Bring it on 2010....Bring it on!!!

2010
It will be a great year! {I can just feel it}
I am so excited for what it has in store. {Some things I know, some I don’t}
I am also looking forward to accomplishing a few things…including….
-getting organized
{and most important and probably most difficult}
-becoming more confident

I hope that:
I can continue to find ‘joy in the journey’
I can continue to be happy where I am in my life.
I can continue to see the positives.

Bring it on 2010…Bring it on!!!

farewell 2009

As 2009 comes to a close its normal to reflect and think back to the past year.
To think of my goals I made at the beginning of the year.
To see what I have accomplished.
{I did not complete it all}
{but} I feel as though much has changed.
More so on an emotional {I’m changing} basis.

-In developing a crush I learned that my heart was healed and I was ready to fall for someone again.
-a friendship was broken. But I learned so much about myself. I learned how independent I am. I learned to not allow people to treat me like dirt. I learned to not let people take advantage of me. I learned I am stronger than I think I am.
-I realized what having true friends really means and I realized how it feels to have them in my life.
-I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone. Challenged myself to new things.
-Gained new friends while strengthening the friendships I have.
-I have seen my confidence grow.
-and I am learning to Love me! {which needs to happen first, before I can truly love someone else}

Other things happened as well…
-I went to California for the first time. And attended an Ellen taping.
-I graduated with my BS in Psychology.
-I also graduated from Institute.
-{and on the way to said graduation} I was in my first {full-on} car accident. Which resulted in getting a new car.
-Learned that I love to throw parties/showers for friends.
-I also learned I love to bake and cook. {As you have seen on Oh Snaps}

As I look back on this year, some of it seems so far away while at the same time speeding by. {Does that make sense?}

How do you feel looking back on 2009? Did you accomplish what you wanted to?

...up next…my thoughts on 2010!

in LoVe with this song...and video...

I {heart} Michael Buble
so when Meg posted about this...I fell in love...
even more so because of the song...
as I just haven't met him yet...{either}
and i know i will...
at the right time...
it will all work out...
with a little more timing and bit more luck!

"I Might Have To Wait
I'll Never Give Up
I Guess It's Half Timing
And The Other Half's Luck
Wherever You Are
Whenever It's Right
You Come Out Of Nowhere And Into My Life

And I Know That We Can Be So Amazing
And Baby Your Love Is Gonna Change Me
And Now I Can See Every Possibility"

{and hello, whats better than that smile and dancing in a grocery store. I wish that was me. }

Um...we...did...

My Mom and I did not go to Wal-Mart right when it opened at 6am the day after Christmas.
We did not buy 15 bags of Dove Peppermint Bark.
We did not wait in line for at least 30 minutes to checkout.
We did not go to another Wal-Mart to find the blankets we were looking for.
We did not find those blankets and buy all 6 of them that were left.
We did not feel like that was a success and treat ourselves to a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit from McDonald’s.

Christmas Weekend Update!

Christmas is over.
It slowly creeps up on you and then passes you by in a flash.
My Christmas was WONDERFUL!

After work {my half-day} on Christmas Eve, Tylon and I ventured out to finish up shopping. We went everywhere…Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, Kohl’s, The Mall, The Outlet Mall, CVS, Basha’s, Walgreens. Yes, we went everywhere. But we found everything we needed too. After getting home I took a nap. Then wrapped up all those gifts. Ate our Mexican dinner and then watched the newest Harry Potter and then the traditional It’s a Wonderful Life. We then headed to bed and waited for Santa.

Now that we are older we sleep in longer. We started our Christmas morning at 9 am. It was nice. We all sat in our designated seating area. While presents were passed out. We open our gifts one at a time. This year we began oldest to youngest. That means I got to go first {I think that was a first}. We all opened presents with our large 62” fireplace blazing in the background…{haha}. Santa was good to me this year…I guess that means I was a good girl, huh?

Zach came over Wednesday and stayed till Christmas. And Randon and Callie came Christmas afternoon. It was so fun to have them here. We played games and ate a TON of good food…{okay I ate a ton of good food}. All I know is that my goal is to prepare early for next year.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!!!

Now I am {excitedly} looking forward to the New Year!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Okay….so I have not been able to post as much as I wanted to about Christmas this year…
but that’s okay. I will have plenty more Christmases to blog about in the future…
But I just wanted to share some of our Christmas Eve traditions.

1. We do our sibling gift exchange.

2. We do a family white elephant exchange.

3. We do a shaker gift (new tradition). This idea/tradition we got from a friend. They have ONE shaker gift. The only gift they are allowed to pick up and shake {hence the name}. And they have like the week before Christmas to shake the gift and figure out what it is. And on Christmas Eve you make your guess(s). Whoever guesses right gets the gift.

4. We watch “It’s a Wonderful Life”

Those are a few of our Christmas Eve traditions. I am excited for Santa to come visit! {haha}

I am most excited about being with Family. I LOVE my family! And love that this time of year focuses on that.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!
{I'll post some of our Christmas Day traditions later}

Merry Christmas {Eve} Eve!

Is not this the cutest ornament ever?!?!?
My mom and I went visiting teaching today.
And every year we have gotten homemade ornaments from one of the ladies we visit.
She is so super talented {as you can tell}
It's me in the chair...haha...I love it!
{love the bangs and especially the glasses}

Can you believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve?
Sneaks up on you so fast!
I have a half day of work and then SHOPPING!
{as tomorrow is pay day, luckily}

"For many people, “overdoing it” is especially common at this time of the year. We may take on too much for the time and energy we have. Perhaps we don’t have enough money to spend for those things we feel we must purchase. Often our efforts at Christmastime result in feeling stressed out, wrung out, and worn out during a time when instead we should feel the simple joys of commemorating the birth of the Babe in Bethlehem.

