Officially a Teen.

Today is a monumental day in the life of my little brother, Aaron. December 18 marks the day of his birth...thirteen years ago. He is officially a teenager today, and you better believe that he knows it. Even just a year ago he was still a little kid. But it's amazing how one year can bring on a lot of change. Aaron prides himself in how he is "maturing" including but not limited to: deeper voice, small mexi-stache growing on his upper lip which means SHAVING, arm pit hair, braces, growth spurts like you can't believe, bigger hands and feet. This boy is not so little anymore. Thanks to my cousin Jessica and her cute blog, I got the idea for this post. I'd like to share a few things that I love most about my little brother, who is not so little anymore.

1. He is a Christmas baby.
2. After 6 years of waiting for a baby brother, he was our holiday gift.
3. My cousins got to see him before I did. Still a little bitter about that :)
4. I bragged to my 1st grade teacher about how cute he was.
5. When he was fussy, a red V appeared on his forehead.
6. That still happens. Just not as noticeable.
7. His first word was "ball". Go figure.
8. He was shy when he was a little guy.
9. He has grown out of his shy phase now.

10. He used to dance to Easy Street from the musical Annie. Cutest thing ever.
11. "Bubbies" was his nickname for years. Weird, I know.
12. Evolution of nicknames: Bubbies, AA, Evs, Geeb-a-seeb, Cheeky

13. He started getting a little pudgy a few years ago.
14. My mom and I were worried that he was going to be a fatty.
15. He had some love handles.
16. Then he got tall and skinny.
17. He is literally skin and bones now. Talk about LANKY!
18. He thinks that he is taller than me.
19. He might actually be right now. 5'6" is definitely taller than 5'4".
20. Truth be told, he's taller than my mom too.

21. His voice constantly cracks. It's pretty funny.
22. Sometimes when I'm downstairs, I think that Matt or my dad is talking.
23. It's actually Aaron.
24. He is starting to be ornery sometimes.
25. Ya gotta love puberty and hormones.
26. He thinks that girls are cute now.
27. He still won't tell me who he likes. One day, I'll get the info out of him :)

28. He is a 7th grader at Cedar Ridge Middle School.
29. He is really smart.
30. Sometimes he "forgets" to do his homework. Typical teen for you.
31. He knows anything and everything about sports.
32. Ask him a sports stat, he will have the correct answer.
33. He plays basketball better than anyone I know his age.
34. He has a gigantic bruise on his elbow from playing.
35. He doesn't mind. I guess it shows he is aggressive.
36. His favorite NBA team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not the Jazz? Yeah.
37. Maybe one day he will become as big a Jazz fan as the rest of us.

38. He has got an opinion.
39. He has got these big eyes, in a very good way.
40. My mom always called him her prettiest child. Thanks a lot mom.
41. He and Jared (my other little brother) are best buddies.

42. He listens to the weirdest music sometimes.
43. His current music phase: oldies.
44. He plays the piano, which he claims he hates. But he's quite good at it.

45. He has his own email address now.

46. He sends me and Matt dorky Youtube videos.
47. I won't admit it to him, but I kind of like them. They are pretty hilarious.
48. He has a sensitive side. He watches out for his big sister.

49. He calls me his little sister.
50. It makes me mad because no matter how tall he gets, I will never be his little sister.
51. When he was little, he had an "accent". His R's sounded funny. He also had an overbite.
52. It made Jared have one too, because he imitated Aaron.
53. So Aaron went to speech classes in elementary school.
54. He speaks normal now.

55. He dresses like a teenage middle-schooler.
56. His new favorite stores are American Eagle and Aeropostale.
57. If he could, he would wear basketball shorts and t-shirts every day.
58. He has a very distinct sense of humor.
59. You would never catch him being weird and crazy.
60. That is where he and I differ :)

61. He is currently in that obnoxious stage.
62. He finds it very funny to bug and pester.
63. This has been going on for quite some time.
64. He has teased me about boys for as long as I can remember.
65. Of the guys I date, he let's me know who his favorites are.
65. I usually take his opinion to heart.
66. I can't wait until he starts dating. Ooooh am I going to have fun with that! :)

67. He is very thoughtful.
68. He looks really cute in his church clothes.
69. I love visiting my home ward to watch him pass the sacrament.
70. He goes to Deacon Presidency Meetings. I still can't believe he's old enough.

