My Christmas Away from Home

This year Steve and I spent Christmas with the Erickson's in Disneyland! 

Of course I missed my family and home, 

but it turned out to be a pretty great Christmas after all.

Steveeee

Steak Dinner from Tony Roma's on Christmas :) YUM. Merry Christmas to me. 

I saw Cassidy! She used to be my roommate, but works at Disneyland now. How fun.

 I also ran into Christine (who also used to be my roommate) at Knott's Berry Farm. 

Having so much fun at Disneyland.. more pics to come soon!

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Cruise!

Just got back from our quick cruise to Mexico! It was super super fun. We got up super early on Saturday morning and Dad dropped Mom and I off at the Airport. The flight was about two hours on a little delta plane. Mom and I met up with my cousin and Aunt in LA and took a shuttle to the harbor. The line to get on the ship was a long time, but luckily we got there early. We boarded at about 3:00 pm. We explored the ship and put our bags away. Then we had dinner in the fancy restaurant on the ship, watched an acrobat show, and had desert. By this time we were pretty tired after a long day and we went to bed early. Mom and I got up early on Sunday morning and met our tourguide outside the ship. We rode a little bus up the hills of Ensanada, Mexico to a little horse ranch and rode horses a few miles up the hills overlooking the ocean. It was an incredible view of the ocean and an awesome experience. It was great to be able to really see Mexico. Then we got dropped off in town and went shopping a little bit. There were lots of little shops and so many people trying to sell things. They were funny, and would try anything to get you in their stores. They DO NOT take no for an answer. Then we had dinner at the restaurant on the ship, took a bunch of pictures, explored more, went to a comedy show, and it was a lot of fun. By that time I was so tired again I just crashed. This morning we got up and ate, then disembarked from the ship. Mom went to the airport and flew home, but Alecia, Bonnie and I took a shuttle to Anaheim to play in Disneyland! We went to California Adventures today and Disneyland tomorrow. Right now we are sitting in our hotel room watching Blind Side, watching the fireworks from Disneyland out the window. What fun I've had the past few days but I sure am tired. More updates to come!! Here's a few pictures from the cruise

So much food...

Fancy dinner 

Waiting to get On board

Riding Horses- you can't really see it from here but it was an incredible view of the Ocean on the other side

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35 Things to Do Instead of Studying for Finals

1. Blog
2. Listen to Christmas Music
3. Think about your cruise. 5 DAYS!!!
4. Convince Heather to go out to lunch
5. Convince yourself spending the money is okay
6. Get a drink of water
7. Convince Heather she needs to fill up her car with gas
8. Facebook. (Well duh!)
9. Twitter
10. Watch the News
11. Pinterest
12. Call Mom
13. Call Dad
14. Call Brother
15. Clean
16. Think about your cruise. Again.
17. Eat
18. Think about eating more
19. Laundry
20. Watch endless Youtube videos
21. Think of what to get roommates for Christmas
22. Think of what to get family for Christmas
23. Talk to Roommates
24. 5 minute Dance Party
25. Listen to music from your childhood
26. Take pictures
27. Play with your schedule for Winter Semester
28. Wish it was Saturday so you could be on a cruise
29. Watch Fresh Prince of Bel Air
30. Watch anything you can find on Hulu
31. Text other people who should be studying for finals.
32. Suddenly become a chef and cook something new
33. Start reading something that is NOT a text book
34. Raid your fridge and pantry, fully expecting something different to be there than the previous 18 times
35. Read other people's blogs

Why can't I be there NOW.

Uh... Saturday please come quickly!!

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Awkward/Awesome

Awkward:

• I spelled awkward "aquard" until last year..... 
• At the Ward Christmas party they starting randomly calling people up to sing Christmas Songs. 
• It's cold in my apartment and we live in sweats because we can't afford to turn the heat up
• The Nightmare Before Christmas is super creepy. I forgot how weird it is.
• I burned my cookies last night because we don't have a timer on our stove :(  
• I bring Cup O Noodles to lunch today but there was nowhere to boil water on campus so I had to use lukewarm tap water and it didn't really work. Half soggy noodles= blech

Awesome

• Well, it's Christmas time! :) 
• My roommate Heather sang in her choir at the Devotional today
• I got a letter from Sister Enestrom today
• I set up my EFY counselor interview today!!
• Ward Christmas Party tonight was great
• The Semester is almost over.. cruise countdown... 10 days!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!

