Every Tom, Dick, and Harry

the most wonderful time of the year...

I love Christmas time. I love the decorations, the snow, the music, the eggnog, but mostly the spirit the season brings from celebrating Christ.

I thought to share some holiday cheer by putting up my Christmas decor on here (Oh no I'm speaking in rhymes). It's not much decoration, but it makes me happy and it is the one holiday I actually decorate for. 

Christmas Table Runner:

 Before Thanksgiving I was already getting excited for Christmas, so I decided to make a table runner out of  scraps of material I had. I decided to do a fall theme for the back of the table runner, which means two table runners in one. Score!

Fall side:

Christmas Side:

Another project I wanted to try out were these Magazine Christmas Trees that I saw on Martha Stewart's website. I must admit though, Brigg did most of them (he might not like me putting that on here, but seriously he is an excellent tree folder). They were much more tedious and time consuming then I thought and thus Brigg was so kind to help me out. I love how they turned out but probably won't be attempting them again for along time.

 meet my gnome friend, Fred from Germany. Isn't he just adorable!

Our Elf Stockings:

 I made these two Christmas' ago and love them to death. Although I must admit that the elves that would fit these stockings would need to be pretty tall or have fat little legs and big feet (a very curious looking elf is now forming in my head).

backside

and here is my tribute to the Nutcracker

and lastly our humble little Christmas tree. 

Merry Christmas!

Height Differential

So, Havalah and I have this funny perception of each other. We both don't really think that we're that much different in height... I mean, we do.... but we often forget it. We were at a ward dance the other night (which was really really fun) and Havalah saw this other couple and commented something like: "Brigg, wow, look at them... she is so much shorter than he is...." then a few moments later, "that's not what we look like, is it?"

We were washing the dishes together yesterday. And havalah was putting away a pan above the stove and couldn't reach. I said, "just get on your tippy-toes and put it back..." and she couldn't because she was already on her tippy-toes.

The top of our refrigerator is a mess. Part of the reason is that Havalah can't see the top. Well I didn't believe that she couldn't see the top... so here is a picture first from her perspective and then mine.

The moral of the story is that even though we are 13 inches apart in height - we don't really notice it. I'm not sure what that moral means or even if it is a moral but..........

twYlight

I totally wish I could see this. Haha, well I don't need to; I can imagine all the jokes for myself.

Europe, Post 4: Berlin and Germany

Ok, I know its been like a week since I last posted pictures of Europe... Well I took tons of pictures (at least 6 gig worth which was about 1000 pics). I would love to show you all of them, but frankly you would be bored out of your mind. Well enjoy these ones.

Here I'm coming back to Germany from London. I felt like a celebrity by walking outside to get on and off the plane. This is Pia's House. Most the houses were A-framed with red brick and roofs. I found them very unique and lovely. This is a part of the Berlin walll. It was snowing and really cold but the wall was pretty sweet looking. I actually rubbed off some silver paint onto my backpack accidentally. Yes, that silver paint is still on it. Do I dare use or wash my bag? By the way, Berlin was awesome. It was crazy to think of what happened there and see so many historical buildings.

These blocks of cement are the memorial for the Jewish Historical Museum of Berlin. It was a very interesting and moving monument. It looks level but as you walk through the blocks the ground rolls like hills and the blocks get bigger and smaller.

It definitely left you with the feeling of intimidation and loneliness, such as I imagine many of the Jews felt. The museum itself was really touching. I couldn't believe the stories of survival and the last words of the Jews that suffered during the Holocaust. I highly recommend this museum to anyone who happens to go to Berlin. This is the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
Ok, so we are no longer in Berlin. This is the North Sea in Cuxhaven. It was really kind of cool. When the tide went out you could walk on the water... ok not on the water but almost. The water looked deep but it was really shallow for a long way out. You could even walk out to this island. The catch was getting back before the tide came in. Sort of trippy huh? It was beautiful out there. And here is Pia's lovely family. Her dad, younger sister Ranja (didn't speak english but was still fun to hang out with), mom, younger brother Jan-nicholas (was very funny and was so brave to try his english on me, which was very good), Pia, and then Pia's boyfriend Bruno (the nicest German guy ever, perfect for Pia). I also met Pia's older sister Sara who was really nice. But her other sister, Rebecca, is in Australia so I didn't meet her. They were such a nice family. They reminded me so much of my own family that I felt at home by the time I was leaving. I was very sad to have to leave them. I hope I can go and see them again soon. Well I will put up some more pictures later. For now Tschuss!!

