A Wickedly Merry Christmas/Birthday Week!

This week was crazy busy but absolutely wonderful! Christmas is definitely the best day of the whole year.  It was a little weird because this was the first Christmas of my whole life I wasn't in Texas at Marmee's house, but it went surprisingly well here in Ohio. On Christmas Eve we went caroling and took goodie plates to our neighbors and friends.  Then we went to the Wither's from church house with some other families.  We played games and then read the story of the Savior's birth in Luke.  Some people sang songs and played instruments, I loved it!  After leaving their house we went home to do our Christmas Eve traditions.  We watched a movie about Christ and then gave gifts to Jesus.  Every year since I was born we get together on Christmas Eve and write down what we want to do better in the upcoming year as our gift to Jesus, and we reflect on how we did on the previous years gift. Then we leave what we wrote down in a white gift box!  This year I said that I wanted to learn to love the scriptures, to try and love and serve everyone around me, and to have a positive attitude. It was a great night!  We woke up on Christmas morning and Santa had left the stockings filled with goodies and the table was set with hot chocolate and the cutest new mugs (:  We all had breakfast together and then opened all of our presents.  After napping, playing games (which I was the champion of), and getting ready we went to the movies to see Saving Mr. Banks! It wasn't the movie we were expecting but it was good! 

Marmee flew in on Christmas night and it was her birthday this week! So of course, we had to celebrate!  We took her to the Melting Pot and to see Wicked up at Playhouse Square! It was SO GOOD, I LOVED it!  

This week I got to hang out with Lauren! I love how even though we've been apart for 4 months it doesn't feel like it at all.  Marmee also taught me how to knit, and of course I've spent lots of time loving on my favorite dog Buddy <3 Overall its been such a fun trip home to Ohio! I hope I'm able to part with it all when its time go head back to BYU.

Life is good at home!

Home is where your family is.

I am so blessed to be able to spend Christmas at home with my family. I love the holidays when you just get to spend so much time at home with family.  Today was so great! Me and Dad went Christmas shopping all day, and of course he had to pick up a million bananas to make his banana pancakes.  My dad is always trying to come up with these healthy food concoctions its hilarious.  Then we all decorated Christmas cookies! At first I was the only one and nobody would do it with me..but after I got Dad on board and he got into it he drug the rest of the family in too.  They aren't the most artistic cookies but I love them (: I also had to steal a picture of Nate sleeping on the couch with Buddy in his arms..hehe :D 

Life is good when you're hangin with the fam!

Kindness goes a long way

I'm home! After a crazy long day, I made it back to Wadsworth! I was running on a full 2 hours of sleep all day, and there was a huge storm in Salt Lake so my flight was delayed by like 4 hours, so I missed my connecting flight. It sounds like a really terrible day, but I found people I knew in the Salt Lake airport, I made super kind friends on the plane, and I was lucky enough to get a standby seat on my last flight back here to Cleveland! Its so fun meeting total strangers who become your friends by the end of the day. It helps me remember that there are so many amazing people in the world who are always trying to help each other out. The guy next to me on the plane was even playing games with me on his iPad by the time we landed.  So what could have been a terrible day turned into a kind of fun day actually! Its so important to always be a friend to the people around you, because you never know who needs it. 

So now I'm home sweet home! I got to see my mom on her birthday. Its so weird to me that my little brother has his license and is driving around... I love laying in my bed and being around people that love me! The next 2 weeks are gonna be great.

Life is good when you are kind to others.

Dance Aerobics!

This semester Me Cady Sara and Destiny all took a dance aerobics class at BYU!  Paula was such a fun teacher-she made this week Christmas sock week so we all wore our Christmas socks to class! Even though 8 am was definitely a struggle, it was seriously a blast.  Me and Cady made up our own dance to Let's Get Loud by J-Lo.  Luckily I have these girls to get me to get off my butt and workout around here because heaven knows we need it!

Life is good when you're dancin!  

Christmas at Temple Square!

Merry Christmas! So even after decorating our room, I still was pretty sad about not being home this month, but I'm actually loving being in Utah around this time of year.  Our ward went up together to go see the lights on temple square.  Temple Square is so beautiful any time of the year, but with every tree lit up and the snow and the nativity it is seriously amazing.  We got to hear a choir sing and the snow was so pretty. People come from all over to see the lights and hear the choirs sing, but I'm lucky enough to just live 45 minutes away!

Being in Utah really helps me remember the true meaning for the season.  I love going to a school where Christmas can be celebrated without having to worry about being politically correct. It is so cool to see thousands of people all come together and celebrate Christ's birth.  I am so thankful for my Savior and for His life.  I would be nothing without Him, and I hope that I can remember His birth and life as we celebrate Christmas this year.

Life is good at Temple Square at Christmas time!

Merry December!

Yay its December! It snowed a ton here in Provo, so me and Erica put up the Christmas decorations! My mom sent me the old advent calendar that's always been up in my house and Erica brought a tree from home, so now our dorm feels like Christmas! I even have a wallflower that is a Christmas scent (: Also, Marmee gave me her old camera and I'm seriously in love.  Me and Tay went outside today and took pictures in the snow.  I don't think I'm too bad at taking pictures! (; Just 2 weeks until I get to go home and see my family..I am seriously counting the hours I am so excited.  This long without them is really tough.

Also, I am officially started on my mission papers! I have decided to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I will probably be leaving early next summer. 

Life is good in the Christmas spirit!

Throwback Monday

I'm back in Provo! But while I was at Marmee's house over Thanksgiving I went through a bunch of old pictures and found these (: Weren't my brothers the cutest?

Life is good when you reminisce.