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Christmas Spirit

Christmas Lights at Temple Square- check 

Decorate Gingerbread House- check 

Decorate apartment- check 

Watch Christmas movies- check 

Ward Christmas Party- check 

Watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional- check 

Listen to Christmas music constantly- check 

Enjoying the Christmas Season- check 

:) 

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December 1

Dear November, 

You were good to me. But it's time to move on. I've met someone new. December. 

Dear classes, 

Be nice to me please. (I started my program younger than everyone else, so most girls had practicums for the month of November. So we didn't go to actual class.  The rest of us just did online assignments and a few hours in an elementary school) 

Dear Finals, 

Bring it on. (Even though I only have two, the other two are projects) 

Dear Homework, 

Go away. Nobody likes you. 

Dear December, 

I am so glad your officially, finally here. I am always giddy like a schoolgirl on December 1rst because it means your here

Dear Job, 

I like you a lot. Thanks for being awesome.

Dear Heather: 

Thanks for being the best roommate and friend a girl could ask for :) Love you. 

Dear Elder Forsyth, 

You come home a month from Saturday. SD:fj:2 ldf@e k a;lr3~!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear cousins: 

I miss you! It was so good to see you at Thanksgiving. But I'll see you in 16 days on our CRUISE!

Dear Cruise: 

You can't come fast enough. 

Dear Christmas: 

I'm going to make you the best one yet.

Dear Life: 

Your pretty great :) 

"Christ has given us everything, all we can give him is our will"

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Thanksgiving

Ah Thanksgiving was wonderful this year. My Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Darcy, Cousin Lanise, her husband and baby, and cousin Alecia all came down from Canada and spent it with us! And my brothers and sisters in law all came. It was a blast. It was full of games, food, fun, a play at the Hale Center Theater, movies, the Up house in Herriman, shopping, shopping, shopping, getting me a new Camera on Black Friday :),Cafe Rio, more games, more food, celebrating birthdays, the lights at temple square, and ended with hanging out with my girls from High School that I don't get to see often. It was my best thanksgiving yet. :)

Yummmmm

Dad always does the Turkey!

Mmm..... stuffing. One of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner 

Fancy Table... Way to go Mom!

I was stuck at the Kids table... don't know how that happened...... but Dad and John and Haley were there too. 

Cupcakes for Alexandra's First Birthday that was on Thanksgiving day

Getting ready for Black Friday! Aunt Bonnie LOVES shopping.

Games Games Games. Brian likes to be SCUM. I was happy to NOT be Scum.

Baby Grace all bundled up to see the lights on Temple Square 

Riding Trax up to Temple Square 

Shes adorable. Even under 20 layers. 

Momma

Temple Square!! AH! I love seeing the lights. Christmas Magic!!!

We saw the Up house in Herriman on Saturday. So cool! 

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You know its bad when...

You are looking up Gym Memberships online...
while your eating chocolate ice cream.

Time to hit the gym.

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"Studying"

Me "studying" AKA Facebook stalking cute boys
Heather leans over my shoulder: What are you studying? Oh..... BOYS?!
Me.....yes.

A typical Saturday in Apartment 61.

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Happy 100! :)

Yippee! This is my 100th blog post. Can you believe it?!
So in honor of Thanksgiving coming up, and my 100th post.....
Here's 100 things I'm grateful for!!
Here we go.

