the season pass

i dont have one. and you dont know what you have until its gone. but i really really wish i did because now i have to put all this thought into whether or not i should go up on the mountain. you have to actually use disgression because you dont want to pay $50 if no one will be there or if the snow is going to suck because you cant just leave if those things turn out to be true.
so now i just have to lean on the safe side and go shopping/ errand running with my mom today. yipeee.

sore

sadly, i am not sore from my wonderful day of snowboarding yesterday. my shoulders are sore, though, from sitting at a computer all day typing! o brother. but at least i have a job that i semi-enjoy.
of course, i enjoy the mountains the most.

look at these!




o my heavens!

the big day

better late than never they say...
so Christmas was wonderful. got up around 9:00, went through the stockings, ate some pancakes, opened the presents and then just relaxed with the family. It was nice to have a day to truly relax (as ive been working and boarding in my spare time, no complaints) and specifically recognize God's grace that was sent to earth.

sarah and me, looking our best with some of our gifts. i got stickers, which i am quite excited to use to decorate letters!












one of the most interesting gifts the family got was an umbrella. pandas and elephants and tigers, o my!


but the most interesting part was when some friends and i went to see The Family Stone that night (its definitely a feel good kind of movie for those who are interested). As we exited the theatre, a man dressed as the Grinch was just chillin in the mall. a bit creepy if you ask me; i think the expression on Jesse's face says alot about the situation.

all a glow

so every year we have certain Christmas Eve traditions. Though the order is not always the same, the events are. We go over to our old neighbors' house, one of the sweetest couples in the world, and we are told how grown up we look and are fed lots of candy and chocolate (there are also presents somewhere in there). then we go to the Collins' house. We eat food (the artichoke dip being my personal favorite), and my sister and i get told numerous times,once again, how "grown up" we look or if youre sarah, how skinny you are and pretty youve gotten (i just get more and more grown up lol). We also go to a Candle light service at church, and the service is ended with everyone singing Silent Night, no music, no lights, just lit candles in everyones hands. its beautiful. The night always ends with us driving up behind Weber State University, to drive past a house that has a ridiculous amount of traffic due to their outrageous display of lights that can be seen from miles away (im not kidding).

im not complaining now, but this year has been a bit different. i forgot to mention that snow is normally on my lawn, but its too warm outside for that right now. also we did not go to the old neighbors, and that house, with all the lights, must have fallen of the mountain (or the electric bill was too crazy, or the people moved). there were no lights to drive past. but the most comical difference came when i walked into church and was handed a glow stick instead of a candle. can you believe it?!?! yes, a neon yellow glow stick. ill admit it, i was a bit upset, but i just had to laugh when they started playing Silent Night and we were all waving glow sticks in the air like we were at a Rolling Stone's concert. Well good thing Christmas is about Jesus' birth and not traditions eh?
so though i was a bit thrown off, i am so blessed to be able to go to church on Christmas Eve and have a wonderful Savior and family, so i think i am going to go spend some time with them right now.

Merry Christmas!!!

Visions of Sugar Plums

im not really sure what those are, but they sound sweet and delicious. not quite as delicious as the treats we made today, of course. A bit of chocolate, peanut butter, salt, and pure sugar. that pretty well covers every craving that people have but know they should not pursue for their figure's sake.
but at christmas time, that nonsense about dieting is left out in the cold, while indoors, people dine on the delicious treats they make and receive.













sarah and i made a few special ones, cause you know, not all reindeer are the same. i dedicated this one to those korean, jewish, christian reindeer.

Child Labor in Utah

Ist she adorable? I love my sister!
Too bad most of that snow has melted with this ridiculous weather!

Out of LA

im no where near LA but I just saw so many stars. Wow that was korny, but seriously, I could see so many stars and constellations tonight. i saw Orion and both dippers! its not even that cold outside, so i could bare standing out in the street for a minute to look at the sky. dont get me wrong, i can still see my breath, its just warmer than the 15 degrees that it was last week at midnight.
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!

The back bone’s connected to the, hip bone…

as the typical addicted blogger would do... promtly post.

