Christkindlmart and the Freezing cold!!!

The weather in Chicago this weekend was pure evil!!! On Saturday I thought it wasn't going to be to bad. I had a friend bring me downtown, so that I could check out the wonderful Decorations and the Christmas atmosphere.

I check my luggage into Nordstrom and then walked around Michigan Ave. I loved looking at the wreaths, the lights, and ornaments all around. I thought It interesting that signs were posted all over the sidewalks that said watch out for falling Ice. That was scary and always had me looking up.


I then walked over to the German Christmas market at Daley Plaza. There was a light snow, but the weather was pleasant. When I got to the Plaza it was completely packed with people. There were huge lines to get into the few shops that were indoors. I quickly walked over to look through the rows of outdoor shops and found that I couldn't use my credit card. I had to use cash to buy food.


I quickly assessed my funds and found it not to be enough to buy hardly anything. If I wanted to make purchases at other little shops I had to spend over 20 dollars. That wouldn't have been bad, except most of the things I wanted were in different shops. I had a problem. My debit card was having issues and I couldn’t get out more cash. I finally bought some kindergluwein, a spiced cider, stood at a table out of the way and called my bank. The weather quickly started to turn worse. By the time I got off the phone, the air was wet and started to become bitter cold. The bank told me, the only thing to do was to find a bank that would let me use my credit card and get money directly from them. My bank isn't in Chicago. I wandered the streets for awhile. I locating a few banks which were closed. I then realized it was Saturday and I was probably out of luck!

By that time my feet and hands were frozen and my nose was beyond that. I went back to the market, watch a cute little band play and wandered in a few of the shops, before I decided to go back to the mall and warm up.

I was supposed to go to a couple of different friends houses that night, but because of my debit card problems, no way to get money and the thought of having to walk around in the cold weather. I decided it wasn't worth it. I grabbed my bags, took my couple of dollars left to my name and bought a CTA pass back to the airport and caught the next plane home. I'll go back when it’s just a bit warmer and I actually have money to get from point A to point B.

I had a good time though. There is nothing better than a good old German Christmas Market to Celebrate the Holidays!!! Next I’ll remember to bring more cash so I can get some potato pancakes and applesauce, lebkuchen, Brats and sauerkraut….mmmm

A Christmas Carol and A Birthday Party

I just can't seem to stay away from Chicago. My old roommate, the theater and the Christmas season excited to return. I bought tickets online to attend a production of A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater. My old roommate Chelsea came with me. The weather was less than pleasant as was the traffic situation. We quickly parked the car and took the train into the city.

We were an hour early and didn't know it, so we settled our hunger with 3 dollar Sugar bomb cookies and hot cocoa thick as mud. I thought I was going to go into shock.
The Play was wonderful. It kind of scared me in a few places, when Jacob Marley came in and also the Ghost of Christmas Future. It was really kind of creepy. I decided things are creepier in person than on TV. Anyway this is one of my favorite Christmas stories. I love seeing the transformation of Scrooge and seeing how having the spirit of giving can change people’s lives.

The next day was my friend Lauren's Birthday. We had a party for her at night and a bunch of friends got together to go watch a band play. We had lots of fun. The only bad thing was the weather. I was so glad that I had warn a sweater with a hood. When we came out of the place, it was a blizzard. I threw on my hood, linked arms with a friend and ran slip sliding out to our car, which we couldn't find, because it was covered in snow. We finally made it home unscathed, Thank goodness.

Lauren,Chelsea and I

Dave and Melissa's Wedding

It's wonderful when two great people find that perfect person for them. In this case it was my friends Dave and Melissa. They are so cute and made for each other. They were married at the end of November and I loved the reception. I was a little late to it because they were married the Day after the reception and I got confused, but I made it.

They had it downtown Salt Lake City at the Gallivan Center Plaza. It was Beautiful all decked out in Black, red and White and Christmas Decorations through the plaza. There were glass plates filled with delicious cookies and little ceramic cups for the hot cocoa.

After my Friend Jen and I went in to give our Congrats, Dave gave us tickets to go Ice Skating. We all went outside and gathered around little fire pits and waited for the Ice to be cleared. Then an announcement was made For Mr. and Mrs. Dave Toronto and they were given the first turn on the Ice. It was so cute and clever to have their first skate instead of a first dance. I loved it. Everyone clapped for them as they went around the outdoor rink. It was perfect.