71. He can eat bread and crackers in massive amounts.
72. He doesn't like to eat his vegetables.
73. My mom still has to persuade him to eat all of his dinner.
74. I NEVER see him without a ball of some sort in his hand.
75. My ceiling light fell off in my bedroom from him dribbling in the kitchen above.
76. He loves Sports Center.
77. Our television has ESPN [or any other station with games/highlights] playing 24/7.
78. It's kind of ridiculous.

79. He shares a birthday with my cousin McKenzie.
80. He uses gel in his hair now.
81. He wears "Swagger". To smell good for the ladies :)
82. His favorite body wash is Old Spice. He smells good, most of the time.

83. He is OBSESSED in BYU.
84. None of us are really sure why he has such a deep love for the school. We are all Aggies.
85. He supports them even when his friends dis the Cougars.
86. He basically worships Jimmer Fredette. Either that or he has a serious man crush.
87. He admits that the crush is true.
88. He WILL be an BYU alum one day.

89. He used to hit himself and then blame it on Jared.
90. Just to get Jared in trouble.
91. It worked pretty well for a while.
92. Until we caught him in the act. Talk about the boy who cried wolf.

93. He loves McDonald's and Wendy's.
94. Give him a crispy chicken sandwich and he'll love you forever.
95. He goes to Charlie's to get ice cream right before dinner. And eats a whole shake.
96. He is a paper boy. My dad helps him out a bit though.
97. He brings an added joy to my family. One that would be very missed if he wasn't there.
98. He is going to go far in life.
99. I couldn't ask for a better little brother. He is truly the greatest!
100. Happy birthday Aaron. You deserve the best one yet :)

"Teenagers complain there's nothing to do, then stay out all night doing it." -Bob Phillips

Ode to Finals

This is it. Finals week of Fall 2010. The most dreaded week of the semester for many college students. Others find it to be a breeze. Then there are students like me who are not looking forward to it, but it's not going to be too brutal to me this semester. My finals week consists of three finals plus two papers. It could be worse but I still have my work cut out for me.

In the midst of studying and crunching information into my mind this week, I decided to post a few humorous cartoons. If no one else reads this post, at least I will have offered myself some comedic relief. Hopefully this can bring some laughter to others as well.

To all of you poor college students, best of luck this week! May we all ace our finals. :)

National Brownie Day

Yep, it's true. Today is National Brownie Day. 12.8.10.

What a strange thing to celebrate, but hey, I'm not complaining. This just gave me an extra reason to eat some brownies, which are possibly one of my favorite desserts. I was curious to see how popular this holiday was, so thanks to my best friend Google, I found this little article on "The Stir" blog. It said a little something like this...

"Today is National Brownie Day, and while many of the silly designated days cause us to roll our eyes at their ridiculousness, brownies really need this day.
You see, brownies are kind of like the meatloaf of the dessert world.
Everyone makes them, most people like them, but few people looooove them.

They're just the generic, I didn't-have-much-time, couldn't-think-of-anything-else excuse for a dessert that everyone falls back on. Sure you can dress them up with ice cream and the like, but on their own, they're usually not the most exciting of desserts."

While a lot of that may be true, I have to disagree with the last statements. If there was a dislike button under that comment, I would have most definitely pushed it. Brownies are great even when they are as plain as can be. The only time I would argue with my own comment is if they have frosting. I'm not a fan. But other than that, they are brilliant.

So have a brownie today and celebrate.

Currently, this is my favorite kind of brownie. You can't get much better than cookies and brownies in one.

The final product. They are addicting. I'll admit, I'm hooked.

Let the holiday begin!

"Out with the old, in with the new"

is what the day after Thanksgiving is all about. This day is known as one of the craziest days of the retail world year. BLACK FRIDAY, as most of us most commonly know it as, is all about Christmas, shopping, material items, sales...and so on and so forth. I did NOT have the courage to brave the crowds today so I opted out. I just can't get myself to strategically plot out a shopping plan to hit all of the stores during their prime sales and defeat the other ruthless shoppers. Maybe one day I'll try, but not this year.

