Sometimes I Can Be Crafty!

Ya know how in elementary school, you absolutely insisted on getting a new set of crayons every year even though the old ones were still useable?   Well, this is what happens when 5 kids' unused crayons build up for years and years and years.  Of course they are Pinterest brilliance, but I am pleased with how they turned out!

This will look very nice in, and add some color to my apartment living room wall.

I like this flower idea.

So it did take a really long time unwrapping like 800 crayons, but my nieces were nice and they helped me.  No, I didn't make them.  They wanted to. :)

It's kind of magical looking to me!!

 This last semester I got to take a Ceramics class for one of my required generals.  I was really excited because I took it my Senior year of high school, and loved it!  Here are all of the finished products from just this semester!

We spent most of our time on the potting wheels throwing clay, but there are a couple of random hand-building things  included in the pile as well.  We only had a couple of days to do those, so I didn't really take much time.  Plus hand-building was the only thing we did in high school, so I wanted to focus more on throwing!

The bottles and pots were my favorite things to make!!

As an introductory class we were only able to use like 6 of the glazes,  and the instructor preferred that we keep it simple.  I was kind of disappointed about that, because I loved painting details on my work in high school, but it was okay because that would have taken away from time on the wheel.


So...yeah!  That's all for now!  Have lovely day.  

Some post-Christmas adventures

Ready, set, go!!

The day after Christmas, we all met up in a big field to play some
kickball and fly remote-control helicopters.
Look at that kid.  He such a little stud. 

Mary got a little tired and just fell asleep like so.

All lined up ready to kick!

Then we played some games at my second home!  I love the Larsens!

I don't see these people enough!!

Apparently Becca likes to stand on my table???
What's Up Doc? and Clue were the movie selections of the night.
Pillow Puff Pastries are always a bonus. :)

I tried some new hair-styles...

to go with new outfits.  My style is versatiling.  

Then we celebrated my dad's 57th birthday!!
You wouldn't know it though because we mostly took pictures of this little guy.

Still a kid.  The straw wrapper is aimed at Adam.  Nailed him.  FYI.

He is teething...so he eats everything....love kisses from this boy.

Stay tuned for more!!

"DON'T THEY KNOW THAT CHRISTMAS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY TIME?"

I love coming home for Christmas and sleeping next to this...

...and this.  I fall asleep by the fire/under the tree almost every night.

I love going to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert every year!
This year before the concert, my aunt and uncle took Adam, Kellee, and me to dinner.
Joy Luck is yummo. :)

Cousin Kell-bell, Adam, and Me.
The set was almost as gorgeous as the music.
The featured guests were AMAZING!

Me, Mom, and Shandee.
My favorite part of the concert was when the snow started falling!
It was so magical, that I couldn't help but bounce up and down in my seat a little bit.

Of course,  I didn't get my traditional post-concert-mistletoe
kiss this year
(which is most definitely a favorite.   Ahem!).  Oh well.  More Christmas concerts to come. 

I love when my whole family gathers for our annual Yule Log Dinner.

We caught an elf! :)

Lyndee carried that baby Jesus doll around all night.

Story time!  We also celebrated Kenzie's 8th birthday.
Happy Birthday, my firecracker redhead niece! 

The tree is always a big hit with the little ones.

A few of us even got a little snoozy, though.  

So much good food plus the warmth of the fire put us right to sleep!

But as soon as we woke up, the fun started all over again!

This year a new favorite memory got added to the list when my dad sat all the little ones down for a story.
He told about how one day a man was driving down the street late one night, and he saw a little old man with a cane walking alone in the cold.  So he pulled over, and offered the little man a ride.  He graciously thanked him, explained what he was doing, and got into the warm car.  When they pulled up to the little trailer home that the little man lived in, the younger man noticed that it was covered in beautiful twinkling lights.  Noticing that the man was looking at the lights, the little old man explained that he loves putting lights up because he hopes it makes it an extra special time of year for the neighborhood children.  The old man thanked the younger man for his kindness, got out of the car, and disappeared into his little house....  

As the younger man drove home that night, he thought how nice it would be if he took all of his little
grandchildren to sing Christmas carols to this lonely sweet old man.
At that point, all of my nieces and nephews began to recognize that this was a true story - that the younger man was their Grandpa Russon!  They were all so excited about filling a big stocking with good food and candy, and taking it to the little old man.  So we all piled up in our cars, drove over there, and left the stocking for the man.  Granted, the little man didn't come to the door so we just sang to the rooster that was sitting outside of it, but it was a Christmas miracle that I will never forget!
I'm grateful for growing up in a home where my parents frequently took and still take opportunities to share their testimonies, tell us how much they love us, and teach us precious life lessons like this one.
May well ALL remember to do such things for the ones we love!

