Celebrating the Beginning of the Last of my Twenties

Well, this year is it. The big 29. And I celebrated it in style!

Friday night my roommate and I enjoyed some hot chocolate in my special occasion mugs (see the previous post).

Saturday, some friends and I went cross-country skiing and it was my first time! My roommate treated me to it.... lessons, rentals, trail pass... all for a sweet deal on Ladie's Day at the Sundance Nordic Center. I had another sweet girlfriend take me to dinner at the delectable Pizzeria 712. Heavenly Father treated me to a tender mercy where I received a special prompting and witness from the Holy Ghost.

And then Sunday night. Oh my. My sweet girlfriend, Ashlee and roommate, Jen, threw me a party. So many people came! I've decided I don't like being the reason for the party because that means I have to talk to everyone.... at first I rebelled and purposely sat myself behind the kitchen table and in between people so I couldn't get out and therefore didn't have to talk to everyone. But then I started feeling guilty about it since people were coming to the party to see me. So that was selfish of me.... so I rectified it and started greeting and hugging everyone. I didn't get to spend the amount of time with everyone that I would have liked... which I like to spend quality time with my friends and I couldn't at this party! Hence the reason why I don't care for parties where there are a ton of people and not enough time to talk to everyone thoroughly.

Mundane Monday - My Special Occasion Mugs

When I did my study abroad to London in the fall of 2000 (by the way, best experience of my college years ever), we toured the Wedgwood china factory. And ever since then I have been dreaming of buying my own Wedgwood china someday. After toured the factory, we went over to the reject china shop near by. Reject china shops are awesome! Something will become a reject china piece because it has a black speck on the bottom and then you can buy it for loads less. Some girls were smart and bought their whole sets of china and had them shipped home. I now wish I would have been that smart. But I wasn't. What's done is done. But! I did buy two blue, Wedgwood Everyday mugs with their matching saucers and a delicate little Wild Strawberries teacup and saucer for my sister Robyn.

I still have the blue mugs and saucers today and I only get them out for special occasions.... like for a little hot chocolate with my roommate to celebrate my birthday a little early. And then the hopeless romantic in me looks forward to sharing a hot chocolate in these mugs and sharing a blanket, next to a roaring fire, with the man of my dreams. Sigh. Someday. Until then... a good girlfriend will have to do.

My First Piano Recital in a Long Time

Well. I did it. I played in my piano teacher's recital. And ... I did all right. I made some mistakes, as you can tell in the video, but my goal was to charge through the song and not get too upset about making mistakes. I had some awesome pseudo-family members there: Jana, Jen and Jed. I was a little embarrased by the recital so I didn't tell Jen and Jed about it until the night before and Jana the morning of. I didn't want them to come unless they didn't have anything better to do.... because I wasn't sure how I would do.

Jen brought her sweet, awesome camera and Jed brought his camera that can take video. So Jed took the video of me and Jen took a ton of pictures! I only uploaded these few because I look so serious in the close ups. I played Come Back to Sorrento by de Curtis.

New Years in Cali

I spent my New Years with my sister, Joni, and her family. It was wonderful. She laughed and said she sends her guests home better than they come... and with me... that was true. I had a terrible cold when I showed up. She drugged me up, stocked me with kleenex, filled me up with a root beer float and sent me to bed.... all well before midnight on New Year's Eve.

The very next morning we headed to their family cabin and enjoyed some snow shoeing, sledding and skiing. Their cabin is wonderful. So fun! We had a bit of a geyser in the bathroom when we turned the water on, but we got it figured out... we just couldn't turn the water on to the toilet... so that meant using buckets to fill the tank so we could flush the toilet. Needless to say we had a rule... close your eyes if you are a squeamish... "If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down." Ha!

Crazy Californians! They have a Nazi Chain Control on I-80. Well, first you should know that their cabin is near Truckee, California.... in between I-80... a little heaven between the highway. We had to drive up I-80 to get to Boreal Ski Resort to go skiing. Every crazy car was stopped in the right lane of the freeway putting chains on their car.... what?! The freeway was only wet. And then I saw it. Yup. The Chain Control .... they literally stood in the middle of the freeway and watched every car to make sure they either had 4WD or else chains on. The worst the road got? You ask.... slush. Yup. Slush. Crazy Californian Nazi Chain Control.

Oh and my 11-year-old nephew? He loves to lounge around the cabin in his long underwear! Ha! Funny little pal.

It was a fabulous vacation. Visiting Joni and Adam and their family always is. :)

Christmas

In our family, Christmas Eve is the big, formal event. We have a ham dinner, a white elephant gift exchange, some games and then the traditional opening of one gift from Grandma. And then there is the traditional "feel my guns" moment that I am subjected to by my brother-in-law every time I am in town. Oh boy. This year I obliged him .... and had my nephew take a picture of it promising to put it on my blog! Ha! Take that Doug. :)

We played an M&M game and it was a riot! As soon as you roll doubles with the dice, you want to scoop M&Ms from the bowl into your cup as fast as possible to get as many as possible until someone else rolls doubles and then it is their turn. And you have to scoop the M&Ms with a knife. My mom was a hoot!

Christmas Day is spent at my sister Jill's house, eating finger foods, getting tours of her kids' Christmas loot and watching movies. This is the year I introduced Jill to North & South.

And then, here are the pictures of my mom's reaction to receiving the Halford & Brooks' Family Album. I think it is safe to say she loved it. :)

Life List Achievement: Make a Family History Book to Share

Well, I did it! I completed another life list item. I made a family history book to share with all my family! There are nearly 800 photos in this family photo album and it has five generations in it! Many years ago, my Uncle Rob put this original family album together and gave it to my Grandma Bertha. When she passed away she gave it to my Uncle Doyle. I've had very little contact with him over the years since I left for college and began working ... that is until May of 2007. He allowed my sister and I to scan all of the photos in this album and since then I've been working on cropping those pictures and labeling them. And then over the last few months I've put all those photos into a book and had it published. In all, I ordered 12 copies of it - for my mom, aunt, sisters and cousins. It is amazing! I've really come to know my ancestors and extended family that are in this album (or at least to the extent that you can get to know someone via photo). It's been an amazing experience. Enjoy the photos and the video of the book.

If you are related to me via the Halfords or Brooks' then let me know and I'll send you a link to website where you can purchase your own family album!

P.S. Don't mention this to my mom yet... she's getting it for Christmas this year and she doesn't know about it. :)
P.P.S. I made the book using the Booksmart program via www.blurb.com

Snow Days

I just have the best news ever. Yes, yes, you'll think I'm silly for the little things that I get so excited over. But hey - it doesn't take much to make me happy. :)

First, today was the second work day in a row where we were told to leave work early because of the snow storm. Friday we left early at 4 because of a snow storm and then again today the whole university was shut down at 2 o'clock because of another snow storm! Woo hoo! This hasn't happened in ages... if ever! Yes!

Second, I made it up my street! Yes. I bought new tires earlier this fall and I actually made it up my slightly inclined street to my house after coming home from work. They hadn't plowed my neighborhood yet so it was amazing cuz there was like 4 inches of new snow on my street. Last winter I would have been parking at the bottom of my street and walking up.

That's it. That's my happy snow days' news. :)

By the way, have a merry Christmas! I'm headed home to Idaho tomorrow. Hopefully I won't get stuck in the snow storm but no worries for me - if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear - so I am taking my sleeping bag, my backpacking stove, a truckload of food, my warmest clothes and ski gear and maybe even my snow shoes! I should be well prepared for this treacherous drive before me.