Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was amazing- I had a great time at home. It was non-stop laughing/talking/singing/eating/nertz playing/eating/apples to apples/more laughing. It really is the most wonderful time of the year! I hate having to wait until next year. I love this tradition! I hope that my kids can participate in this someday!

Drew and me- all dressed up!

Cara and Dad

The grown-ups!

Mom and Kristy!

There's No Place Like Home... There's No Place Like Home...

My take on Dorothy's Ruby Red Slippers...

I think if I click my heels long enough and wish hard enough I will make it home to Maryland!

Just a few more things to do...

• Go to finance
• Turn in homework for the class I am going to miss
• Meet with professor to work on very last budget assignment
• gym (?)
• Clean my room
• Clean out car
• Wave good-bye

Also- this is the lightest I have ever packed. Dad, even you will be impressed!

See you in less than 24 hours.

Birthday Girl!

Hey Sista...

I love this pic- even though you were 16 in it!

I can't believe you are 18 years old. When did that happen?! You are amazing- and I love you so much and I am so happy for you and all of things you have going for you! 18 is a great age- sometimes I wish I could be 18 again! People keep telling me I look 18- but that does not mean I can act 18! You know that song by Metro Station, "You Won't Be Seventeen forever"? Well, you won't be 18 forever! Live everyday to its fullest. I know... completely cliche- but it's good advice! Happy Birthday. I love you.

Park City

I had the opportunity to go on a field trip to Park City with my Resorts class last week. You learn a lot about professors and fellow students on field trips- possibly more than you ever wanted or needed to know! But since I love to know peoples lives- I was okay with it! We were able to go and see the developing St. Regis Deer Crest and also Aspen Grove. Two very different places- but both really neat. I love love love Park City!! I would love to work in Park City. There are a bunch of reasons- not just because it would be like living in an Anthropologie Catalogue! But it would... :)

Park City- so beautiful.
St. Regis Deer Crest-we were able to go in. Hard hats and everything. I also did it in heels- probably against some OSHA regulations. The GM gave me permission- so I decided it was okay!

Count down till...

I come home in 7 days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. That is only 336 sing-a-longs/Barneys/etc. (Do you remember measuring road trips in that measurement mom?!)

I am excited for Thanksgiving... which is more than just Thanksgiving...

it's...

Seeing my mom, dad, and sisters, the McNeils, sleeping in my own bed, eating out at places that are not Chiles/Applebees, not having to bring my purse because everything is comped (ha ha), laughing until I can't breathe anymore, NERTZ, seeing my bff Elaine, and getting a pedicure (hint hint)!

Also...

Angelos/nertz/sbtb/lebanesetaverna/maggianos/leshalles/ janesmcneilfun.com/html- Thank you El!

And we can't forget...

Office Season 4/Ping Pong/Various Zola appearances/Tons of movies/General gloating about Obama- Thank you Rhett!

The kids have been counting down and chatting on facebook!

Me and my Schpoop.

I really do love to scrapbook but I feel like I don't have time (bad excuse) or that none of my supplies are here (better excuse) and I sometimes just feel like I have no motivation! This has changed this semester, one if the gals I live with has the cutest scrapbooking style. They are simple, but so cute and she gets her memories in a scrapbook. She tends not to do things by event but more as things she wants to remember, and it tends to be smaller things. For example, a picture of a sunset on a trip, or a picture of a niece or nephew. Does that make sense?!

Well I decided to give it a try...

When I read scrapbooking magazines I always try to read peoples journaling... so in case you wanted to read what I wrote...

I love my dad so much. He has done so much for me, and I know that he has sacrificed a lot to to those things for me. He has set the bar extremely high for the next man in my life! Somethings I love about my dad; he is one of the hardest workers I know, he is smart and loves to learn, he has a sense of humor unlike anyone I know (that's a good thing :) ), he loves his wife and daughters, he can cook, he is a romantic, he loves the Autumn leaves, he loves Christmas, he is a tease, and loves to make up songs. I know that he is always available to talk and now he can even text! He has taught me so much and I am so grateful to have him in my life. He knows what he believes and stands strong. Even though I am 21 I will always be his little girl on the train.

**Note: This is now in my scrapbook- right next to a page of my HS boyfriend and me. Have I really not scrapbooked my life in that long?!

History.

This was the first election I was able to vote in, and it was one of the most talked about, anticipated elections ever! It has been interesting to watch the entire elections process. I am glad that I was taught to have an opinion and to voice my opinion. One of my biggest pet peeves (next to people leaving their dirty dishes sitting in the sink for days) is people who say that they do not care about politics, or what is going on in the world, and this is my favorite, "it does not affect me". Aghh!!! Are you kidding me?! I guess if that is your opinion- you better not complain for the next four years! Since I tend not to be a very outspoken or opinionated person (in most situations), voting is my way to voice my opinion. I am glad that I was able to vote and I can say that I helped participate in this historical election.