Im such an old lady. I went snowboarding, which was the most, and most difficult, exercise I have done since Biola (mostly due to injuries). I took a hot shower when I got home and was feeling pretty chipper, but I just sat at a coffee shop for an hour and then walked out in the cold.
A)I almost slipped on ice and broke my hip, but
B)I almost needed a walker, as my back and knee were not too pleased with the long rest and the cold weather. Im not supposed to feel those parts of my body when I move, not for another few decades at least.

forgive me

i was kindly informed last night that it had been five days since i had last posted a blog. well i wrote this one today but didnt post it on time.
im a blog slacker.
***
Well finals are over. I celebrated with a trip to Disneyland to enjoy the fireworks and snow on mainstreet. While that part of the entertainment was pretty amazing, so were the girls I went with. Jenni, Sarah and Brooke are just outstanding women that I have been so blessed to see almost everyday, whether it be at football, class, or just conversing during the little free time we are able to spend together.
Afterward, Sarah, Kimmy, Chappy and I decided to relax after the long week and have a little girl’s night out. We had some memorable times, and ill just leave it at that.

Thomas and I had a pleasant time traveling on Friday and were all smiles when we stepped out into the chilled air of Utah. It is such a crip cold here. You can feel it in your lungs as they fill air. It nips at your nose and ears, which always takes me a second to notice, as I am usually quite fascinated with my visible clouds of breath. Though the relaxation was nice on Thursday, Kimmy and I didn’t go to bed until 3, so I was quite tired on the riveting ride back up to Ogden… okay okay I feel asleep.

Friday night was spent at the Cain residence. First of all, Claire lives in a beautiful home that was decorated with care for the holidays. The house was all astir, as her parents were hosting a Christmas party for many of the doctors and workers from the hospital. Claire and I were able to chat and catch up as we sat by the fire and munched on delicious finger foods. As romantic as that sounds, it was also quite comical, as the conversations often paused in order to talk with the latest people who entered the room. Some of those conversations were the most awkward ones I have ever had, but you just smile, fake a laugh, and try to keep taking in most of those situations. The night was quite enjoyable nonetheless.

Other than that, I have been doing some shopping, some eating, some board game playing, some bridesmaid’s dress buying, some Narnia watching, and im about to go do some snowboarding. Hopefully I wont be doing any freezing, but its always possible.

sweet victory

that is the taste that will tingle on my tongue in one hour when i turn in my last paper.
also, i went to bed by 1:15 last night... this morning... who cares, it was so beautiful.

slow, thankfully

slowest week ever. but not really in a bad way. for it being a finals week, it has actually gone beautifully. i have been able to stay up with little problem, i havent been ridiculously tired yet (though i show side affects), i have still had lots of fun, as usual, and i got two packages from two people that i admire and love beyond words. as far as the actual finals go, it could have been much more hellish and i am almost finished.
i fly home on friday, home to cold and beautiful Christmas weather. yesss. thomas and i bought plane tickets, and i think that 1 hour and 45 minute flight will be the longest period of time i will have spent with the kid since being here. o the irony.

late night breakfast, early morning homework

every semester during finals week, the school puts on a late night breakfast. you can feel the release of tension, as tons of students pile into the caf around 10 pm. Many of the professors come wearing santa hats and aprons, and they serve us pancakes, bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. to also lighten the mood and add to Christmas spirit, mr. clause himself paid a visit. Everyone takes a break from studying to eat, talk and take picture with saint nick in the flesh.
Thomas, looking studious in his khakis and sweater, even stopped by for the fun. he really wanted to sit on Santa's lap so i figured i had to catch it on film... okay okay, he didnt really want to sit on his lap, but i had santa convince him that it would only be appropriate.






another part of the excitement is the fact that a group of students usually dresses up like professors, imitating their favorite person the entire night. if you knew the students and the teachers they imitated, this picture would be even more funny, but ill admit, i had a good laugh.




after breakfast, i proceeded to, once again, do homework until the wee hours of the morning. it was kind of my fault though, last night, that i had to stay up so late. i was not very productive in the late afternoon. o well, im done tomorrow.

two 2 go

i took a wicked long exam yesterday. i cant believe it was only yesterday. i cant believe it is only tuesday. days are running together. when you are awake this much you feel like a few days have passed when they really havent. that will happen when you are still working on homework at 2 am. it should at least be wednesday by now. o well, i guess i am not complaining about the slow passing of time. i turned in a paper today, i need to finish a long one for tomorrow and then do my take home essay test for thursday. overall, the finals have not been too bad. there is just alot else going on at the same time.