Thanksgiving 2008

This year was not that eventful of a Thanksgiving. The day before Thanksgiving my parents and I got the stomach flu. We caught it from my cute little nephews and all felt a little under the weather. The morning of Thanksgiving I had to fly to Pocatello. My father was kind enough, even in his sickened state, to come up there and pick me up, so that we could spend Thanksgiving as a family.
My mom fixed yummy food, but because we all felt so crummy hardly any of it was consumed. Mother’s famous pies weren’t even made.


We all ended up just laying there watching a couple Christmas shows, not saying too much. Then mother had to take me back up to Pocatello so I could fly back the fallowing morning.
Even though we were all sick, I was very grateful that my trip was so close to home and that my parents were able to come get me so we could celebrate together.

My 30th Birthday!!

Yes to I am now Officially 30. I've decided it’s not too bad. I think I was more traumatized the two weeks before it happened than I am now. For the past couple of years I've thought about what I would do on my 30th birthday. The big party I would have, the friends that I would have over. It didn't happen how I had first anticipated.

I was able to go up to my sister’s house in Oregon. My parents and I drove up there the night before. It was so much fun to wake up to my 4 year old nephew Chase wishing me happy birthday. My mother made my sister and I apple cinnamon pancakes, fried potatoes and Bacon for breakfast. There was even a candle in the pancakes.

After that my sister, dad and I went down to the store and after a little comprising, picked out veggies and meat for stir fry. Mom or Grandma stayed home with the kids and they decorated a cake for us and drew pictures. When my sister and I got home I made funny little crowns out of construction paper for us.

We then opened presents and ate cake. It was a pretty fun party even though it was just with my mom, dad, Lisa and her kids.

On the way home I tricked my dad into letting me drive and I stopped in Boise and took them to a movie theater and begged them to let me watch Twilight for my birthday. I was grateful my dad sacrificed his pride and came with me to watch it. I loved it. It wasn't the crazy party I'd always thought about, but what better way to spend a birthday than with your family!!

All My Trips

Recently I've had many wonderful adventures to far off lands. Ok they weren't that far off. I went to Calgary Canada and amazingly it wasn't to cold outside. The Hotel van took us out somewhere to eat and didn't pick us up. We had to walk home and i was grateful for the nice weather. We were almost late leaving. At least it was good food.

I was also given the wonderful opportunity to end that trip in San Francisco. I decided to stay there with my Aunt and Uncle for a few days. We had so much fun. We went out for Sushi the first night and then I got to hang out with my Aunt and go shopping!!! So much fun. We even got to go on a couple of different walks to look at the beautiful fall leaves. It was strange to me to see Palm trees next to trees with color changing leaves.

I was also able to see a friend from College Melinda Clayson. We ate way to much food at the cheesecake factory. We also got some cheese cake there and some to go.

After that trip I immediately went out on another one. I called it my arctic north trip. It was so cold. I went to places like, Casper WY, Bismarck ND, and strangely my favorite of them Helena MT. Just so everyone knows. Location is everything!!! The hotel location was changed in Helena. It was actually downtown. The city is actually pretty neat. There is a beautiful Cathedral that lured me out of my warm and cozy hotel room. I walked up the hill to take a picture and saw many other buildings with interesting architecture. I started walking around looking at different monuments and plaques to learn the history.

The old part of town was so neat. They had old looking clocks on the street and statues everywhere. They also had this street called last chance gulch that was just a pedestrian zone. I loved it. It reminded me of my mission. I also got to eat at a little place called Coney Island. They had some amazing Gyros there. Can’t wait till the summer when I can walk around and sit outside on some benches with an Ice Cream cone.

The clock

Me and Last Chance Gluch

Little Sahara

So last Saturday I went with a bunch of friends to the Little Sahara Desert west of Nephi. We got there after 9 at night. It was so much fun, but rather chilly. We started a fire and then went out riding. It was kind of hard to see at night but that kind of made it fun.


One of my friends took me up to the top of a very large sand hill. It was kind of scary and I prayed most of the time we wouldn’t roll over. It was so pretty. You could see the stars and look around for miles. I even called my mother from the top.

