Not-so-senior shots

Before I get on with this, I'M HOME! And I'm pretty sure I am part of the most incredible family on the planet. I have been having such an amazing time. Those adventures will be shared later! But anyhow, the real purpose of this post is that Rebecca brought my senior pictures to the Christmas party last week. They're done! The shoot was extremely last minute - we squeezed it in about two weeks before I left for BYU. And Rebecca was so accommodating. How she got this outta me I will never know. Thanks a million to her! She is downright amazing at her job. 

Reason for the Season

     Christmas. Honestly, the most amazing time of year. My favorite time of year! It's always cold [: Crisp, clear, frosty mornings. Hot chocolate. Christmas lights. Big coats and boots. Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole on the radio. The glowing tree in the living room. The fireplace at home always warm and bright. Lots and lots of singing. The never-ending cooking and baking of amazing treats! There are so many things to do with family and friends. But the thing that I know is my most favorite part of the holiday season is the way I feel. And something even more wonderful is that everyone feels this same way too. Even those who aren't particularly religious. I can't exactly put my finger on it, but seems to me that everyone is just more grateful, less selfish, and more focused on making other people happy. In essence, people are more Christlike, whether they're doing it consciously or just involuntarily getting caught up in the "spirit of giving" atmosphere that everyone else is creating. How cool is it that pretty much everyone of every faith can share the same emotion? It makes me so excited!
     I love President Monson's message about having the spirit of Christ during Christmas. To be honest it makes me a little bit sniffly every time I watch it. Embarrassing! But that little girl is so darn cute, and the principle she teaches her family is so pure. The spirit of Christ; that's the happiness that everyone feels during the holidays! Some of 'em just don't know it. [: I love the Christmas season most of all because the most important things in my life - my family and my Savior - are the emphasis of the whole celebration we call "Christmas." Words get in the way when I sit here and try to express my love for Jesus Christ, who I know came to Earth to suffer for the sins of the world so that I could live with my Heavenly Father and my family again. And despite the fact that he was coming to perform that amazing sacrifice, despite the fact that he was the Son of God; a king, he was brought into the world in a stable, among farm animals. This only strengthens my testimony that he knows every one of God's children personally, from the highest to the humblest.
     I love this time of year. I'm so happy right now. Part of that is probably owed to the fact that I'm DONE with finals and will on a plane bound for Seattle in about four hours. And the rest of it is just a result that of this special season and everything that comes with it. [: Merry Christmas!!

Dear finals,

     I really, really, really want to see these people. Right now. I've already taken two of your stinkin exams; can I just skip the other three and go home? Am I really asking too much? I don't think so...

Two days. [: 

Hockey, Christmas lights, and a museum of... beans?

Here we have myself, looking quite gleeful indeed. Why? Well for starters, that's a real live RHINO {or was, at one point or another}, but most importantly, this was the first day of an entire weekend I got to spend with one of my most favorite people on the planet. 

This is David. He's one of my bestest friends from high school, and one of the awesomest people of my LIFE. I've never known anyone inside & out like I do him, nor have I had a friend who has known me so well. I literally just plain love him. To bits. Yep. And this here boy came to visit me at college. Back in November he surprised the daylights outta me by casually mentioning to me that he had bought a plane ticket to come spend a weekend in Provo. I was mighty excited and brainstormed all sorts of things to do all over campus so we could have adventures just like old times. The night he arrived, we went & saw Inception at the Dollar Theater (bless its cheap little heart; a college kid can never be thankful enough for one of those things so close to campus), which was just as mind-blowingly good my second time, though I did still jump at all the tense parts much to David's delight.
     The next day was party time. It was David's birthday so I had some super fun stuff planned. First I took him to the Commons cafeteria where us Helaman Halls freshmen are (over)fed each & every day. I always would brag to David about the food there so it was only fair that I let him experience it first-hand. After we had some real food, we had a dessert challenge where each of us got to pick whatever (unlimited) desserts we wanted the other person to eat... 

But by about the third plate it really wasn't feelin like such a 

great idea anymore. 

After lunch it was off to the Monte L. Bean Museum of Life Sciences, more commonly known as the Bean museum. It's one of my favorite places on campus, and I was sure it would be David's as well. I didn't let him in on the secret of what was actually in the museum, though, so when he heard we were going to "the Bean museum" he was a little confused as to why anyone would devote an entire museum to beans. He was pretty surprised when we walked through those doors!

David & his liger. "It's like a lion and tiger mixed... bred for its skills in

magic." (name that movie.)

Don't worry, I went easy on him.

Can you tell the difference? Psh, neither can I.

Fact: my hair matches the fur of the Himalayan Tahr. I will now respond to "hemitragus jemlahicus" 

if you ever find yourself growing bored of Hannah. I really won't mind.

This fish is called a Wahoo. Muchhh too great of a photo op to 

pass up. [:

David's favorite, the bear. Someday you'll be taller, buddy. Someday.

Oh the fun you can have in a building filled to the brim with dead animals! [: We sure think so.

And now, enter: bad luck. I started to come down with the flu! Talk about awful timing. Thanks immune system. But I refused to go home just yet, since I still had more plans for us to make David's birthday spectacular. We headed over to a showing of BYU's sketch comedy group, Divine Comedy, which was great & supplied much laughter, much to the un-delight of my nausea & body aches. Against my protesting, David refused to let me take him to his birthday dinner when I was feeling so sick, so instead we went and saw How The Grinch Stole Christmas {cute movie, that one} before I went back to my dorm to see if I could sleep off the nasties. The next morning I felt much better, & we wandered around campus till the BYU hockey game, just doing random stuff like sippin on some Jambas and finding this lil baby door in the racquetball wing of the gym. Perfect fit, wouldn't you say?

We just have a good time. Wherever we go.

 Then it was hockey time!

The zamboni driver thought he was extremely cool leanin' like a cholo.

After a handful of fights & finally a satisfying victory of 7-4 over Weber State, David's older sister Marie picked us up & it was off to Temple Square for some Christmas light viewing. They were beautiful and I really can't think of a better way to get in the Christmas spirit. [:

We found this nativity scene from China and, naturally, a picture had to be taken. David

looks all authentic but you can't see my peace signs because of my black gloves so...

I just look constipated. My apologies. No offense meant to Asians! 

So that's how I got to spend my second to last weekend of my first semester of college, & I wouldn't have it any other way. [: Best friend, stuffed animals, men with sticks who look for any excuse to beat each other up, & then Temple Square. Perfect, perfect, perfect. And to top it off, I'm HOME in two weeks. Just gotta get over these nasties and beast some final exams.

Easy-peasy when you've just had a weekend like mine.

Thanks for visiting me, buddy. [: