I Got THE Call

Christmas came early for me today...I was standing at the bus stop in SLC with my aunt waiting in the snow when my phone rang..."where is area code 202?" I asked. "I think New York" my aunt responded I answered and it was a lady from the Peace Corps. She asked if she could talk to me a minute about placement, I said sure, as the traffic was racing by. She asked me a few questions about what I thought about the Peace Corps and what I was doing to prepare for it. I was taking off guard and was stumbling to find the right words. I just kept saying how excited and anxious I was for the opportunity. She asked if I have talked to any return volunteers, which I have and she said to keep talking to people about it to get a feeling for their struggles. She went on to say that the program I had initially been nominated for (leaving in March for Eastern Europe) had been filled. My heart fell....how much longer would I have to wait? Then she said another program was available for a Health Extension in the Caribbean, non-Spanish speaking country and that my background would be perfect for the program. She asked if I was available to leave in February? I said I was available and that I'd be thrilled to be accepted. She said she was offering me a inviation and that she was mailing me the packet with a location, date, and information on the country, I should get it in about a week. I could not believe it! My aunt and I were talking about the Peace Corps earlier in the morning and then I got the call and acceptance!! And to be on an island, you all know I love islands, I am so excited!!!!
Thank you to EVERYONE for your love, support, encouragement, and positive thoughts. I am totally ready for this great learning adventure!!!

Here are the possibilities
Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Eastern Caribbean: Antigua/Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada/Carriacou, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, or St. Vincent/Grenadines

"When I Grow Up..."

When I was a little girl I heard the story about my dad as a wee kid....he wanted to be a snowman when he grew up. I thought of this story last night and just laughed!
Dad, you would have made a great snowman!
Don't kids say the cutest things?!

Zoo Lights

I am so excited that I got to go to Zoo Lights! I got a group from work together to go and it was a lot of fun! I loved all the lights and seeing the few animals that were out. The neatest was the mama tiger and her 2 cubs. They were playful and she was licking them. I also liked the cougar and of course the monkeys!

We got these cool 3D glasses which made the lights look like snowflakes.

There's so much fun stuff to do & sometimes you just have to bear the cold

The Gift of Christmas

Andrea invited me to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas show last night and I am really glad I got to go! I really enjoyed it and loved the Christmas spirit! There were so many people there and the traffic was crazy, luckily mom was willing to drive me as close as possible to the Conference Center. I did get out of the car and walked a few blocks because I thought I was going to be late. Boy was it cold out side.....I don't know if I have ever been that cold...thankfully Andrea met me and we went inside but as we were about to enter to find our seats they turned us away, we were too late. Then Yoho came and told the lady his parents were saving our seats and she let us in! The building was beautiful and we had good seats. The special guest was Natalie Cole, she has a great voice. But my favorite was the organist, the history of Christmas songs and the performance for the Celebration of Carols from around the World. Afterward the 3 of us went to Applebees for food & hot chocolate. Thanks Andrea and Yoho for inviting me!

Winter Wonderland

The last few days it has snowed a lot....

Ok this picture was taken back in October...but it's pretty

View from the front doorView from kitchen window

Happy Birthday Julie!!

Wishing Julie a wonderful birthday full of joy, love and happiness! Julie, I am so grateful you are apart of our family! You an awesome woman who is so compassionate, loving and giving. You are a great mom and cook! Thank you for all that you do for us, love you.

Happy Birthday!

Lights

Last night I hung out with Andrea, Yoho, Emily, and baby Talia. We watched TV, ate pizza, got ice cream and looked at Christmas lights. It was a fun night! We went to the lights in Spanish Fork...you drive through the golf course that's all decorated with lights while Christmas music is playing. Talia had a good time looking at the lights, dancing, and steering the wheel (with the help of Yoho)!

She is so much fun!!

