So, I didn't do very well at that "everyday thankful" thing for Thanksgiving. But now that I'm home and Thanksgiving has long since passed, it's been Christmas CHRISTMAS
C H R I S T M A S ever since! One of my favorite things in this world is HOME. Another one of my favorite things in this world is CHRISTMAS. So, I am just in HEAVEN I tell you being HOME for CHRISTMAS!! I usually start counting down to Christmas in January. Here are a few things I've been doing leading up to Christmas recently.
Oh how I LOVE Christmas.

This is my friend Rachel and I on the last day of school. As you can see, we're pretty excited. But her family lives in Salt Lake, so I know she's not half as excited as me. Because end of the semester means a lot more when you're 800 miles away from your family.



Here is a picture of the scenery on the train ride. 17 hours on a train is a lot better when you're surrounded by such a winter wonderland.



Quality time with Mariah, Sam, and Luke at the mall. Luke and I found a hat store. And we LOVE hats. A lot.



THEN my two very best friends in high school got married...to each other! I'm lucky the semester ended just in time for me to be a bridesmaid. I'm so glad we're still good friends. I'm so happy for them.


















Right after the wedding Mariah and I got picked up by the Bennings for a visit before they head to Utah for Christmas. I didn't expect Austin to remember me very much at all, but Amy told me the next day that he woke up saying "Where's Hillary? I wanna talk to Hillary...." Gosh, I love that. I also got to meet Baby Dallin finally, and spent a lot quality time with my favorite Bishop and Amy.



So that was my first few days home. Since then everything has been all about preparing for Christmas. Music, movies, gingerbread houses, present wrapping, cookie-frosting- THE WORKS! I love it all SOOO much.

Andrew is coming 4 days after Christmas and everyone is pretty excited I think...even Auntie Kathy! And for those of you who don't know Auntie Kathy, that's saying something. Samantha may contest me, but I'm pretty sure I'm the most excited out of everyone. The countdown is always for Christmas of course. But especially now that it's Christmas Eve, the countdown for me is the 29th!

SOCKS!! I think they the best invention ever. I just love em.


I'm also thankful that we have our very own SOCK STORE in San Francisco on Pier 39! One of the many reasons I get homesick.

Why limit it to one a day? I'm thankful for DANCING!!










And not just dancing....I'm thankful for JULIA DANCING!!
As you can see, Michelle's not so bad either....

I'm going to copy you, Mom....
Things I'm thankful for. Hopefully I can remember to do one every day.

This first one will probably be a combination of a few things I'm thankful for...it may also end up being a bit of a vent. Right now I'm very thankful that I'm not spoiled. At least I don't feel like I am....

So on that note, I'm thankful for home. My appreciation for home always increases the more I'm away from it. I have been really homesick lately. But I've noticed that I've gotten better at dealing with it over the past few years of being at college, and I've grown a lot from having to get through it. Not having an easy way out...not being able to just jump on a plane or take a spontaneous roadtrip home. I appreciate HOME so much more because I haven't been able to do that just whenever I have bad days. So another thing I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving are those tests of endurance. And that I DO have to ride them out. I've realized that I can actually withstand quite a lot.

I'm thankful for my parents and the way I was raised. I'm thankful that I've never been rich, never had an allowance, and never been able to be too frivolous. I look at some of the people around here and am always surprised at how easily they expect things to come to them. How they expect other people to take care of the messes they make and how they spend their parents money on whatever their hearts desire at the moment. Im thankful that I've had to work. That I've learned about independence and self discipline. I don’t have either of those things down perfectly…but I think I am on my way. I'm thankful that I've had to take responsibility for my actions…out of my own pocket usually.

I'm thankful that my Dad had my sisters and I work hard growing up. He seemed to make sure we did as much work as the Young Men at service projects, for example. Enough that I don’t feel like a pansy puff, as Jared would say. I always try to do what I can, even if it may not be very much. I can’t always lift boxes that are bigger than me...but I’m kind of proud to say that I always try to anyway!

So I am thankful for home and everything that comes with it. Tests of endurance, good relationships, and character building experiences. Thanks Mom and Daddaay!!

