Oh the places you'll go!

I'm thankful for everywhere that we have been,

far away countries, and the park down the road,

family gatherings 

and anywhere we can find with a view,

I'm grateful for all of the places we've been and I'm looking forward to all of the places we will go.

Remember Remember the 5th of November, how it used to be.

It snowed last night in Logan for the first time this year. It is pretty late for the first snow in Logan. Parker and I were so excited. I wanted to go out in it, but Parker reminding me that we been to the specialty hospital that morning for a minor throat procedure I needed to take it easy. Which he was right about, my optimistic prediction that by today I would feel myself again hasn't exactly been spot on, but I'm getting better. But so we settled for a drive through the first snow, and it was really beautiful. And it was a lot of fun to go for a drive and not end up at the doctors :)
Want to know what else is fun? A holiday in which the key celebration is lighting stuff on fire. Who doesn't want a bonfire holiday?? Parker and I decided that our little family would celebrate Guy Fawkes day they way they do in England. By having fun bonfires!
Guy Fawkes is a pretty famous English traitor. He and 12 others on November 5, 1605 tried to blow up Parliament with barrels of gun powder. (They wanted a Catholic on the throne) They were caught and Fawkes was executed and King James I was saved.
So now in England people have bonfires to celebrate Guy Fawkes not blowing up Parliament. Oh how simple and fun it would be but this year world wide Guy Fawkes day is taking a political turn. Oh Occupy Wall Street Movement... . Take what should be a fun day of lighting fires and make it all about you. That'll show the 1 %.
I guess its okay seeing as I am too sick to do the whole fire thing this year anyway. But next year we plan on taking back this holiday full force. With no political undertones. Just fire fun and maybe some smores.

Same Planet

My dad once told me to never underestimate the power of gratitude. If your unhappy really focus on the things you have to be thankful for and you are sure to be happy soon. It is a sure way to see Gods love for you and can give you strength when you need it the most. I love Thanksgiving. I love this time of year when everyone puts a big focus on gratitude. 

Tonight I am Thankful for:

1. Modern Medicine and those kind doctors and nurses that took such good care of me today. (Maybe I'll learn to not be so stubborn about going to the doctors)

2. My friend in Logan that knows me so well that when I say "No its okay don't bring me dinner." She brings me soup so that I don't eat cereal. 

3. For all of the prayers on my behalf 

4. For friends that will talk to me even though I'm loopy, and love us like family 

5. My husband who holds the Priesthood. 

6. A good excuse to stock up on Powerade. 

7. The family that loves me and cares about me. 

8. Sleep.

9. The new season of Bones.

10. Being married to my best friend, and that he can make me laugh even when I'm hooked up to an iv for a really  really really long time. 

11. Being on the same planet. When I was feeling really sick, had a super high fever, and was half asleep half just feeling horrible I felt like we hadn't talked all day so I mumbled to Parker "I feel like we are on different planets" he didn't laugh or tell me I was crazy, just laid down by me for a while and asked if we were on the same planet yet because if not he better get to making a rocket ship.

So maybe I had a little bit of a rough day (or week). Things are still pretty great around here. There is so much to be Thankful for. Happy November friends! 

Throw the Party of the month? Nah the Party of the Year

Not only did we get to go to"The Halloween Feast, in the Haunted Matterhorn Mansion" (aka family Halloween party at my parents) we were able to bring some friends along! I love bringing friends to any family party because my family really knows how to party.  And the party was awesome, my sisters put so much work into it and everyone was really dressed up.... I was so excited to see all the kids in their costumes.
But lets start with the really important stuff, the food:

 There was a lot of food and everything was spooky themed. 

 Can't have a Halloween Feast without lots and lots of dry ice. 
And some awesome costumes

Parker and I were Peeta and Katniss. If you haven't read the Hunger Games, you should probably stop reading this blog and start reading the Hunger Games right away because they are awesome. 

We ate food, played some games and had one awesome dance party.  It was the perfect Halloween celebration. 