Tis The Season of Giving

This year we are giving more to those in need...those in 3rd world countries. We first started with Operation Shoe Box. Mom and I filled up two shoe boxes full of little boy and little girl things then took them to the community church were they are mailed across the world. We had fun picking out little kid stuff and warping the shoe boxes!

We also decided to give through Heifer International. Mom bought a sheep and I bought a goat. These animals will be given to 3rd world families so they will be able to provided for themselves and hopefully others. I love this organization because it gives people a source of income and nutrition.

All I Want For Christmas

This year we are not going all out with presents. So I thought it would be fun to create a dream wish list.

All I really want is to be accepted into the Peace Corps!

Incubus

I have been in an Incubus mood lately....I love them! Their music is so good and I want to see them live again. I found these pictures from their album Light Grenades. They are really interesting and creative.

"But sometimes it's a good hurt and it feels like I'm alive...without love I won't survive"

"I've been smiling with anchors on my shoulders"

"We'll always have each other when everything else is gone"

A Grand Experience

The Grand America is full of Christmas festivities: lights, trees, gingerbread houses, & teddy bears, it was fun to see!

Trent, Amie & MomThe Grand America

The gingerbread houses were amazing
this one was my favorite

Mom & her girlsThe Presidential suite on the 23rd floor is full of teddy bears...it was really cute and the room was incredible A bath tub full of teddy bears

Thanksgiving Dinner

We had a really nice Thanksgiving! We went to Dan's house and gathered with his family. There was quite a few of us there: Dan, mom, Dan's mom Dorothy, his sister Ruth & her husband Tom, his son Andrew, wife Deborah & grandson Isaiah, Julie, Dustin, Brenden & Isabelle, Amie & Trent, & me.

Brenden & Snickers

Andrew, Deborah & IsabelleMom, Snickers & Dan

Ruth & Tom & Dustin

Me & Isabelle

I am glad we were able to all come together and give thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe it's that time of year again when we gather around the table with family and friends to give thanks for all that we have been blessed with and to eat yummy turkey! I am turly grateful for my friends and family, without them life would be meaningless. Looking back on the past year I have so much to be grateful for. I am grateful for Dad and Berna letting me live with them and I am grateful for mom letting move back to live wih her. I am grateful that Amie is my sister and for all the fun times we have shared together. I am grateful for Dan and all that he has done for me. I am grateful for all the trips I have been on this past year...Seattle, Arizona, Laughlin, California & Disneyland, Moab, and Ensanada. I am grateful for my job, it has been a good experience and I have met a lot of wonderful people. I am also very grateful for my friends, new and old.
Thank you everyone for your love and support!!
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

*Excited for Andrea*

Andrea has been my best friend for 18 years
& I am so excited for her!

I just want to share the good news........Andrea is pregnant!!! I am so excited! She is going to make a great mom and will be so cute with a little Izabell or little boy! When she called to tell me the news she said, "you are going to be an aunt!" I love that she is my best friend and I couldn't be more happy for her and Yoho :)

Congratulations!

Old Friends

Thanks to Facebook and old Monte Vista pictures I was able to see old friends from elementary and high school. A few weeks ago I found class pictures from kindergarten to 6th grade--I went to school with the same people for years. I posted them on Facebook to share with my old classmates and we all started talking about the good ol' days. Andrea was going out to California and was planning on meeting up with some of the people so I decided I wanted to go too. We all had a good time and it was great to see old friends!!

This picture is kind of hard to see but it's from the 2nd grade--the first class all 4 of us were together.

Andrew top center, Amir on the left end on the second row, Andrea one over, and me next to her

The 4 of us 16 years later

Amir, Andrea, Andrew & me
no, we did not plan on matching...funny

It was so good to see everyone!

I really miss Brittany!!

After dinner a few of us decided to go out, it was so much fun and we ran into more old friends....

andrew & me

brittany, james, & me

james, paul, me & britt

so random

Amie & Maria found new friends

it was good to see Mark too

and it was nice getting together with family :)