So Thanksgiving is over [It was such a great holiday full of delicious food and delightful family. I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing and inspiring day with the ones I love.] and now it's full steam ahead into the Christmas season. I'll admit, I love Thanksgiving as much as the next person, but I get a little extra giddy the day after when the Christmas decorations come out, my dad sets up the Christmas lights, and I can officially listen to Christmas music without getting ridiculed by other peeps. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.

My pops putting up Christmas lights/decorations.

Jared watching some football. Go figure.

Tonight is also opening night for the Pickleville Christmas Show "Santa's Elves". I have been rehearsing for the show since early October and it's finally time for all of our hard work to pay off. There are 5 actors in the show, so it's a pretty small cast. The Davis family has put a lot of hard work and effort into helping with every aspect of this show. They seriously are one of the most amazing families I have ever met. Holy smokes. Anyway, the show is a fun story line about a few of Santa's Elves who are putting on a Christmas telethon to help encourage people to believe in Santa Claus. Of course, some things go wrong along the way, but through comedy and fun Christmas music, things turn out great. It's been such a fun production to be a part of. It's a very intimate theater experience because of the small cast and the small theater we are performing in up on USU's campus. This has helped me think about the magic of Christmas and what it's all about. I can't wait to start performing it!

For more information including dates, the cast, and how to get tickets,
visit Pickleville Playhouse website.

Here are some awesome pictures of the show too. Enjoy!
(The link will take you to more through Facebook. Don't have a FB account? Here are a few pictures so you can enjoy too.)

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited for the Christmas season. Not even necessarily for the monetary aspect, but just for the feeling. It's a magical time of year that helps me to reflect on Christ and His life. It's a time of year for yummy treats and holiday cheer. It's a time for laughter and joy. It's a time for family. I love Christmas. Let the holiday season begin!

Baby, it's COLD outside.

Today I am thankful for hot chocolate.

Blizzard Alert has been ringing through the radio, television, internet, Facebook, text messages, and lips of concerned people all day long. Yes, it's true. There is currently a nasty blizzard swirling through the state of Utah right this minute. It's been the cause of canceled school, sporting events, and performances, early closure of retail stores and many white-collar workers have been sent home early. Needless to say, today would be labeled as a SNOW DAY. News stations including Weather.com, KSL.com, and Deseret News, just to list a few, have been keeping all of us worried Utah residents updated on the latest details of the blizzard.

So crazy as this sounds, I figured it would be appropriate to document this "monumental" day in 2010. I braved the cold for a minute and snapped some photos.

Early stages of the blizzard.

Our front yard and driveway getting dumped on.

The backyard.

Documenting the day. I braved the yucky weather.

Grateful for UGG's today. They kept me nice and warm.

I was one of those workers/students that was off the hook early today, due to the weather. I work up on campus and the University closed early today, as did others across the state. So not only did I get off my shift early, I didn't have to take a test in one of my classes. Thank you Stan Albrecht for allowing me a few more days of studying. My rehearsal for the Christmas show I'm in was even canceled tonight, which obviously means that Jack Frost is throwing out some pretty serious stuff. We open the show on Friday so it's crunch time. Days like today show just how subject we are to the weather. Life pretty much goes on halt when there are rough conditions.

For those lucky individuals who didn't step foot outside today, or who have never been in a blizzard, here is a "virtual tour" of what one is like. This is what the weather was like today around 4:00 pm. The blizzard had just begun...

What a way to welcome the winter season, eh?
Today is one of those days that you just want to snuggle up with a loved one in a big fuzzy blanket, sitting close to the fire, with a cup of cocoa in hand and watch a delightful holiday movie.

On a blisteringly cold day like today, I am very grateful for a warm house I have to live in. I think of the pioneers who were crossing the plains during the winter. I guarantee they hit blizzards along the Mid-West that were worse than what has been blowing around Logan today. I am grateful for central heating, fireplaces and blankets. I am grateful for electricity that keeps our lives running despite Mother Nature's surprise. I am grateful for my sweet family that I get to spend the whoooole night with.

Tonight's agenda: brewing up a nice cup of hot chocolate.

Don't worry. Be happy.

Today I am thankful for happy moments.

