ugh

You KNOW that TIME when your tire decides to randomly

EXPLODE and you are supposed to be at a friends house

eating jumbalya (true Lousianna style), and you have been

looking forward to it for a REALLY LONG time...

But you can't get there because no one can change your tire because everyone is changing their tire because 500 pounds of snow decided to dump on utah?? 

And a day later you are still kind of upset and still locked in your house with no where to go and you have lots of places you want to go? So instead of going somewhere to get your mind off of the tire you are thinking to yourself... Seriously 565 Dollars for new tires...I could buy an airplane ticket to Hawaii for that! 

That's me. :)

PS- Obviously not my tire, my tire is buried in a bunch of snow. 

Good Find

Quiz:

1. name the 5 wealthiest people in the world

2. name the last five Heisman Trophy winners

3. name the last five winners of the Miss America contest

4. name 10 people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize

5. name the last decades worth of World Series winners

6. name the last half dozen academy award winners

Here's another quiz:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school

2. Name 3 friends who have helped you through a difficult time

3. Name three people who have taught you something worthwhile

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated

5. Think of 3 people you enjoy spending time with

6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you

Easier?

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money or the most awards. They are the ones who care. 

When you reach the end of your life do you want to be one of the people who are glad they did, or one of those who wish they had? Start doing the things today that will matter tomorrow. Don't leave this world without giving it your all. The best inheritance you can leave your kids is an example of how to live a full and meaningful life. Live your life so that your children tell their children that you not only stood for something wonderful-you acted on it. -Dan Zadra

Bye Fall Semester 09

Even though I am super excited I made it through my hardest semester yet, there will be SOME things I'll miss...

Friends, who have to leave and graduate... Boo.

Friends who have been in all of my dance classes.

Football. 

UofU/BYU game.

Rushing the field after an awesome win!

Ben and his buddy, Pace. 

Tis the Season

I LOVE december. Best month of the year. 

This year has been especially fun being married! It feels like we've had 3 times as many parties between the two of us, we love it. It's always so good to see family and friends.  

Here is what we've been up to during this CRAZY month...

Cowley Family Christmas Party

Cousins

Photography Christmas Party

We had such a good time exchanging prints, eating, and listening to our professor read us Christmas stories. Ben and I got a picture of the Seattle Sky Line.

We love it. Here is a pic of my professor reading to us and showing us all of the pictures. It was the cutest.  

White Elephant party at the Streadbecks

We had such a good time. Our Muckalucks were a hit!

If you need some slippers to keep your toes warm this winter, we HIGHLY recommend them!

Ben and two of his good mission buddies.

PS- Isn't the christmas sweater on their dog the best?

Annual friend christmas party at Lexies. 

It's always so much fun to get together with all of Bens High School buddies, wives, husbands, and BABIES! It was so much fun to see all of the babies this year! Ben LOVES his friends kids. Here he is with Ryder baby. Chase and Ash's little stud. 

Work Party (At&t)

Carrie and I at the Jazz game.

Nutcracker

Cousins, Aunts, Grandma, and Mom. 

This is one of my favorite traditions. I started going when I was about three and fell in love with dance ever since. 

Freeze Fest. 

Ugly Sweater Party, ice skating, broom hockey, hot chocolate, cookie decorating, stocking making and dancing.

Yes... I was the only one on the dance floor.

Pretty sure Ben was embarrassed. 

Joy

Yesterday was one of those days that I wish could have never ended. It was one of those days that seems to good to be true. Yesterday involved all of my favorite things, family, friends, food, laughing so hard I cried, crying from being truly touched, happiness, music, good conversations, singing, hugs, Christmas shopping, more laughing, more food, and more family.