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween. Great way to kick off the Holiday Season. 

Jack-O-Lanterns

for family night we carved pumpkins with some friends 

 parker worked really hard on his. and kept saying he would never try to do a detailed pumpkin ever again

 i wanted to try and make a mummy, but keep it simple so i just drew some lines and went for it

 we were both kind of disappointed in the finished product but then... 

 we lit them up and they look so awesome

 and now i have a feeling parker will always want to do something this cool. 

T.G.I.Fall Break

Halloween is a socially acceptable reason for my year round geeky love of all things horror. I love haunted houses, hollows, river walks, the works. 

 Like this Haunted Hallow, with friends. 

meet krissy and andrus, if we used the word besties we could probably use it in reference to them

For years now I have gone to some haunted something every October. But last October I lived in England. And while we we did a strange Ghost Walk in York, it just didn't count. We did however go to a play based on a pretty scary ghost story, and in 2012 Harry Potter will star in the move....

When we went to the Haunted Hallow, too much mud prevented us from doing the corn maze, and Parker really wanted to do the corn maze. So for fall break, we went to another one. 

 Made it through the Haunted River Walk, even though there were clowns and one of us has an issue with clowns. But more importantly we solved the corn maze. Which was a first for me. Corn mazes have a way of confusing you and then spitting you out at the beginning. That can only happen so many times to me before I just give up and walk out the entrance. Parker was a little more determined. In the end we solved it. 

For those of you who don 't know I rank some where between average and mediocre on the domestic diva scale. Lets just say I make a great PP&J and can almost always not mess up making brownies from a box mix.  Not super crafty and our apartment in not duper decorated, but I get some points for donating all my Star Wars posters to nephews instead of bringing them with me into married life. But this Friday, a beautiful day with no class or work, we cranked up the Halloween Party Pandora Station and made sugar cookies. We didn't have cookie cutters so we had to free hand it. We even made our own frosting, we didn't have any cool frosting knifes and decorating was a little like finger painting. It was an experiment, and they didn't turn out perfect but all things considered, I was pretty proud. 

It was a pretty great afternoon. 

And what did we do today for fall break? Met up with my mom and dad in Ogden where we saw The Three Musketeers, and to our sheer delight we saw it DBOX Style. 

Happy Fall Break to all those lucky enough to have one.

Oh, October

Hey there Autumn, it's been a while, you look great.

(parker and i cheering on the aggies in provo)

You know that feeling, when you walk outside in the morning and the air is so crisp that it wakes you up? And you are surrounded by golden leaves that twirl through the air with every little breeze. You can start to sense the contagious excitement felt by children planning their Halloween night. The corn mazes are up and ready to go. You reach to the back of the closet to pull out those beloved sweaters and boots that you just can't wear in the summer heat.  When the New York Yankees and the Phillies are in the MLB PLAY OFFS. (And BOS SOX are NOT), and you are remembering that there is something lovely about football season, life just feels right.

1st of October I love so many things about you. But right at the top of the list, is General Conference.
Last General Conference I was in a room with great friends listening to Conference on a weak internet connection. Parker was with my family and I think besides Thanksgiving it was my most homesick weekend. I am excited to be able to watch it in good ole Alpine this time around.
At conference time I always remember President Gordon B. Hinckley with love. I remember his consul, to Be Still. I love coming together with my family on conference. I look forward to sitting next to my husband and being still. Taking time to ponder and reflect.What a joyous blessing it is to hear the words of God from a living Prophet.

I know that President Uchtdorf was inspired by God when he addressed the Relief Society last Saturday night.I will never be able to look at these small flowers again with out remembering his words, " You are not forgotten." He brought up five things, that every woman can relate to and understand. I know he was inspired, but it also made me think he must really love his wife, and know her very well.

I love how autumn air just seems to breathe excitement. I love how beautiful the mountains look speckled with red and orange. I love that it is time to start planning the holidays.
Oh, October thank you for coming!