i have slept in my bed probably a total of 5 nights since being back from thanksgiving break. those times were not consecutive, and i might be including the hour nap i took the other night. but this is what it usually looks like when i walk back to my room at 7 in the morning.

week 2

wow, i cant believe ive only been back for two weekends. both have been wonderful though. last weekend we beat Biola and this weekend was full of Christmas fun.
sorry for the horrible chronology, but back to Friday. We had a fabulous Christmas party at Kinsley's house. lots of people, food, and pictures.
me, chappy and ruth
















lame thomas trying to shove a carrot in my mouth/ nose










nice thomas and me smiling for a picture (ps, well be home in 5 days!!!)
















of course last night was the concert and then tonight was Yule, which is the Winter banquet. while i did not get asked, i played mom, did lots of hair, and took tons of pictures. one of which is of thomas and his amazing girlfriend shannon. she is such a sweetheart. dont they just look adorable?




even more lame than that sick carrot is the fact that i have exams tomorrow. major party foul!

question

what are you thinking right now?

U C Ho Ho Ho

I had chills ladies and gentlemen. And not because i was cold here in southern cali. I went to the UCO Christmas Concert last night. The University Choir and Orchestra at CBU is pretty impressive, and they seriously gave me goosebumps during more than one song. I sat in a row with other fellow admirers (and frequent attenders of the UCO practices). While none of us sported the bright pink lipstick those poor choir girls are required to wear, we did sing along with many of the songs, that is when we werent sitting in complete awe of the sweet melodies and harmonies gracing our ears.

Some of the groupies from apt. 35: Lindsey, Mel, & Kimmy
















After our fun at the concert a few of us went down to the historic Mission Inn in downtown riverside. There are lights all over, making the hotel look even more romantic that it normally is. I tried to take a pic of the tree and lights inside, but it just did not give the hotel justice, but i do have a picture of some of the fabulous people i went with.




This is a girls picture that a very friendly and intoxicated man decided to join.















after a lap around the hotel to look at all the lights, we went out for a little dinner at good old Applebees. good times. i will admit that the night was a very enjoyable way to get in the Christmas spirit.

7 days

I know I haven’t been here long, but I already have a routine and foundations. I walk to class every morning, and as I approach the quad, there are always certain people I keep my eye out for. When you see them you get that warm feeling, and those moments of warmth in your day add to security and comfort. And I don’t mean being comfortable necessarily, because some of the people that give me that feeling are the ones that challenge and push me most to grow and improve.
I don’t know how my mind wandered to that topic. I am sitting at work with nothing to do and no desire to do homework, though I should since I have tons to do. But when I come back from break, I will have one less person to look for.

you could have fooled me

yes there is christmas music playing in the caf, and in random rooms i pass as i walk down the hall. there are lights and ornaments hanging from the ceiling, and there are even girls sporting scarfs and sweaters. but i cant believe that in one week i will be going home for Christmas break.
first of all its come way way to fast. but also, that anticipation for Christmas that begins when the snow falls the day after Thanksgiving and when the lights go up on 25th street, that excitment is almost non-existent this year.
i did have that romantic feeling when i was on Main Street at Disneyland, but other than that im still chillin in 75 degree weather during the day time... in December folks!
ha, i guess "chillin" is not the best word.

sure

that word will now be classified as a curse word in my book.

just my luck

o heavens, i didnt even have to wear the glasses.

FYI

i think, i hope, i made it so that anyone can comment on my blogs now... so please do

B I F A C

Biola Intermural Football Allstar Champions. its a bit wordy, but ill take it.




as you may remember, i played intermural football at school (sad that i have to use past tense verbs now). during the season, we play against other teams at school, and the winning team of the championship game, the Fortuna Bowl, goes to play at Biola against intermural teams from schools like Asuza and Biola.
Well the Bus Drivers won Fortuna and went to Biola this past Saturday to play.
Let me just tell you that last year we got worked, and Asuza apparently remembered that because one of their teammates shouted in disgust that they "could NOT lose to CBU." Guess what Asuza! we remembered too, and there was no way that was happening again.
after a deserved win, we ate a little lunch, sat in the sun (yeah, sun, in december, what is this?) and walked to another field to play a team from Biola.
