This post will come in a series of different "happy moments" that I am thankful for. Pretty much I just want to blog about highlights of my past week/weekend and when I look back on it, it was filled with delightful moments. So that is truly what I am thankful for today. Those moments that give your insides a warm, fuzzy feeling. Those moments when you can't stop smiling, no matter how hard you try to keep it concealed. Those moments that you would freeze just to live in them a little bit longer. Those moments when you feel like your heart could just burst because of joy.

So first things first: Sara Bareilles.

I am thankful for Sara Bareilles.

Genius. Musician. Performer. Talent like you can't imagine....words cannot even describe this fantastic music artist. She truly is an artist. This past Wednesday I went to her concert. My darling friend Tessa and I hopped in my little blue beauty (which would be my car) and drove down to Salt Lake City for one of the best concerts, if not the very best, I have ever been to. The concert was at In The Venue in SLC, and I'm not gonna lie, it was a little sketchy. But, it ended up being a great place for a concert. It is kind of small so no matter where you stood, you were pretty close to the stage. The opening acts were good...but WAY too long. I kind of feel bad for opening acts at a concert because people really just want them to end. I paid money to see Sara, and that's who I want on stage. But they are very talented groups/performers that open. These ones, Holly Conley and The Cary Brothers, were just that.

Waiting for Sara to perform.

Then Sara finally came on. Ah, she is so stinkin' cute and ridiculously talented. She's one of those people that you kind of hate because she is SO good, yet it's impossible to actually hate her. Her ease and skill on the piano is unreal. Her vocals are hauntingly gorgeous and she has so much control. She'll wail on a loud, uncomfortable-to-sing-but-sounds-perfect-when-she-sings-it note then automatically transition to resonate on some beautiful high note. Then she goes and picks up a guitar and ukulele and plays like it's not big deal. Seriously, the girl is amazing. AMAZING. I feel so lucky to have been able to go to her concert. In her final song, she stood on her blue grand piano and jammed out. Who does that? Who is cool enough to do that? Sara Bareilles. On a scale of 1 to 10, she definitely earned an outstanding 10 from me. Wow, what a performer. What a night!

Sara in her glory at the piano.

Tessa and me enjoying every minute.

Surprise! She plays the guitar too.

Tessa, me, Derek, Meesh, Parker and Whitney

I am thankful for future vacations. Aka: HAWAII

This week I found out that I am FOR SURE going to Hawaii in December/January. I have a group of friends that had talked about going, but we never bought tickets and the scheduling kept having to be changed. Ya know, what happens the majority of the time trips with friends are being planned...it often times doesn't end up happening. But after some diligent ticket fare comparisons, we finally found a great rate and booked the tickets. There's 3 guys and 4 girls going and I couldn't be more EXCITED! I think that the last time I was on an airplane, I was about 5 years old. I don't really remember. Not to mention it has always been a dream of mine to go to Hawaii. Well folks, let me tell you, dreams do come true. We are going to the island of Oahu for about a week from December 30 to January 7th. So New Years in Hawaii? Yes please! I'll be sure to blog about my trip in just over a month.

I am thankful for dating.

Okay okay, I know this sounds so weird, but hear me out. This weekend I went on a couple of dates and it was really fun! Friday night was the IWA casual dance. Only downside to this was it was girl's choice, so I had to be the one asking the dude on a date. It is scary, let me tell you. I hadn't had to ask a guy out since girls choice dances in high school and I forgot how much I don't like it. I'd much rather have to deal with turning down unwanted dates then asking. Why? Definitely the fear of rejection. Anyway, I asked an awesome guy named Rich and we had a blast. Well at least I did! Then last night, I went out with a good friend named Corey and had nice little evening. I have been on some really fun dates throughout the years. That helps solidify the fact that there are awesome guys out there. It's easy to forget that and think that they are all lame when one does something stupid. But that one troubled boy is not all of them. I think about the guys in my life that I really love and they are all awesome! So for all of us single ladies, keep the faith. There are good guys out there...sometimes it just takes a little extra effort in looking.

There are so many happy moments in my life to be grateful for. I have wonderful friends and family that help make these moments happen. I have a loving Father in Heaven who allows me to take part in experiences that better me as a person and bring joy to my life.

"Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."

-Buddha

"Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

-Abraham Lincoln

"Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life. The whole aim and end of human existence."

-Aristotle