I live in an extremely conservative state, and am from a very liberal state, so it is interesting to listen to peoples responses to the outcome of the election. I think people are beginning to accept the outcome and are figuring out that even if they don't like it, they will support it. I look forward to the next 4 years!

Letters.

I love letters. Getting them. Reading other peoples. Sending them. (Just kidding about reading other peoples.) In 8th grade we wrote letters to ourselves to open when we graduated from High School. I remember sitting there and thinking, that is sooo far away. Even though I read it every year instead of waiting, it was still fun to read it after I graduated!

I did a reverse letter to myself last year, and this year I am going to write a letter to me to open a few years down the road. Who knows where I will be 4 years from today?! Currently I am sitting on the couch completely procrastinating my life. Can you say Senioritis?

When I taught my Alpha Phi New Member class this year I had the girls write letters to themselves about everything that was going on, goals they had, etc. I sealed them up and will give them back in May. They all really loved it- they rose the occasion. I loved seeing them get all excited and really putting thought into it!

I think when I have my own family I am going to have some sort of tradition with letters. I am not completely sure what exactly- maybe a time capsule kind of thing. Good thing I have some time to figure that out!

What I worry about.

I always want to know about everyones life story- seriously. I love to hear people talk about their lives- well not on and on and on, but enough for me to sort of understand where they are coming from and why they do the things that they do. For example, when I tell people I'm from Maryland its like a lightbulb goes off for them. I know- kind of weird.

I especially like when professors talk about their lives. This does not really happen all that often- but when it does I enjoy it. Sometimes I worry about my professors. I mean they can be the nicest people but if you want to be hated- become a teacher. I know its not their fault that their tests get failed or that their lectures are super boring but the teacher is the first one we blame. Not the fact that we did not study or even try to pay attention to the lecture- well actually the lecture one may partially be their fault. SOOO... I wonder what their lives are like outside the classroom- do they have a wife? kids? what do they do for fun? do they have friends? are they happy? do they fear for the future after they grade our tests?

I have this one professor who is so nice and knows all of us and where we are from- not in a creepy way. But every single class he goes through the same 2 minute lecture on the white board markers and how they are running out, and then he pulls a marker out of his pocket and uses it. When he does this same lecture I worry about him and wonder about his life. I know he is married and has kids- which makes me feel better. I don't know why I worry- or wonder for that matter. Then he uses the marker he pulled from his pocket and the lecture (the boring kind) starts again, and my attention is once again re-focused until we have another marker situation.

Is it strange that I wonder and worry? Sometimes when I go to their offices I look for pictures and am seriously releived when I see they are living normal lives. One is a bishop in a singles ward- that could be kind of awkward if you were in his ward (that is a whole other post), one has grandkids and one has an RV and travels during the summer. I wish professors would give a quick slide show biography of their lives- it makes them seem more human like. Once you realize they are real people it changes everything. Or you can quickly learn alot if you see them at Wal-Mart or something. Which has happened. I do not reccomend learning about your professors this way. Its kind of awkward, and then chances are you will see them about 15 more times throughout your shopping trip. Not that running into your professor with a box of tampons is embarassing or anything. It could be worse.

** Today my professor had a scratchy voice and he said, "this is not a sick voice, I think it is my sexy voice". How is a class supposed to repsond to that?! haha. I just smiled and sort of laughed out lolud.

Colleger clothes

I love hoodies- they are great for 8:00 classes. I know, I know- up until this past semester I would not be caught dead (with the exception of maybe 3x a semester- during Finals week) in scrubby clothes. Well this year I can't seem to get put together and to class by 8:00. Since my biggest pet peeve is being late- I opt to show up in a hoodie, jeans and hat. Sometimes I go in sweats and people think I am just coming from the gym- which in reality I really go to the gym after my 8:00 class- but really that is not important.

Anways- hoodies can look good and even pass as a put together outfit if and only if they are fitted. and cute. Unfortunately I only have two of these kinds of hoodies- and one is my sisters and she wants it back. So I sport the unfitted hoodie that advertise schools I do not even go to- Cornell, USU, Rockville HS, and The College of New Jersey. Today I discovered the cutest (and fitted) hoodies that sport colleges. Unfortunately SUU did not make the cut. Victoria's Secret has a college line for a bunch of schools. I have been trying to figure out how I could pull one of them off- I mean I am from Maryland and they have UMD, I lived in TX, and they have UT and Texas A&M... I'm sure you get my point. So really I think I will just go for the PINK brand without the college- but still how cute would this be if I went to a school that people actually heard of?! Very cute. I am a fan of the "colleger clothes". I wish I had not set my standard of getting dressed and ready so high at the beginning of my college career!