California screwed up my thermometer! 

I'm gonna die this winter....

Mothers Day

So, today I was asked to speak at church on my thoughts and feelings from Elder Christofferson's visit, and with is also being Mothers Day, the best way I could think to go with it, was Charity.  Charity is the pure Love of Christ-as the scriptures declare, "And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have hope?  And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.  Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope.  And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.  If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.  And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen." (Moroni 7:40-48)

Mothers are special, but mine is extra special.

She has always been an example of charity-a pure love that transcends earthy limits.  Because of Charity, she has been a fountain of selfless service.  After my dad died, she had to raise 3 grieving girls while dealing with her own grief.  She had to go back to school-and she did a paper route from 2-7 am to support us.  She was doing it for years before, but she didn't drop it when she started school.  I remember us telling her "Mom just major in Music, thats what you love!" But she did accounting, despite the hours of long hard homework because she knew she could get it done sooner and make a secure income-and she did it for us.  She  has taught me so much just by her constant example and her unwaivering faith.  She doesn't express it very often through words, but I know it because of her life and who she is and by how she responds to the trials she faces.  I would say she's been my rock, but I think she did something even more wonderful for me, she taught me how to turn to Christ as my rock.

To my mom, and all the mothers I know,   Have a Happy Mothers day!   I love you for all that you are and all that you do!