Speaking of sharing, please watch this precious little video of love!  This is the Christmas story told by 4 year old Brinley (she is in Savior of the World with me).  It is so tender, you won't want to miss out on it.  I promise!!

From the bottom of my heart, I wish you a Merry Christmas!  

Patronus Charm Memories....

Have you ever thought about casting the Patronus spell from Harry Potter?  The one where you have to think about one of the happiest/peaceful moments of you life, in order for you to defeat a bunch of dementors?  Come on.  I know you have.  Well, I love to think about that.  Mostly because I just like an excuse to try to think of those moments - the most powerful ones.  I love that we have the gift of memory, and I pray that I never have to be with out it.  It truly is such a blessing.  Here are some of my most powerful Patronus Charm memories:  Please uplift us all, and feel free to think hard about and share yours as well!!

• Not too long ago, my family was gathered for a family dinner, and I can't even remember what it was that made my sister and me laugh so hard, but we were laughing uncontrollably.  The best part was that our laughs are insanely similar, and so when she would laugh even more, I would laugh even more.  This went on for seriously like 10 minutes.  My whole family was practically in tears from just watching Shandee and me laugh so hard at each other's laughs.  Matt even caught it on camera, and it is such a treasured moment for me.   I KNEW that this is what heaven must feel like.  Just like moments like this, there have been countless times that I have sat back and just watched my family, feeling so much peach and the purest kind of joy because I know that I get to be with them forever.  
• This next one is kinda like Harry Potter's where he couldn't exactly pin in to just one memory.  This one is all of those moments that I have sat back and been so unbelievably humbled at the amazing blessing that my friends have been to me.  From the time that I was sobbing uncontrollably, and Becca just held me like a little baby, to the time that Cami, Danner and I just had a much needed dance party outside of Danner's car after one really long CATS rehearsal.  I can list so many more specific instances like these ones. Some of my greatest memories, the kind that I so look forward to being able to replay and watch someday, are with both my old friends and my new.   
• The fourth of July 2009.  I was surround by the people that I loved the most.  I had my whole family around me.  Including all of the little ones.  I had my best friend sitting next to me, as he held my niece.  We were eating homemade ice cream, and watching the little firework show that we put on every year.  I sat there, and felt more content than I can ever remember feeling.  I thought to myself, "I must be the happiest girl in the world right now."  Looking back, I can still feel that specific feeling.  It's so simple, but it is honestly one of the happiest memories I have.  
• Running up to be the first to get to each of my brothers as they first returned from their missions.  Okay so I wasn't the first with Adam because of a blasted AIDA rehearsal, but the family had already seen him, so they were all around to watch as we saw each other for the first time in 2 years.  
• Being there when my sister had her first little girl.  It was a miracle to witness, and I instantly fell in love with that little gift that came straight from our Heavenly Father.  The veil was so thin.
• The opportunity I had to share my testimony with a girl from one of my classes after I gave her a ticket to Savior of the World.  She isn't a member, so I knew I wanted to give her the tickets.  She brought her boyfriend and said that they both loved it.  That is about as far as our post-show conversation went, though.  Every time I saw her in class after that, I felt the strongest feeling in my gut that I needed to actually talk to her about it.  For days I prayed for the courage to share my feelings about the Savior.  One morning I told Heavenly Father that I was running out of time because the semester was almost over.  I asked Him for an opportunity to be put in my path.  Mostly I asked Him for courage to do what I knew He wanted me to.  Later that very day, I got out of a class early, so there wasn't anyone else around on the sidewalk.  Except for her.  I looked up, and directly in front of me, she was walking.  She was literally put in my path!  I had to chuckle and shake my head at the plainness of this answered prayer.  We small talked for a minute, then we talked about Savior of the World.  I shared with her my testimony of the Savior and of the Book of Mormon.  Although my words weren't eloquent or well thought out I knew, by the look in her eyes, that the Spirit had told her what I couldn't.  I walked away from that with so much joy in my heart.  I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.  I felt so close to my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.  I was amazed and so grateful that they would allow little ME to be a part of their great work.  I will never forget this powerful, testimony strengthening experience.  It is an easy go-to for a Patronus spell.  That is for sure.  

