Thanks

I am also so very grateful around this time of year with Thanksgiving just two days away.  However sometimes I wish my television shows would not be so grateful as to give me a week free.  What to do with a week of no school and no television shows worth watching?  Husband's at work.  A blizzard is about to dump itself across the Salt Lake Valley for the next 24 hours. No decent TV. 

I can't wait until NEXT WEEK.

November

Many things have happened in November I have been excited to record, yet haven't quite found the time.  Here they are:

Viva Las Vegas!

The weekend of November 13th, I drove down to Vegas (home) for 4 days to spend the time with my family and friends.  My dad's 54th birthday was Saturday, so we went to PF Changs as his request.  My mother decided to order the entire happy hour menu so we filled up on that and had left overs and had the waitress box up the three entrees we also ordered! Nice lunch with the mom dad and brother, something just the four of us hadn't done since I was probably five.  The next day my mom took us all shopping and were all lucky to pick out whatever we wanted from Kohls/Victoria Secrets/ Dicks.  Quite the treat. 

Dad.  Happy Birthday!

Mom.  Her visits are always amazing.

Blake Blake Blake!

I also came down to Vegas that weekend to see Blake after 2 years apart.  He called me one afternoon and I answered not knowing who is was and was shocked by the maturity in his voice.  Seeing him at church and hearing how much his mission had changed his life was really wonderful.  I'm glad we went.  I'm glad he loved it.  I'm especially glad he's home. 

The last dinner before Blake entered the MTC.  He was set apart so no more hugs for 2 years.

 Babies

Somehow it still blows my mind how fast little babies grow up.  I remember when my two little cousins were just babies and I all I could do with them was hold them.  Now they are both talking.. and walking.. and have little personalities of their own.  I had so much fun playing with them and spending time at my cousins house.  I hung out with my cousin Jung's fiance, Megan and I am so excited that she is going to be part of our family.  How patience and kind and loving she is with little Rexi.  I am amazed and impressed with her constantly. 

Rexi at 4 months.

Kara at 2 months

both of them in July.  They have hair.  They are so big.  They are cute.  Rexi looks like me.

 

HP7

Normally, I would say I love Harry Potter, but I'm not completely crazy about it like most.  I have read all the books and have seen all the movies, most at midnight, but I never am crazy about it... well until now.  I have this new thing where when I drive long distances I listen to an audiobook.  The book of choice this weekend was obviously the 23 hour long Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I listened to it driving to and from Las Vegas, as well as in my car and at my house once I got home.  Finally I finished it.  Days later the movie came out.  I was not going to see this one, however, at midnight at fear that I would fall asleep during it so we planned on seeing it Saturday afternoon, matinee. Little did I know facebook would BLOW UP over how amazing it was, and my patience wore thin and I went ALONE and watched it Friday afternoon.  I laughed, I cried, I smiled, I love Harry Potter.  Thank you for being apart of my childhood and continuing this magical journey into adulthood.  

Basketball

The season has officially begun.  It truly is a bitter sweet thing to have this new season underway.  I look back at least season and remember how much fun and joy it brought, but I also remember how exhausted I and especially Lance was after each week.  Oh yeah, and the minor detail that he is ALWAYS at Jordan High School.  This season much like any other begins with a Meet the Team night.  Each team (sophs and JV) split and play each other, and then the Varsity team plays this team full of special needs children.  How fun it was to watch these 16 and 17 year old boys have allow the other team to make as many shots as they could and steal the ball from right out of the Beetdigger's hands.  Such a fun game to watch and how exciting it is for Lance.  He comes home everyday and thinks of what he needs to coach at tomorrow's practice.  He is always so excited at the possibility of his team exceeding their potential.  You can tell the moment he talks about basketball season, his entire face lights up.  There are some perks for me as well:

• The players are like my little brothers/friends.  They talk to me and make jokes and we have fun.

• Lance looks freaking hot in slacks and a tie. So now I get to see him in them 3 times a week instead of just on Sundays. 

•  I have a reason to not be stuck at home/library studying!  There's a game to watch.

SNOW 

 So, I was unware when we moved into our new home that its wonderful location would be its downfall.  Here, so conveniently located next to the highway and Park City Canyon, we can travel in any direction, down town, Sandy, West Jordan, Bountiful, in under 20 minutes.  What a joy our neighborhood is with all our neighbors out exercising past our house and saying Hi as we walk our dog.  We also love our ward, but one thing I don't love is living in SNOW!  Here, with just all the major ski resorts on the opposite side of the mountain we live on, we accumulate more snow than almost any other place in the valley.  All of our neighbors have invested in snowblowers.  I remember hearing stories from my father's childhood about how much snow they would have to shovel from their hour and how much he hated it.  I however, got a little excited about shoveling I grabbed the shovel Sunday morning and began working away without any real method to my maddness.  After about 1/4 of our LOOOONNNGGG driveway I gave up and handed the shovel to Lance who had just been out plowing snow for his dad since 5:30 am.  He finished half of our driveway and went back inside to get ready for church.  After church ended, I was so mentally consumed with the idea of finishing the shoveling.  Every other house around my driveway looked perfect as if no snow had even fallen on it.  I began working and got all the snow from the driveway as well as our walkway and long sidewalk (since we live on the corner).  I finished and felt such a sense of accomplishment.  Walked inside.  20 minutes later. MORE SNOW.  This time it was just enough to cover everything I had just shoveled, and quickly turned into ice.  - we did not have any salt and it was Sunday so we didn't go buy any until Monday-   But Monday came, I bought the salt and tossed it over our frozen driveway my little car had trouble getting up and now its all gone.  My driveway looks dry and perfect. Wonderful. a

4 4 4 4 

Lance and I have been officially MARRIED for 4 months.  Yeah, I know most people don't celebrate the months of their marriage and it's slightly middle schoolish like celebrating 2 weeks of dating, but I love that Lance brings home roses counting the months we've been married (which has continued since he used to do it when we were just dating as well).  So yesterday I received 4 roses symbolizing these past four months of us being married.  Let me tell you, married life flies by way faster than the dating life.  Lance and I were engaged for 4 months and it felt like an eternity.  Four months of marriage has been busy, but wonderful. 

Election Day

This day was a little surreal for me.  While I love voting and politics and knowing whats going on with our nation, this is the first time I can claim (since having a driver's license) that I am not a resident of Nevada but a resident of Utah.  Seeing names on the ballot whom I wasn't extremely familiar with stunned me.  I felt as if I was so unprepared and needed to know a lot more on the stances of the various political parties. 

 It's okay.  I love America.  I love that we are given the agency to vote for our officials.  I love Utah, but I do love and miss Nevada (especially because Nevada's Birthday was on the 31st of October and I didn't get to celebrate with school off.

Halloween

On another note- This past weekend was Halloween!  Friday night friends gathered to have a murder mystery party.  In the end I, Zetta, ended up killing Sam (Russell) because he had pictures of me kissing another man and was blackmailing me. 

The rich mob gangster who owned the local Speakeasy and his girlfriend, the famous Hollywood silent film star. 

Another speakeasy owner and his main girl

Sam, the blackmailing fool who got stabbed in the back and his waitress

 (i don't know what happened to the couple picture of Jessie and Conor- sorrrry!)