the Biola tournament is extremely physical. yeah yeah yeah we wear flags, but you might notice that the word "flag" appears no where on our shirts. it is football, and one of Biola's teams plays dirty, rough football. during the game that we played against this particular team, Nikki Q, one of the toughest and most skilled girls on our team hurt her ankle and is now on crutches. Kimmy was hit in the leg so hard that she was off the ground for a good fifteen minutes. ill let you know that nobody hurts my asian. and i let them know too cause i stopped one of their arrogant little girls the second our defense got back on the field (and she ran into me so fast it took her a second to get back up off the ground). and later, i sacked one of the girls behind the line of scrimmage. after most of our team had recieved injuries or bruises, we lost the game. we walked straight to another field though to play a different Asuza team. long game short, we beat them.
a bit later that night we played Mufasa in the Championship, a Biola team who beat the mean team we played earlier. while i hurt my knee during that game, it was worth it cause we had a shut out. who are the champions? we are? ya, thats right Biola!

the happiest place on earth

it is truly magical. i love Disneyland. i love the quaintness of main street and the busy feeling of people bustling all over. Different ages and various languages, but everyone has the same agenda. that is to enjoy the atmosphere of the characters, rides, smells and details.
i love the fun conversations you have when you wait in line. i love the thrill of soaring over california or screaming through space. it made me feel carefree and childish, the good kind of course.

as i said, full of love











we saw so many characters












me and mickey, we're pretty tight...






waiting to Soar over California (like you would read a book: Megan, Robin, Kimmy, Me, Alli, Ashley, Carrie (black hat), Kinsley, and Carly)

wow

i know some amazing people...
and i made some pretty amazing cookies tonight with the help of my good friend kimmy (aka. the asian auntie).

o my heavens

goodness, there are so many exciting things to tell you all about. Disneyland was amazing and i took tons of pictures that i will blog later. Today, i went to Biola for a football tournament, and you know it, the Bus Drivers took first place. We played four games and i am pretty sure that i will not be able to move tomorrow, but we worked them and it was amazing.
now i am headed to take a shower and then go to Kimmy's to trade pictures and massages... that is assuming i can endure the treck to her appartment.

mickey- mouse ears and an autograph book

yes folks, im going to Disneyland today. kimmy told me that i needed to bring these things with me (when i asked her what to bring), but i dont actually own either of them. but i do own a camera, a checkbook, and a smile, so im pretty sure the experience will be just as magical. plus, its Christmas time on Main Street so it will snow there tonight during the fireworks show. yipeeeeee!


youre jealous right now arent you?

at least 8 times

this is the amount of times daily that i find something to do other than homework.
why? why do i do this.
if anyone has a remedy for chronic procrastination, please let me know.

fabulousa

i need to make note of this in case i should forget in the near furture how wonderful my life is.
it truly has been a great week. if you count the beginning of it on Sunday, which i am going to, i was in beautiful Utah with many amazing people.
monday, sam picked me up from the airport and greeted me with a hug and a starbucks drink, since she figured i would be tired after getting up so early... she is sweeter than the frappachino that she got me, and it was pretty tasty.
monday night, Kimmy and i did a little baking and later had a sleep over on her living room floor.
I started off tuesday with a walk in the crisp, cool air of Cali with Kimmy, Kinsley and Robin and even got a nap in that day. Plus, Team Awesome won our volleyball game that night, which was quite impressive seeing as that has never happened before (we are the team that everyone wants to be on, but no one wants to play for, cause we are hilarious but horrible).
Yesterday, Sarah and i went for a run before our morning football practice, and did i mention that i love playing football.
i dont have english at all this week so i didnt have class till 11 yesterday (and it will be the same today and tomorrow). Then, Erika and i spent some quality time together last night, which was a riot, and i went to bed by midnight.

sorry for the boring overview, but i have honestly had such an enjoyable few days. sadly, the relaxation is about to all go down the drain with finals and projects around the corner.

p.s. melissa o, im sorry about your toe, that is no fun but i hope it heals quickly. i have an owwie too cause i ran into jenny's elbow at practice, and now i have a bump on my forehead.