 Yesterday morning we woke up and went to our White family Christmas party. Ben has a CRAZY huge extended family…We have to celebrate in a church because there is no home in the size in Utah that could fit all those bodies. I ate about 5 different breakfast casseroles, got a kiss from Bens uncle I have never met (thank you Rich), and sang Christmas carols. After the party I ran home to meet my parents and do a little Christmas shopping. While I was shopping I: couldn’t stop laughing (Anyone who knows me knows that I think my Dad and brothers are hysterical, I am a goner whenever they are around), ran into two of my amazing friends, got some new, much needed shoes, and ate a healthy salad (that is big news, I havn’t had something green in quite some time…healthy food is just seems to be too time consuming and pricy these days, the joys of being a newly wedJ). After shopping I hurried home threw on my Christmas dress and headed off to one of my favorite things ALL year, the roof.

 I absolutely love this tradition that I get to be a part of. I look forward to it all year long. Shortly after I fell in love with Ben, I fell in love with his family. It was at the Roof where I decided that If I married into his family I would be the luckiest! I still feel the same way. Bens parents always make it so special, I always think to myself that it couldn’t get any better, and then it does. We always come in where a little present sits on the table in front of us. Then we eat and eat and eat (like usual), my favorite part is definitely the desserts.  Then we watched a video that Kash had put together of all the family and all that had gone on this year. After that the boys all read a letter to their grandma, and thanked her for the good influence she and her husband had been on them.  After that all the boys read a letter to each of their wives. There is always the best feeling in the room, the kind of feeling you wish would never go away. I am so impressed with my brother in laws and the love they all have for their families and the gospel. I am grateful for the good examples we have, in bens grandparents, parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. Thank You!

 After that Ben and I raced over to the concert hall to watch John Shmidt with my family. K, the guy is hilarious. I absolutely loved his concert. In my opinion he puts on one of the best shows, hand down. His music is so incredible. One of our favorite parts is when he brings his dad out to tell jokes and play the harmonica. His dad is the coolest. It was so cute to see him jammin out to his harmonica. Another one of my personal favorites was of course the Love Story/ Viva La Vida combo. What an unexpected, perfect combination of songs! Two thumbs up indeed. 

The Roof

Castleberry's

John Shmidt Christmas Concert

Thanks Ma and Pa Castleberry and Cowley. 

We just love ya. 

Ahhh...

A breathe of fresh air

 

Right now I am going to allow myself to take one BIG breath and not let it out for two weeks and three days. During these next few days I am going… 

To spend some quality time with my husband without thinking about what’s due tomorrow.

Actually eat something other than fudge, chocolate puffs, peppermint white chocolate, and hard cookies left in the car. Maybe I am going to have an ACTUAL meal.

Not worry about a single piece of art work (ok, lies, I still like art, and I still like photography, so I will probably STILL take a picture and admire a piece of art, but I’m going to pretend that I’m not. Maybe I will just take a picture, and create something artsy for ENJOYMENT rather than drawing a piece of crumpled up paper so my professor will be happy). 

Not have to miss my aunts wedding dinner, my aunt who I love, and can’t be there because I am in a test writing about the city Pergamon and how the Great Alter of Zeus and Dying Chief Gaul affected art.

Not have to buy a single piece of matt board, Stonehenge, charcoal, or oil paint. Instead of spending ALL my pennies on supplies, I am going to go to the mall and buy someone a nice Christmas present. 

I am not going to worry about memorizing another dance step…I am going to dance to Christmas music however I want J 

I am going to play with my adorable nieces and nephews and not have to leave in the middle of an intense football game to go create a 2D design project. 

Stay up late talking to my Dad and not have to worry about driving back to Provo.

I think I’ll sleep in a day or two… 

I am EXCITED for this CHRISTMAS BREAK!

So Funny

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Ahh, Thanksgiving.

Good food and family.

Lucky for us we got to celebrate three times...

Cowley, Castleberry, and Browns 

Let's just say I've been in a turkey coma all week.

It was so good to see all of my cousins on the Cowley side again!

We always have such a good time laughing our heads off at funny little things. 

This time we were reminiscing on the chubby, awkward, brace face stages we all went through and the butterfly clip hair days. Do you remember that trend? It was huge when I was like twelve years old. Such a funny trend...But we were crazy about it. 