Well!  Those are just a few of some of my favorite memories!  I have so many more - some simple and some elaborate,  some old and some new - but the important thing is that I have them.  Take the time to think about your favorite memories, and don't forget to thank the one that allowed for you to have them. Thanks for letting me share!

During Finals...

This is what students' apartments look like....

Who has the time?

Notice the evidence of frequent fast-food runs.

There are 3 laptops here.  All of which being used by one person.

And no judging because I know this is what all ya'll's apartments look(ed) like too.  

As soon as I'm done posting this, Imma go clean it up!  I think we can all agree to agree that this will put me in the straight win for "best roommate of the week" award.

Angels Among Us

One of the reoccurring thoughts that I have had in the last couple performances of Savior of the World, is the idea that angels truly are among us.  I have met so many wonderful people in this show.  People who for various reasons have been angels to me.  Truly the Lord has stretched His hand out to me THROUGH these people.  Also, as a member of the cast, I spend a lot of time up on the colonnade portraying an angel. It has given me a lot of time to think about the real angels - those who have gone before, or have yet to come - that surround each of us through every moment of every day.  I have been thinking about them a lot.  We talk about them a lot in our cast meetings, and miracles have happened because of it.
Last night, I had a particularly amazing and special experience.  I am named after my great great grandma, Hannah Simmons Gibb.  I have read her stories, been to the place she was born in London, and felt her near during trying times.  I believe she is an angel especially assigned to watch over me.  I try so hard to live my life in a way that would make her proud to share a name.  I so look forward to meeting her one day.  Last night, during the second act,  I got a little distracted from what was happening down on the stage below me, and I thought about my part as an angel.  I started thinking about what it meant.  Then my thoughts led me to think about the real angels around me.  I started to picture them in my mind, watching us just like we watch the stage from the colonnade.  Then I thought about my Hannah Simmons.  I was immediately overwhelmed with the feeling that she was there on the colonnade with me.  Rejoicing in the life of the Savior.  I felt that if I were to turn around, I would see her.  If we started singing, I would hear her.  I felt the spirit so strongly.  It didn't last long; maybe she had other places to be, but tears came to my eyes, as I felt my testimony of angels grow stronger.  Later, I was telling my mom, brother, and sister-in-law about the experience.  I told them that I wondered if it was just my imagination.  My brother told me to "not cast away thy confidence," and again, I got teary because of the realness of it.   As I stood there on the colonnade pretending to be an angel, a real angel - my Hannah - stood there with me.  I have no doubt that it happens more often than we recognize.  I'm grateful that the Spirit would let me recognize it this time.  "Loved ones long now gone are here with us today.  They're in the things we do.  They're in the words we say."  I am grateful for the angels, both here and beyond the veil, that truly do surround us.

Tis the Season of Giving

And boooooy, do I love giving!!

Book mark from etsy.com (thanks for the idea, Stephanie).
Oldungur is Elder in Icelandic.

Compilation of  my favorite lines/scenes from Savior of the World.
Explanations as to why they are special to me included.

Teeny tiny "lion of luck" that I found whilst wondering around a local toy store.
He likes lions. 

Got it sent off PRIORITY today.  Yay!!

P.S.  If you are a postal worker and a girl comes in to mail her favorite missionary friend a much thought out Christmas package, don't have an open conversation with the other postal worker about how "it should be fine without this or that postal sticker.  It should get there just fine."  Umm "should" and "just fine" don't really cut it, and it leaves her with much anxiety as to whether or not said package is going to make it to it's destination safely.  Ahem. Thank you. 

Ahem...small observation.

You know how sometimes you are walking down the hall or sidewalk on campus and you notice a guy looking at you and you think to yourself, "cool!  That really attractive man chose to look at ME a little longer than what is deemed normal."?  Well quite often on days like these ones ^, I think to myself, "oh.  He is totally looking at me not because he is attracted to me, or because he is checking me out, but because he is in utter appalation at the way I have chosen to present myself to the public today." 

 Thats when I stare right back at them, do a subtle kissy face and wink at them as if to say, "you know you want this."

That's a lie.  I don't really do that.   

But, STOP STARING!  YES, I AM PERFECTLY AWARE OF THE WAY THAT I LOOK!!!

Thank you.  

That is all.