oh hallows eve//

this is a little late, but halloween was pretty rad. i got to dress up like a kitty, which totally fulfilled like half of all of my dreams ever. i also got to hand out candy, paint faces, and spend time with some really good friends. it was a good way to get back in the the "spirit of hallows eve" or whatever you want to call it. and it was a perfect lead in to decorating for christmas. i'm listening to christmas music like it's going out of style.

do you know what's pretty rad?

(besides the fact that I just used the word rad?)

I have no work on Monday because it's MEMORIAL DAY!

which clearly calls for an adventure.

so, I came up with several really really really good ideas.

*disclaimer, I said they were really good, not that they weren't ridiculous

here are the options:

1. very appropriate holiday vacation (and unrealistic rating: high, but of course, high on the priority list)

Mt. Rushmore. Only costs $11 for parking, other than that, it's free (see, not unreasonable AT ALL!)

pros: uh... huge presidents heads, do I need to say anything else?

cons: currently can not see any

only a 10 hr. and 32 min. Drive. Easy peasy. 

2. THE WAVE (you kind of have to say it like THE WAAAAAVE!) (unrealistic rating: medium)

purty, huh? located at the utah/arizona border. I don't know how much is costs, but you do have to get a permit to walk, which you can purchase when you get there.

pros: that's sick. just look at the picture. it's sick and totally rad (which are practically the same thing) (you have no idea how badly I want to bring the word "rad" back)

cons: it's real hot + hiking= definitely cannot wear a dress, which I like wearing those.

only 5 hr and 31 min away. 

3. still working on "unrealistic rating: like, totally not unrealistic at all!"

i'm still working on the option #3 because unfortunately, I doubt my whitty comments have persuaded amanda to go to mt. rushmore. but, remember, VERY appropriate holiday vacation. just sayin. 



 whatever we decide to do, it's going to be pretty rad.



vday pj party

if you remember from last year, I LOVE VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!

i mean i don't know about you, but i'm feeling 22... but i'm just so happy! for some reason, today is just so happy and good. maybe it's because there is an explosion of valentine's day in our apartment. or maybe it's all the valentines that all of the roomies are giving each other. or maybe it's because i can wear pink and purple and red all at once. or maybe it's the flowers my brother gave me yesterday because i fixed his pants, which happen to be red roses because he told me he wanted people to think that i had a secret admirer when they saw them. hahaha. i don't know. 

Gatlinburg

Over Christmas break my family decided to take a little trip to Gatlinburg, TN. It's this place that people go to ski and do stuff like that I think. We went with our friends the Palombo's, and it was so fun!

We stayed at this big huge hotel that had an indoor waterpark. We went there the first night, and besides almost peeing my pants on this funnel ride, it was pretty fun.

The next day we went to this place called Ober Gatlinburg. They have to make snow because, well, it doesn't snow in TN. We went to go skiing.

*disclaimer: I have never been skiing before, which normally wouldn't be a problem for normal people, but am I normal people? Of course not. I can't even walk straight, I trip at least once every time I walk somewhere, and I am the most clumsy person you are ever gonna meet. Not even joking.

Pretty much the whole time we were "skiing," I was thinking in my head, "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die" I fell down all the time, and I'm pretty sure I got whiplash.

and falling down over and over  skiing is exhausting.

The next day we went into the Smoky Mountains. They're not anything like the ones o'er here in Utah, but they're really pretty and always foggy (hence, the Smoky Mountains....)

We went and looked out a lot of old houses and stuff. It was pretty cool. I like all that historical stuff.

I love deer. Really, I love them. I want deer artwork and deer antlers in my house. I really, really do.

they aren't very big, but they sure are pretty!

(those are mountains by the way)

shoot. I'm a good photographer.

PLEASE JUST LET ME HUG YOU

the next day we went shopping at outlet malls and go cart racing. I won, obviously.

and then one night we did this

christmas! CHRISTMASSSSS! CHRISTMASS!

oh hey, here's Christmas

but before Christmas, I turned twenty. I'm so old, look at all those candles!

Christmas Eve Eve, we had some of our cousins over and we played this extremely flattering Santa game. 

At my house, we only like to do things that will not come back to haunt us later and make us laugh a lot.

Every Christmas when I was little we would act out the Nativity Story, but as we grew up we haven't done it in a while. Well, my mom decided that it wasn't fair that my little sisters didn't get this experience because they are the youngest. 

"You're all going to dress up, I don't care how old you are!"

The Highly Dysfunctional Story of the Birth of Christ 

Starring:

Rachel as The "I'm Going to Creep in Every Picture" Angel

Benjamin as The "There's No Room For You and I Don't Really Care Cause I'm too Cool" Innkeeper

Rebekah as "I'm Really the Only One Happy to be Here" Mary

and

Ethan as "I Look Like a Thug with this Towel On My Head" Joseph 

Jared as The "(in an Italian Mafia voice) Were You Talking to Me?" Shepherd

Erica as The "Oh, There's Only the Role of King Queen Left? How Convenient!" Wiseman

Somehow I got put in charge?

sorry...blurry pic!

By the end of our skit, I think all of the kids would say this was a success, but Grandma was a little bit horrified. 

So, you're going to dress up, and I don't care how old you are! 

My dad said the only way to get out of acting out the Nativity is to bring home a husband. Oh darn.

And now for all of the extremely good looking Christmas Day pictures!

hehe cause he looks like Captain America ^

As always, full of good cheer and lots of teasing, another fantastic Christmas!