Winter Holidays

I love it when the snowflakes start to fall and the Christmas music starts to fill the air, and the lights go up around the town. This past weekend I was able to spend time with my family as I watched Hunter wrestle in a tournament in Price. He did very well as he won all 9 of his matches as a freshman playing for the varsity team. After his tournament I went with Dallen to watch the new movie "Tangled" and then went to a Park in Nephi filled with lights.




It gets me excited for the next couple of coming weeks as Christmas is just around the corner!

Roomies

So I have been living with these wonderful girls for months and it took us forever to get a picture with all of us there! (L-R) Anna Barnum, Janessa Bowring, Ashlee Head, and Samentha Dort! Love Love Love these amazing people. We are all so different and unique but all seem to get along so well. They continue to put a smile on my face and I find something different each day to laugh about :)

ANNA- My next door roomie! We share a bathroom and live next door to each other. Anna loves to dance, sing at the top of her lungs to classical song, disney, and christmas music, has a very loud and funny laugh, and is a very loving person. She can always find a way to laugh at anything and always has a good time. Anna is a hard worker and does well in school. She is very smart but is excited for math to be over after this semester ;)

SAMENTHA- Sam is the blonde in our little family. She has rubbed off on us all with the things that she says, "Oh bloody... I look like death... I'm going to be smart today... Death to England... bueno.... ohla" and many many more! She loves to dance and has about 10 coats in our coat closet. She could never have too many shoes and she can make you laugh any time of the day! Sam studies 24/7 and is going to become the worlds greatest nurse!

ASHLEE- Most definitely is the entertainer of our home. If the house is quiet you know that Ashlee is not there. She is the mother to us all and has a heart of gold. Ashlee has about every leadership position you could imagine and is a very hard worker. She, also like Anna, loves to sing at the top of her voice but she often forgets the lyrics and makes up her own. Ashlee is very clean and likes to have the house tidy. She has a strong testimony and is a dear friend to me. Any time I need a good laugh, I can always go to her.

I think it is a blessing to us all that we were assigned as roommates. When going to college it is always a worry as to who you will be living with and I don't think I could have picked better friends to be with if I had the choice myself. My testimony has grown as well as the friendships I have gained and I am very glad to have been able to get to know these girls.

Jenna's Birthday Party

It's Jenna's Birthday again!... and she's 20!

This year marked the 8th birthday party and a fun tradition of celebrating Jenna's birthday which is November 13th. When Jenna turned 13 I wanted to do something special to make her feel loved and involved so we did a surprise party for her. Ever since then, I have found joy by making Jenna happy and the center of attention for one night. It has allowed her to shine, to have fun, put a smile on her cute face, and to laugh for hours at a time. Jenna is a very special person in my life and has taught me so much! I hope to be able to continue this tradition and to serve the people around me that might need a helping hand every now and then.


We had a lot of fun playing Foosball...Berlin Elderedge and Janessa Bowring against Jennifer Toomey and Jenna Bailey

playing air hockey...

and pool... which by the way, Jenna was awesome at!


Thanks for the fun times Jenna! We love you!

Classic Skating

For the November CAL activity we went classic skating! Everyone dressed up in retro clothes and we had a great time!



There were many times that we fell down but we laughed and got back up!

weekend in the shop

This past weekend I went to Nephi to get my car ready for the drive home for Thanksgiving Break! I love the season of fall and the holidays at the end of the year. I love the family ''get-togethers'', the games, laughter, happiness, and the spirit that fills our home.
Dallen helped me to change the wipers, oil, fluids, and we also detailed the carpets and dash. Just the simple things in life we have fun together and I'm glad that I have a mechanic around that if ever anything went wrong I know who I could go to!

United Way Gala

For the month of November Anna, Samentha, and I were involved in our leadership which was the United Way Gala on November 13^th.. The money that is earned from this event (100% of it all) is given to charity causes of mothers who are struggling with raising a child, are trying to go back to college but can’t afford it, are in abusive relationships but can’t pay for psychiatric appointments, and more.

Samentha, Anna, and I went around knocking from door to door asking if people would be willing to volunteer with our project. I was able to get 11 people to sign up which was great! We had enough volunteers and were dresses formally for the event. When we got there, we had a great dinner and then went under training as to how we would keep track of money that the bidders were bidding, and making receipts. I was in charge of the silent auctions and made sure that the people were doing them right. I was there for questions that needed asked and I was a representation of the United Way organization. When the auction started, I was responsible to get the right prizes to the right people and make sure that their receipt was the right amount. It was a lot of walking and standing on my feet for the night but everything turned out great and there was a lot of money earned for women.

I am glad that my mentor suggested that we help with this project that she had because I was able to see how big banquets are ran and how things can be done effectively. It was a great experience.

Fancy Fancy :)

A couple of weeks ago Dallen mentioned that he wanted to take me to eat at either Tucanos or Teppanyaki's restaurant for a nice dinner. I also had mentioned one time that it would be fun to dress up formal and go on a date together...so we put two and two together and did both! Dallen came by and picked me up at my apartments and to his surprise, my roommates had all of their camera's and video waiting at the door for him. I didn't know they were going to video him coming in and me walking into the living room either, but it was fun and made a good laugh. We went to Tucanos for dinner and it was awesome! They had a great salad bar and waiters brought around any kind of meat you could want on the rotisserie forks. If you wanted some you could just ask and they would cut you off a little slice. After dinner we walked around the gateway for a while and looked at the Christmas lights that were being set up.


I love this picture of us :) God definitely blessed me with a good looking man! Thank you Dallen for the great night! All of your funny comments put a smile on my face and it makes me happy just to be with you. I love that we can always have fun with anything we do and that we can always find something to laugh about. I love the respect you give me and the kind of person you are. You are a very hard worker, have a fun personality, love the gospel, know how to look at the positive side of things, give me your all, are honest in all that you do, have a great relationship with your family, spoil me very much, know how to work in the shop as the "fix-it" man, very attractive, and have a knowledge and direction for what you want in your life. The things that you are doing now will lead to a great life of success and laughter. I love you!


Swinging in the park was small and simple but so much fun!! I love that we can be creative and full of smiles!


I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, It's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, And that enables you to laugh at life's realities.

Dr. Seuss

(Believe it or not these were taken with the self timer at the park by my house! They turned out great I thought!)

This could be one of those memories
We want to hold on to, cling to,
one we can’t forget
Baby, this could be our last first kiss
The door to forever
What if this was that moment
That chance worth taking
History in the making
-Darius Rucker

The House That Built Me

I know they say you can’t go home again
I just had to come back one last time
Ma’am I know you don’t know me from Adam
But these handprints on the front steps are mine



Up those stairs in that little back bedroom
Is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar


I bet you didn’t know under that live oak
My favorite dog is buried in the yard




I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I could walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me




Mama cut out pictures of houses for years
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine
Plans were drawn and concrete poured
Nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama’s dream




You leave home and you move on and you do the best you can
I got lost in this old world and forgot who I am



I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
This brokenness inside me might start healing
Out here it’s like I’m someone else
I thought that maybe I could find myself
If I walk around I swear I’ll leave
Won’t take nothing but a memory
From the house that built me
-Miranda Lambert