After we got back to camp we just sat around the fire talking and gossiping…my favorite was eating roasted starburst. The best thing about the entire night was that we had a generator and a heater in the tent. It would have been so cold otherwise. We went to bed around 3:30 and I woke up at 7 right when it started to get light. Everything had a thin sheet of Ice on it. I wanted to get a picture of the sun rising so my friend and I wiped off the seat of a bike and went up to the top of the hill and watched as the sun peaked over the mountains and spilled over the valley. It was so beautiful. I had to leave very soon after that because I was on call, but it was a fun weekend.

This was the hill that we went up on the 4 wheeler

Here is when we were going down the hill

Here is a picture the other way….looking up the hill

View of my Room and House

so this is for my sister...she wanted me to post some pictures of my room and house so she could see them...they aren't going to stay up here forever and this is not how it is finally going to look...still working on it...well my room anyway...the rest of the house is furnished by my roomies :)


This is a view of my room with the double doors looking in from the front room.

this one you can see the window seal which I turned into a bookshelf...I know its amazying and you can also see the door to one of my closets..I have two. The other is in the bathroom. This one is just like a coat closet.


This is a little corner you can see well in the other pics...that is my new lamp..mom helped pick it out. I don't have an overhead light so this brightens up the room.

This is the boring side of my room right now... it will look totally different when I'm done..the pictures will be on the walls the dresser will be in my closet and there will be a beautiful black bookcase and stuff...I'll show you when i'm done.

Here is the bathroom...its only a half bath, but its inside of my room, so I'm fine with that. I can shower upstairs and then do my hair and stuff down here.

The rest of the house is kind of self explanitory. here is the front room.

The Stair. I love how all over she has the cutiest sayings and quotes.

Dining Room

The kitchen. I love the red walls and the fake hard wood floors..I'd do what she has in there in my house anyday!!!

First Big Snow

So yesterday I woke up to tons of rain and this morning I woke up to tons of snow. I was going to leave the house today, but wow after this mess, I called my dad to get me a news paper and only went to the store down the street for some milk...then I cuddled up on my couch to read and watch tv with a warm cup of cocoa....mmmmm
I'm still in denial about the snow, but come it must....I guess I need it in the mountains to go skiing. Oh more good news I found out one of my new roomies is a skier. I'm so happy!!!!

Lot O'Rain

So this morning I woke up to lots of Rain pounding on my window and filling up the street. When i walked out to get into my car the water was so high it went above my ankles. It was kind of Raining slush to. Made for a nasty election day morning. My roomie had to go out and vote in it and wow I was so happy that I had decided to vote early!!

Moving yet Again!!!

So on Saturday the 1st my parents and I loaded up a friends truck and my mothers car with some of my stuff and moved me yet again from their house to my new place in Draper. I have been moving around so much lately that I am so excited to finally be in one place and hope that I stay there for awhile.
I'm moving in with 3 other girls into a town house in draper. I'm really excited and it should be lots of fun.
We had to kind of run all over the valley to get my stuff. The biggest was my bed at my cousin kim's house. I'm so glad people were so nice to let me store my stuff places.
After I dropped all my stuff off my mom, dad and I went to watch a movie. It was a great way to relax before I actually had to start unloading boxes...not looking forward to that......I had forgotten that I had so much stuff!!!!

This is my place in Draper

My dad tying down the stuff in the truck

Halloween

Halloween is my FAVOITE HOLIDAY!!! This year my mother and I got up, put on some spoky music and carved our pumpkins. We also went out and voted for ouf favorite canditates and issues.
When we got home I sadly had to go to work. I was so disapointed, because I wanted to help pass out candy this year. I went to San Diego and back, so it wasn't that bad of a work day. When I got home my mother made sure that all the pumpkins and lanterns were still lit. I went up to the door and prentended to be a trick or treater. I got some pretty good candy too :) My mom was dressed as a witch and my dad was a pirate...He makes a pretty good one. Well I took a picture with them and then we watched Hocus Pocus. It was a pretty good night.

Me,Dad and Mom on Halloween after I got back from work....I didn't get to dress up this year.

What I saw walking up the steps....don't they look good!!