It's always a good time. Unfortunately I completely forgot to snap a picture of us all...

Next time. 

Ben doing Yoga with McKinley.

I think it's the coolest. 

I want my little kids to do yoga with me.

...even though I don't do yoga...yet. But this may have inspired me. 

We also got to go to the Trans Siberian Orchestra with Bens Parents as well as mine.

Pretty sure my Father in law still hasn't gotten over it.

He was in LOVE with the concert. 

Afterwards we went out to eat at Royal India. Killer Indian Food. It was so good chatting with Russ and Kash. I am so lucky to have them as my in laws. On thanksgiving we went over to their home to have MORE pie and play with all of our nieces and nephews. I think my nephew Camden was surprised at my football tackling skills. :) 

It was a perfect break, and so nice to be able to just chill with our families for awhile. 

So in the spirit of thanksgiving I am thankful for being able to take a break from school and spend time with my family. 

A hot dog? Really?

So I never thought I would say this but as of yesterday I have a new addiction...HOT DOGS...yeah a hot dog. Seems gross, but don't judge until you go get one. Currently I want another one of these bad boys more than peanut butter...

If you are ever by BYU...go to J Dawgs. You won't regret it. 

Also, while I was there the cutest thing happened. 

As I was enjoying my hot dog smothered in special sauce (oh ya...and GET the special sauce!), and saurkraut the sweetest little boy came up to me and just started hugging me. He would take a step back, look at me, and just start hugging me again. 

His dad kept calling for him but he wouldn't leave me. Finally, he hurried and ran out the door with his dad and I was just sitting there feeling so overwhelmed by the love little kids have. I wish I could be as loving as that little boy. He will never know how much It meant to me!

Oh, and the craaazzy thing is...he looked exactly like the little boy in the post below.

My post from only two days before. Funny the way things work sometimes. 

Why me?

I just got home from my 2D design class.

My teacher had us watch this amazing film that REALLY touched me.

It was supposed to teach us a little lesson about Gestalt theory,

but I got a whole lot more out of it then an art lesson.

It showed people from every part of the world, how they live, and what they have to do to survive. It showed their incredibly hard lives. Children searching through huge land fills to try and find some food, babies sleeping in the streets, and the list goes on and on. I came home feeling so thankful and I thought it was appropriate to write down at this time of thanksgiving. My life is too good. 

Babies and Weddings

Last saturday was so perfect! Lot's of girl time between two back to back showers! It was sooo good to see my girls and my family again. It feels like it has been forever! It's amazing what living only an hour away will do! 

I could have sat on this couch forever and just talked to these amazing friends of mine. I really am so dang lucky to have such supportive friends. And it is so fun to have babies to join us! Our first picture with two babies, and two on the way :) 

Cousins and Grandma

I wouldn't have had a problem with sitting on this couch forever either.

And a HUGE congrats to my auntie!! 

She is getting married in december to an awesome guy!

We couldn't be happier!

Halloween

I figure better late than never...

Here is our halloween paaartty a couple of weeks ago. :)

Ben and I LOVE the holidays!! But then again... who doesn't? 

Ben and Kai...scary scary

Our guests

Winegars

Some crazy lookin girl with her pimp...

Browns

Clarks

Castleberry's

We had a nice donut eating contest...

Congrats to Brennen for chowin down the fastest.

 Ryder LOVED the donut!

We bobbed for apples...

They took it very seriously

And a pumpkin carving contest. 

We totally thought we had it in the bag but John and KJ decided to outdo us.

Cute crash carvin away. Her pumpkin was so cute. 

A few of our pumpkins

Food or Football...

Why not both?!

Last Friday night we had a ward chili cook off...

And ben had a football game. Even though he couldn't go to the "cook off" he still spent a few hours crafting away on his masterpiece determined he would make the best chili. So I ran his chili over for him...and it proved to be worth it. He won second next to the Texas chili :) Here he is proud of his i-tunes card and delicious award winning chicken chili. 

Pretty dang cute. :) 

Fall flag football.