1. Gospel. So glad to have the gospel in my life 
2. Friends. There is no way I could survive without them. Love you guys! 
3. Family. Don't know what I would do without them.  
4. Boys. Sometimes..
5. Heather Richins. Bestie. Roommate. Friend. Makes me laugh. 
6. Agency. A wise Heavenly Father gave us free agency. 
7. Scriptures. They bring comfort, peace, answers, and direction. 
8. Color. Love. Rainbows? Yes.
9. Pinterest. Nuf said.... 
10. Ashley Larsen. Love this girl with all my heart. She's incredible. 
11. Kittens and Puppies. Who doesn't?
12. Health. Yay for being healthy!
13. Seasons. Spring, summer, winter, fall -- love 'em all! 
14. Stars. I feel my Savior's love as I look at his creations 
15. Mountains. I'm so thankful to those who accept me for who I am.
16. Cookie Dough Ice Cream. Staple of any girls life. 
17. Chocolate. What girl doesn't??
18. Blogs. I love writing mine and I love all the blogs I read on a regular basis. 
19. Laughter. Laughing so hard it makes you cry. 
20. Holidays. There's something incredibly exciting about them (especially Christmas!!!!)
21. Sunshine. I haven't seen too much of it this week, but I love, love, love when the sun's shining. 
22. Books. I love learning. I wish I had more time to read my own books rather than textbooks. But still. 
23. Fruit. Yummy. And healthy!
24. Roommates. Keep me laughing! 
25. BYU. I'm so lucky to have the opportunity to get an education. Especially here.  
26. Christmas. Music, decorations, movies, treats, all of the above. 
27. Smiles. I love giving them and getting them. As Buddy the Elf says, "Smiling's my favorite!"
28. Change. It scary sometimes, but it can be a wonderful thing. 
29. Fun. Who doesn't love a little bit (or a lot!) of fun in their lives? 
30. Housing. This is something I usually take for granted, but I heart my apartment!
31. Comfort. Comfort food, comfy sweatpants, comfy bed...
32. My job. I'm so blessed to have the best job on campus. :) 
33. Insurance. Comforting to have!
34. Glitter. C'mon now, ya'll know glitter is just about the awesomest thing ever. 
35. Medicine. Keeps me healthy
36. Photographs. I love being able to relive old memories through photographs. 
37. Student Loans. Suck sometimes, but without them I wouldn't be able to go to school!
38. Weekends. Always an adventure. Late nights, Laughs, Food and Fun! 39. 
39. Parents. Wouldn't be here without them. Literally, and figuratively. 
40. Birthdays. Love em. 
41. Polka Dots. I can't help but smile every time I see them. 
42. Missions. My brother gets home in ONE MONTH! 
43. Snow. simply beautiful.
44. Music. Country, Christmas, Michael Buble, Taylor Swift, etc. 
45. Movies. Funny, Scary, Sad, I love them all!
46. Temples. So beautiful.  
47. Knowledge. I love learning. 
48. Quality Time. When you get to spend really quality time with friends and family, it's the best!! 
49. Freedom. I love living in a country that gives me so much freedom. So blessed to live here. 
50. Kindness. Little acts of kindness make such a difference
51. Sleep. There's nothing like a soft pillow and a warm bed after a long day. 
52. Dancing. Dance parties with the girls. Love. 
53. Vacations. LOVE! Such good memories of family vacations and road trips with friends. 
54. Food. Sometimes we forget not everyone has enough to eat. 
55. Trials. Difficult at the time, but always worth it in the end. Heavenly Father is so wise.   
56. Piano. I need to practice more.
57. Compliments. Yeah, you know you're thankful for 'em too. 
58. Facebook. It's awesome being able to keep up with old friends, and connecting with new ones
59. Growing Up. Time flies! Life just keeps getting better. 
60. Bubble Baths. :) Love. them. 
61. The Future. Always brings new, exciting, awesome things!
62. Voting. So important. 
63. Cars. Even if I don't have one at the moment....  
64. Busses. They take me home!
65. Peace. Such a wonderful blessing when you feel it.  
66. Productivity. It feels so great to get stuff done, always moving forward. 
67. Emotions. Sometimes it's scary to feel things deeply, but it's also very wonderful. 
68. Creativity. It's such a great feeling to make something and know it came from your heart. 
69. Good News. We all know there's a lot of bad news out there, so it's great to hear the good stuff.
70. Clothes. Even if I'm a poor college student and can't afford the fancy kind. 
71. Apologies. It feels great to hear them and even better to say them. 
72. TV. Shows that make me laugh! (Lately Fresh Prince, Saved by the Bell, Modern Family, and the Office) 
73. Hoodies. My favorite thing to wear in the winter.  
74. History. I love learning about it.. and hopefully from it. 
75. Hot Chocolate. Warms the Soul. 
76. Toilets. Seriously. Think about it. Where would we be without them?! Ok. Gross.. don't think about it....
77. Clean Water. We forget how many people don't have access to it. 
78. Tender Mercies. They are all around us -- we just have to look for them.
79. New Experiences. They can be scary sometimes, but the excitement is part of the fun! 
80. Immune System. Sooo grateful. 
81. Senses. What would life be without them!?
82. Quotes. Inspiring and funny. Love em.  
83. Babies. I LOVE my nieces and nephew. They are so cute and fun!
84. Cellphone. What would I do without it!?!
85. Internet. SO many reasons why I love the internet. 
86. A lock. Keeps you safe at night.  
87. Journals. I love writing in my journal, and reading it. 
88. Heart to Hearts. Love em. 
89. Magic Erasers. Seriously they are so cool!
90. Exercise. Makes you feel soooo good!
91. Questions. When I question things and when others question me, I learn. Love that!  
92. My planner. I would be so lost without it. I'm so forgetful. 
93. Hugs. A good hug can brighten any day. :)
94. Nature. So incredibly beautiful!
95. Airplanes. Allow you to go cool places. 
96. My High School Girls. Such good friends! So many good memories :) 
97. Ashley Bjorklund. I heart this girl. So much. She's hilarious!  
98. Surprises. I love good surprises. I love spontaneity.  
99. Heater. It's so cold outside!
100. You. You are awesome. 

