December of Joy!

This December was a fun one! I was able to travel a bit and see some people who are near and dear to my heart! There was also some random joy too! Let's have a looksy:
My friend Doug and I decided to test our mad puzzle skills. This puzzle is a 3-D holographic type one. When Bryan gave it to me a few years ago, I thought he hated me or something ;) JUST KIDDING. But here is our final product!


I had the fabulous opportunity to go to California for a few days! I loved my time there and was able to do some fun things! My original reason of going was for my psuedo little brother, Blake's wedding. It was so amazing to see my adopted family for the first time since before my mission! PLUS I got to see a lot of people from Woodland from my growing up years! Here are a few pictures from the wedding:


The cake was SOOO good! Melissa, Blake's sister, made the cake!



Sarah, Jill, and I haven't been together in I don't know how many years! It was so great to be together again, and to meet Sarah's kids!



Pretty, huh?

I also got to spend some time with my nieces, Trinity and Taryn. Lucky for me, I got to go to Taryn's birthday party! Afterwards, I got to help her with her Barbie pool. I also got to hang with Trinity. She tried to teach me how to do the worm, and then gave up and made carpet angels! (What else do you do in California??)


It's been awhile since I have worked with Barbie, but I got it figured out!



She has mad skills!

I also got to spend some one on one time with Trista, my sister-in-law, which is super nice, because I didn't know her very well (as I had been gone for awhile) and it was fun to just hang with her. We even got pedicures!

Do you like my snowflakes?

Alas, there was a bit of sadness in my California adventure. I was given a poinsettia from work. I forgot about watering it before I left, and didn't think about it until I got home. It was quite pathetic. BUT I watered it, and it was somewhat revived! Then I did some trimming off of deadness and I had a poinsettia palm plant! AND I gave it to Bryan and Dani before I left for Oregon :).




I also had a bit of birthday joy throughout the month! I was only in Utah for one Sunday in December, so Bryan and Dani surprised me at Sunday dinner at the Raynes with a birthday cake at the beginning of the month! AND there was a whiteboard of birthday joy for me at work. AND then there was a birthday cheesecake on my actual birthday in Oregon. I thank you all for remembering me!




AND I thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes as well!

I will be posting Christmas on its own..soon! I promise!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

SO...

I know, I know. I am horrible at this whole blogging thing. I am trying to get better. I also know that you don't try...you either do or you don't. BUT I am a firm believer in processes, so this trying to improve at blogging is indeed a process of doing. HA!
SO...over Thanksgiving break we had The GREAT Heritage Flood. The construction crews broke a water main and we had thousands of gallons of water flood through Heritage Halls. I was the only Hall Advisor around, SO I was in the trenches, shoveling out water. It was actually a lot of fun, even in the midst of the chaos and the worry. Makes me grateful for the people I work with.

SO...also over break I was able to go to Temple Square in Salt Lake City to see the Christmas lights with Bryan, Dani, Charlotte, and Alex-Dani's nephew. We had so much fun, and Charlotte was LOVING it. We also had dinner at the Lionhouse...DELICIOUS!


SO...of course we had Thanksgiving. I got to spend it with the Raynes family. Oh, how I love them!

SO...we had snow, and my RAs got a taste of the joy of shoveling. The funny thing, is these two, Eric and Melany, are from Arizona and California, respectively, so they are novices with shoveling. BUT they had fun...I think!

SO...I have the tradition in my family to make a Thankful Tree in the month of November where we write down one thing every day that we are thankful for. I made one in my hall, and invited residents to write on leaves as well. This is what we ended up with.

I will try to update you all on December happenings soon! Have a wonderful day!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!