London!!!

Some big news that I haven't shared with my readers yet is that I will be going to London in the Spring on my study abroad. I talked about earlier here. I did not get into Ecuador which was my first choice (I can't remember if I ever said that). What I never told you was that there was a group of 8 going to London, that I didn't think I would really have a chance for, but I wanted to go there also! Well sure enough, I am one of those 8! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am going to London for 5 weeks this coming May-June!! I am SOOO EXCITED!!! This is a NURSING study abroad program so I'm going to still be doing clinicals but only about 3-4 days a week and the rest of the week we play! Weekend trips to Spain and to Italy :) so excited....We will work in regular public health clinics, urban hospitals, rural areas, and all over. We'll get an idea of a different health care system, and the way nursing care is different there. HOORAY!!!! I'M GOING ABROAD!!!!

me = bigtime blog slacking

Contrary to popular belief I have not been off vacationing in the Caribbean, spending away a fortune on Fifth Avenue, or saving the orphans in Romania. (All of which would be pretty cool...) I have just totally slacked off on my blog so now that papers, finals, traveling, relaxing and Christmas are all over and done with I will finish and at this point reflect on my very favorite things about this wonderful holiday season.

I love the Christmas decorations! My mom always does such an awesome job doing up the whole house! It brings cheeryness and the Christmas life into the home with all the awesome stuff up. I love the lights too! Chrsitmas lights are awesome!

FOOD!!!! OH the homemade food! I could die and go to heaven after eating mom's mashed potatoes :) Mmmm!!! I love being home because mom treats me so well and will cook the best ever while I'm here for the holidays! She always does, but I know she puts in extra effort while I'm home, THANKS MOM!!!

Ok, I'll admit it, getting presents is a favorite part :). Mom made me an awesome quilt this year! That's number 3 for me. It's a movie watching quilt, completely movie themed (a popcorn pattern for the back). I also got movie popcorn and candies, The Emperpor's New Groove on DVD--my favorite Disney of all time! (we only had the VHS before), and cool popcorn holders to go with it!

Celebrating Christ's birth is at the center of the season. He is what it is all about! Christ was the ultimate example of giving and through Christmas we try to emulate that example. I love playing Santa. It's much better than getting things from Santa! Giving to people is so awesome, being secret, helping take care of Miss Julie [even though it's just SUCH a burden ;) ], helping mom around the house, playing and talking with Claymeister, giving dad a shoulder massage, I LOVE IT! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and so good. The feelings is contagious too. It's easy for people to forget and get stressed and frustrated this time of year, but when we are serving and excited, people around us get to be that way too!

I love to be home with my family. Mamacita, Daddy0, Claymeister, Janelle, Ben, and Miss Julie. Miss Julie is 110% the center of attention and loving every second of it for sure! And we love her right back! She is happy about 95% of the time and is so smiley and playful and cuddly. I am so glad that I get to spend tiem with her this Christmas! It's nice to have Janelle here as well as we have not seen each other for well over a year. I love spending time with everyone, talking, snuggling, cooking, shopping, working around the house, lounging, just being together!

PICTURES SOON TO COME...I mean it this time!

My favorite things--Day 11

Today is another easy one! I LOVE SNOW!!!!!! Today was the first day that it has snowed all season. It's really late for Utah, but I knew eventually it would get here. It snowed all morning, but nothing stuck. I've been in the library for a while, so it may have started again and I can't see it. But it was beautiful this morning. I'm excited for there to be enough to play in :). I really hope that is snows while I'm home, because then I'll have time to enjoy it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My favorite things--Day 10

Today is easy. One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is The First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It's a time to listen to the prophet speak and encourage us all to remember the true spirit of Christmas and to hear beautiful music by the tabernacle choir and orchestra. Tonight I watched it from the comfort of my own living room, but it is always wonderful to hear those men speak!

My favorite things--Day 7,8,9

Sorry I fell behind. I was in a bit of a funk this week. But I'm better now, no worries. I'll catch up my favorite things about Christmas in one post.

Day 7-I love cold weather. I am much more of a winter than a summer person. In the cold it's always easy to bundle up and drink hot chocolate, while in the summer it's hard to cool down. It's getting colder and colder here in Utah (even though we haven't gotten ANY snow yet) and I love it! I am starting to wear my long coat, which I love :) and I am patiently waiting for it to get cold enough to wear scarves because I love them too!

Day 8-I love Christmas movies. Many of my favorite movies are Christmas movies, such as the Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas, and The Polar Express. They always make me feel warm and fuzzy and welcome in the season so well! I have already watched this year: The Miracle on 34th Street (twice), the Santa Clause (it's been on TV a bunch), Joy to the World, and The Polar Express.

Day 9-I love Christmas parties. Tonight is my ward's Christmas party and it will be especially needed as I have spent the entirety of the day in the library.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!
...only 13 more days till I come home!...

"There's a bite out of this!"

I have a funny story that happened last night to me. My roommates and I went to Carl's Jr. because Cha (my roomie) said she was in need of greasy food for the evening. We got there and I ordered the 6 dollar guacamole bacon burger (MMMM so GOOD!!!). I get my food and I sit down and take a bite of the burger and got a mouth full of mustard, ketchup and pickles. In my defense, the burgers are pretty big and wrapped in white paper so you can't really see what's inside them unless you unwrap and such, and I didn't I just dug in. So I take the bite and it's obviously not the burger that I ordered. So I went back up the counter and said, "I'm not sure what kind this is, but I ordered the Guacamole Bacon burger and this isn't it." The manager doesn't say anything to me, she just takes my burger and then a couple minutes later she hands me and new one and says, "here you go." A couple minutes later, I'm sitting down at my table and I hear someone at the counter really upset saying, "I've never seen this before! There's a bite out of this burger! This is insane! Yes, there's a bite out of it!" At first I was horrified and felt like dashing out of there before someone came and got me. I knew it was mine. But then I realized, I didn't really have anything to do with it. If someone hands you back a burger, isn't it the manager's responsibility to LOOK at it!?! And especially not give it back out to the public. What if I had laced it with anthrax or something? We all sat in the back kind of snickering at the whole thing and then left. It was pretty funny. Surprisingly enough the woman who got my burger and her husband still stayed. I think if that happened to me, I would boycott the restuarant.

OR Magic

Remember when I posted a couple weeks ago about my extra OR day when I got to see open heart surgery? Well here's some fun pictures from the changing room before the day started. :) I LOVE OR!!Jessica, Kim and I: couldn't get through school without these girls!

We were a little wound up and excited for the day :)

Me, Jane, Karen, Jessie, Kim, Robyn and Jessica! The OR strong!!!