Happy Thanksgiving!! :) 

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Looking forward!

I have a few things to be very excited for in the next little bit!

• The HOLIDAYS!! :) I LOVE everything about the season. We even have a Christmas Tree in our apartment now. I'm obsessed..
• My Brother comes home from his mission in less than two months. AH! This video my Mom posted made my cry

• Mom and I are going on a Cruise to Mexico this Christmas right after Finals! It's only 39 days away!!
• The Holidays
• Then I am spending a week and a half in California with my cousins. I finally am going to California!
• The Holidays
• Hello. Black Friday shopping anyone?!?! :) 
• The Holidays
• Thanksgiving turkey
• The Holidays 

Did I mention I love the Holidays? 

Time Flies

My brother gets home two months from today!

I can't believe it.

He has been serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for nearly two years now.

It's a long time, but it really does go by surprisingly fast.  

Thinking of how quickly time passes reminded me of this song 

Life goes by so quickly.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately as I was looking at some old pictures from growing up.

It was also on my mind as I got news of a girl my age 

from my High School who passed away about a week ago. 

Life is short.

Holy cow, it really is.

It's comforting to know that no matter what trials we go through in this life, they will be over shortly.

It's also important to enjoy the great things in our lives as well,

 because they might not be with us for long as we hope.

But no matter how short life is, one thing is with us forever (if we keep our covenants) and that's our family.

God is good.

Life is short.

Live it to the fullest.

Do more of what makes you happy, and do it today. 

You never know what tomorrow will bring. 

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My nephew and neice are cuter than yours.

Are you ready for a cuteness overload?





I love these two little guys with all my heart.
They bring me so much joy.
I can't even imagine how great motherhood will be if being an Aunt is so great.

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November 1

Today was obviously, the first day of November.
It sure came in with a bang! It was cold and rainy all day and snowed in the Mountains.
The best part of today though was devotional.
President Thomas S. Monson came and spoke to us!
It was awesome :)
I love the fact that he took the time out of his busy life to come speak to US at BYU.
I'm so glad for a living prophet who guides our church today just like Noah, Adam, or Moses did in their day.
It was great.
And he quoted the Lion King which was awesome.



Also.. it is my little brother's birthday! Happy birthday, Steve! Love you little brudder

My cousin, Me, and Steve :) 

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Halloween Weekend 2011

Halloween is always so fun! 

I love it.
I went to a Halloween Dance by BYUSA, watched a few scary movies, ate candy, dressed up, and went home for Pumpkin Carving and yummy food

It was a great Halloween. :)

I decided to be a nerd... I didn't even need a costume ;)

Just bein myself... 

Love this girl. 

I love Bjork's Flapper Girl costume. It was awesome. 

Love. 

Pumpkin Carving with the whole family! So fun (Plus cousin Natashua) 

As much as I love Halloween, I'm always ready to see it go because now it means the official full blown holiday season is officially begun ( even if I started listening to Christmas Music a while ago....)

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