Finding the real joy of the season comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done or in the purchasing of obligatory gifts. Real joy comes as we show the love and compassion inspired by the Savior of the World, who said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ... ye have done it unto me.”

At this joyous season, may personal discords be forgotten and animosities healed. May enjoyment of the season include remembrance of the needy and afflicted. May our forgiveness reach out to those who have wronged us, even as we hope to be forgiven. May goodness abound in our hearts and love prevail in our homes."

--Thomas S. Monson {from here}

random find

I {heart} Etsy!
I have been on the lookout for a cute calendar for 2010.
and I found one.
and I believe it to be just perfect!

I have this thing for Ferris Wheels. {haha}
{isn't it perfect!}

Weekend Update

{Sunday before church}

It’s 4:45 PM.
I am still at work.
I got here at 5:00 {cough, cough} AM!
I am working extra today so I can have a half day Thursday.
As its pay day as well as Christmas Eve.
Talk about last minute shopping. {don’t judge}
This weekend BLEW past….right?

I had Friday off, which was super nice. It was a very special day for older brother Randon. He graduated with his B.S. in mechanical engineering. Mom, Dad, and I made the trek to Tucson to meet them for a special lunch and then his commencement ceremony. YAY, graduation, CONGRATS! Mom, Dad, and I then made our way back Friday night to get home to bake some goodies for Saturday.

Saturday, Randon had his graduation party here in Mesa. And then we had my Mom’s side Christmas party and white elephant gift exchange. We got a HUGE box of 12x12 card stock…best present EVER!

Sunday, was the special Christmas cantata done by the choir {of which, baby brother, Ty is a part of} and Jadon and I were the narrators. After much practice the night before we did a good job Sunday. But oh man…Saturday late night practicing was hilarious. {Thanks Jadon for not laughing at our weird parts we had created the night before} Sunday night was my Dad’s side Christmas party. SO fun!

Also this weekend my Mom killed me while playing Skip-Bo! {it’s okay I let her win ;) ok not really, she killed me}
And right now…I am STILL at work…waiting for these last 24 minutes to go by so I can leave…drive in traffic home and get ready for bed to be up at 4:00 tomorrow.
I can’t believe Christmas is Friday…weird!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

{Shaylen and I from Sunday night}

{Any one else having problems with Google reader?}

Movie Quote Friday!

It's a Wonderful Life

George Bailey: I wish I had a million dollars... Hot dog!
__________________________________________________
George Bailey: I'm shakin' the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I'm gonna see the world. Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I'm comin' back here to go to college and see what they know. And then I'm gonna build things. I'm gonna build airfields, I'm gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I'm gonna build bridges a mile long...
Mrs. Hatch: Who is down there with you, Mary?
Mary: It's George Bailey, mother.
Mrs. Hatch: George Bailey? What does he want?
Mary: I don't know!
[to George]
Mary: What do you want?
George Bailey: Me? Nothing! I just came in to get warm, is all.
Mary: [pause] He's making violent love to me, mother!
__________________________________________________________
George Bailey: What is it you want, Mary? What do you want? You want the moon? Just say the word and I'll throw a lasso around it and pull it down. Hey. That's a pretty good idea. I'll give you the moon, Mary.
Mary: I'll take it. Then what?
George Bailey: Well, then you can swallow it, and it'll all dissolve, see... and the moonbeams would shoot out of your fingers and your toes and the ends of your hair... am I talking too much?
Man on Porch: Why don't you kiss her instead of talking her to death?
George Bailey: You want me to kiss her, huh?
Man on Porch: Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people.
___________________________________________________________
George Bailey: Just a minute - just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no businessman. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anyone else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was - why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter, and what's wrong with that? Why - here, you're all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You - you said - what'd you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they... Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be. George Bailey: Now, come on, get your clothes on, and we'll stroll up to my car and get... Oh, I'm sorry. I'll stroll. You fly.
Clarence: I can't fly. I haven't got my wings.
George Bailey: You haven't got your wings. Yeah, that's right.
George Bailey: Well, you look about the kind of angel I'd get. Sort of a fallen angel, aren't you? What happened to your wings?
_________________________________________________________
Clarence: Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?
________________________________________________________
Clarence: You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?
George Bailey: [praying] Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence! Get me back! Get me back, I don't care what happens to me! Get me back to my wife and kids! Help me Clarence, please! Please! I wanna live again. I wanna live again. Please, God, let me live again.
[it begins to snow again]
Bert: [shouts] Hey, George! George! You all right? Hey, what's the matter?
George Bailey: Now get outta here, Bert, or I'll hit you again! Get outta here!
Bert: What the sam hill you yellin' for, George?
George Bailey: You...
[suddenly stunned]
George Bailey: George... Bert? Do you know me?
Bert: Know you? Huh. You kiddin'? I've been looking all over town trying to find you. I saw your car plowed into that tree down there and I thought maybe you - hey, your mouth's bleeding. Are you sure you're all right?
George Bailey: What the...
[licks the corner of his lip and checks his mouth with his hand]
George Bailey: Ha, ha, ha, ha! My mouth's bleeding, Bert! My mouth's bleeding! Zuzu's petals... Zuzu...
George Bailey: [checking his pocket] There they are! Bert, what do you know about that! Merry Christmas! Zuzu Bailey: Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.
George Bailey: That's right, that's right.
George Bailey: Attaboy, Clarence.



{I love this movie. Its tradition to watch it every Christmas Eve. I still tear up every time!}