Graduation Photos

I graduated back on the 13th of this month but since I forgot my camera I didn't have my pictures right away. So after a long wait here are some photos from the great event. Brads grandmother took photos in the spectrum and maybe someday I'll get those from her. It was a great day and yes, I did wear my pink shoes from my wedding even though it was snowing very heavily that morning. I have just one quick little story from graduation that needs to be shared because it was one of the worst/best moments of my day.

I actually had a graduation day miracle happen. As I've said, it snowed several inches that day and I was more concerned with looking good than being practical. I didn't have any pockets in my pants and the pockets in my coat lead straight into the lining. Brad held my phone for me during the ceremony and right before he handed it to me he decided to turn on the volume on the ringer. He doesn't usually have the sound on his own phone but he turned mine on. As I was walking to the car I kept thinking I should hand my phone to Brad so I can focus on not falling down while walking in these ridiculous shoes. But I didn't listen to the prompting like Brad did. I realized my phone was gone once we got to the restaurant for lunch. I had to get something out of the trunk so I was really hoping it was in the trunk. It wasn't. After lunch we went back to the parking lot and retraced my steps. Luckily they had not come in to plow the lot yet, but there had been a lot of traffic so we weren't sure it would be safe even if we did find it. Brad called it once we were to the area he had been parked in. Amazingly enough it began ringing from under a pile of snow. I'm so glad he decided to turn the ringer on because we wouldn't have seen it otherwise. It has a little scratch on one corner, but otherwise survived it's fall and the subsequent hour or so in the snow. I'm so glad because even though it is just a thing, and it can be replaced, I felt very lost without it.

Flashback Friday: Christmas traditions

My mom has a wonderful Christmas countdown calendar that I love. I don't have a picture of it but you probably all know the kind of calendar I'm talking about. It has a tree in the middle and every day as Christmas gets closer you get to take a little ornament off of the pocket for the day and pin it on the tree. In each pocket there was always something written on a little slip of paper to do that day. Things as simple as "go look at Christmas lights" or "attend the High School Christmas Choir concert" or maybe as big as "make Christmas bread for neighbors" which takes all day. When people talk about having Christmas traditions I sometimes have a hard time thinking of what my family does as a tradition. But really every day during the month had a small tradition of it's own. We could always use the same slips of paper because we would do the same things every year.

My favorites include the ones I listed above.
I love driving around looking at Christmas lights. With the economy the way it is I don't think people will be able to really do this as much anymore and that makes me sad. Perhaps when I have kids I will start the tradition of going to the light shows like they have in Willard Bay and Spanish Fork so they will still get to see Christmas lights.

Another thing that we would do every year is make graham cracker houses. I was lucky enough to have family close by while I went to school in Logan that have the same traditions so I could continue this fun activity even though I didn't live at home for the whole month of December. I missed the parties this month and that makes me sad :( But just knowing graham cracker houses are being made makes me feel happy.
Here is one I made with a friend 2 years ago. (really I made it, he just ate graham crackers and frosting) It is a Church with stained glass windows and a gingerbread preacher. It also has a duck pond with a cute little duck in front. (ok the friend made the duck... but that's all the help I had) Last years graham cracker house was a southern plantation but because we used those yummy piroette (sp?) cookies for posts it got eaten before we could take a picture......

I've also made 8 loaves of my moms Christmas bread this year. (I failed at the first 4 but succeeded at the next 8!) I hope to keep these traditions alive and well with my family as it forms.

If you have any great Christmas traditions you think I should add to my calendar leave a message and let me know. There is always room for more fun!

Graduation Video

Feel badly that you couldn't come to the graduation? Want to feel like you were there? Well you can watch the video here. Or for those of you who don't like clicking on links..... the address is http://www.usu.edu/provost/commencement/archives.cfm . Just click on Undergraduate ceremony video.

Don't want to watch the whole thing and just want to hear them say my name and watch me walk down the plank shaking hands? Well then click on link and download the video then zoom ahead to 53:38 in the video and you will hear them say my name! Woot Woot!

Pictures will come shortly. I forgot my camera so I used my mother-in-laws and since she had finals this week she's been a bit busy so I don't have them yet.

Graduation

I graduate from college tomorrow. Whoa. I kind of don't know how I got this far, but I'm glad I did. I have been having some thoughts and they wont seem related at first but stay with me, they do relate to me graduating I promise.

Those of you who really know me know that I worry about EVERYTHING. Ridiculous things. Have you seen the movie "Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events"? There is a woman on that movie that is just like me. She at one point warns the children not to stand in front of the refrigerator because it could tip over and squish them. What are the odds that would happen? Slim, but she worries about it. I would too. This worrying is really what causes my hypochondria as well.

Now I know that driving in crummy weather is a worry for most people, but I worry a lot. In fact today I had thoughts that I would just not walk at graduation so that my family wouldn't drive to Logan in the snow tomorrow morning. They would not like that, so we're going. So to ease my over active mind will you all pray that my family will be able to drive safely in the snow and that I will not give myself an ulcer over things beyond my control. Thank you.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mom's 22nd anniversary of her 30th Birthday. (I wrote a post about how great she is back on mothers day. You can read it here.) Now some of you may ask, "If you are going to celebrate the anniversary of a birthday why pick 30?" You may think, "30 is close to 29, why not just go one year lower and be in your 20's again?!" There are a number of reasons for why she does this. The first reason is because she tells people if you are going to stay one age forever make it believable. She figures everyone says they are 29 so who is going to question the fact that she says she is 30. But as I got to thinking I figured out the real reason she says this. You see the year she turned 30 must have been a great year for her. I can think of the obvious reason why that would have been her favorite birthday.

She had just given birth to an angel child and her life was complete. I made her 30th birthday so happy and memorable that she decided to celebrate that year over and over again.

Sorry little sister, she didn't pick 34 so we know who her favorite child is.

Subbing

I'm officially signed up to be a sub now. Anyone in Granite school district want a day off?

My week off

I know you are dying to know what I'm going to do this week since I have no school but I don't graduate until Saturday. Well so far I've spent last night and this morning reading Dave Barry columns over at davebarry.com. I love Dave Barry and I just wanted you all to know that it is possible to find all sorts of his columns online. Really I do have plans to actually do things this week but for now this is what I'm doing.