This might possibly be the first year of my life that I did not spend Halloween with Julia. WHAT? I know. That just...doesn't happen. EVER. Until now. It was still a good time though. College parties are a far cry from Trunk-or-Treating. The past three years Julia and I have celebrated with Lacey and Michelle. Other people get thrown into the mix occassionally, but we four are the ones who are consistently together for all the holidays we can't go home for. Since everyone usually comes to stay with me in Salt Lake, this year I made my way to Provo to sleepover Lacey and Michelle's. Another thing we usually try to do is a group costume, but this time there was a difference of opinion. Lacey and I wanted to be something scary, but Jenny said she didn't feel like looking dead...and she didn't want to look 'small.' I think she meant that we would end up looking like we were twelve...but what else is new? Either way the costume each person ended up with suited them just fine. Lacey and I were very happy with our decision (even if it made us look young). We ripped some shirts, squirted some blood, put on crazy make up, ratted our hair, and called ourselves zombies. Jenny and Michelle got some pretty white fabric, gold jewelry and were the lovliest Korean Greek goddesses I have ever seen. They both looked beeeeeeautiful...and Lacey and I both looked ugly. We all accomplished what we set out to! Oh and Marianne was a nerd!
It was a parking lot party/dance. It was pretty fun at first...but the later it gets the more creeps come out. The creeps and the slu...uuhhh...skankily clad girls, I mean!
Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Julia didn't come for Halloween my first year of college. But she was still part of our Korean pop costume. She was one of the Wondergirls with us, so I think it counts.
I think our costumes turned out pretty well this year...seeing as how we came up with them an hour before. Overall it was great fun and I'm kinda sad to be back in Salt Lake already. Oh well. Halloween is over, which means Christmas is coming! Oh yeah and Thanksgiving....

Apparently floods work wonders. Two weeks ago we had no idea who Kirsti was...and now look at us!

I have become accustomed to having a large group of friends when I am in Utah, but this semester has started out quite differently. Due to different circumstances, almost every member of my "family" has kind-of SCATTERED. Six of them are now missionaries across the globe, ranging from Germany to Washington. Ellen has gone back to Canada for the year, Natalie has moved to Arizona with her finacee, and Julia and Lester are nicely settled in Idaho. So who's left? The most unlikely crew. Lexus Calder and Hillary Hanaike.Lexus and I openly admit to each other that last semester we weren't super close. We've always been friend-of-a-friend kind of friends, never hung out one on one.....never really had anything to do with each other unless Natalie was around. So when we both realized we were the only ones left...well I don't know about her, but I was prepared for living together to be sufficiently awkward. And, honestly, at first it kind of was. But slowly and surely we've gotten used to each other...to the point where now one of us is not often seen without the other! She is terribly sweet. And although we fight, as all roommates do, I can't even tell you how glad I am to have her here with me.

Yesterday while in my class, I got a text from Anna.
When I left I saw some grass, and thought I want a banana!
She said our house was full of water, but don't be alarmed!
The fire fighter are really hotter, and Kirsty wasn't harmed!
The water is gross orange and brown, and it really stinks.
...It will make you frown, when you see the dirty sink!
And now we have no place to stay, it is really sad.
But all I have left to say is it's Ok! Don't be mad!!!!

Poem by Lexus Calder


This used to be white. WHITE.
Going to the bathroom was definitely as awkward as it looks...
The ONE room that wasn't hit...we crammed everything in here and...well...we got to know each other verrry well.
Our lovely kitchen. The washer and dryer are in there somewhere too...
If you ever need some roommate bonding time I would reccommend going out to lunch. Because as fun as this looks and as close as we got because of it, I think that a nice chat over some IHOP pancakes would've done the trick.
THANK YOU KIRSTI FOR THIS WONDERFUL LESSON IN HUMILITY!
Really though, I do love my roommates. More now than ever.

Conference weekend is always awesome. It's the only time during the school year that all the friends I've made here in college are able to congregate at my apartment for some crazy bonding time. This year was especially great because even through all of the changes taking place in all of our lives, we were able to do this one last time. I've been pretty lucky to have had so many different groups of friends at different times. This weekend was just amazing for me because everyone was there together. Lacey, Michelle, Jenny, Sally, Julia, Lester, Mckay, Marina, Ray, Natalie, Ross, Lexus, Jan, Ellen, and Matt. Hide n seek, henna tatoos, card games, big meals, and lotsa dancing! It was crazy, it was chaotic, but it was totally worth every frustrating second. I love them all.

The same night we got our juice at Winco, we also came home with a nice big 99 cent watermelon. Now my lovely roommate Lexus, being the creative person that she is, decided to carve a face in it. Here is the finished masterpiece.

We named it Ernie. He sure is cute, huh? He was also quite tasty.