YAY for Spring

So this past week the weather has been so beautiful I have studied outside next to the Museum of Art. There is this group of blossom trees, that are absolutely gorgeous, that I like to lay under.

There was this nice breeze one day which caused the petals to come off the trees and fly everywhere; it was like snow but much prettier and not cold.

good ol' friday

So today actually started out surpisingly good. In spanish we had a fiesta which means there was food and a movie in spanish. Then I went to work and that is where the dread set in. To me, it was no longer a friday because I had to work on a 10 pg. research paper, deathly. Well, after work I walked to the library to continue to work on my slow death. To my wonderful surprise, there was a small happening at Brigham Square. There was free food, rockclimbing, and I got a free shirt. Well, if anything, it made writing my paper a little better. To make life even better, tommorow is General Conference, which means for me no thoughts of homework during any of the session. Oh the sweet relief of the

The Thrill of being Chaste

I came across this article on msn. I think it is so cool that there others discovering the beauty and joy of remaining to be a virgin until after they are married. This article is short and I think worth the time to read.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23437024/?GT1=43001

High Intensity Stress and Aggression Management

I must first wipe away all questions from your mind of who those two girls are. They are neither Sierra nor I. Yes, we could probably take those two girls on in a whim, but we try to restrain such aggressive behavior on others. However, Sierra and I both struggle when it comes to David or Brigg (particurally Sierra, watch out she's fiesty). But that is why we both now have light sabers of our own, in which we can take them both on with out doing too much bodily damage (however some damage is inevitable).

However, I have discovered stress and aggression management through BYU aerobics. I found that they offer a high intensity kickboxing class without contact to another human being. I was at first hesitant about such a class, and thought it would be lame-o. Well, I was wrong. It was beyond intense. At the beginning of the class I was confident, and I knew all the moves. However after 1/2 hour, I found myself suffering with pain. I did not think I would survive to the end of the hour to see my dearly beloved Brigg or family again. My life was flashing before my eyes. How I survived, I know not. I was brought down to the depth of all humility; in my bones, muscles and mind. Yet I shall endure; right now I'm the apprentice, but soon you shall learn to call me Master.

One Semester of Spanish Love Song

This pretty much makes me happy, because I can understand every word he says.

Heatatirednessyschooltitus...WARNING A FATAL DISEASE

Well on coming back from Washington into Provo, Brigg and I thought that the cold-that was given so nicely to us from our siblings-was to be the worse of our fears. However we found that to be wrong. On coming back to provo we found ourself subtly contracting a even more fatal disease: Heatatirednessyschooltitus. I'm sure many of you are wondering what this is and how it came about. Well my friends, you might realize that you have suffered it once to, however I feel we are suffering it in the worse and most deadly form possible (don't worry yourself, just because I say deadly does not mean it is really deadly, actually quite the contrary). Now if you will allow me to educate you on the matter, you will soon understand this disease thoroughly and hopefully be able to avoid it your selfs (did I say hopefully). First of all this fatal disease is particulary known in Utah regions at this time of year. The heat from the sun causes a person to suffer from a considerable amount of heat waves, that forces the person to run to the nearest building or shade in sight. Now if you are going to school this disease only gets worse. For the heat seems to work with the school to make your life even more miserable. As one is walking to campus for classes, they find them selfs running to the aircondition classroom only to find their once clean body now drenched in sticky, oozy and dry desert sweat (which side affects could lead to one to just take one shower a week on sunday, don't worry it has not affected me so, or taking 5 showers a day) Now I do not tell any of you this to make you scared, no, I tell you this to warn you to beware of such foul disease in the air around us. Actually, I believe the only antidote to this disease is to live in washington where at least they have cooler weather and rain. Well I will bore you no longer, but be warned.

The deathly consumption of Harry Potter and the deadly strong desire for the blimey 7TH BOOK!!!

So everyone has been telling me that I need to update my site every so often (cough Jamie and Anjuli : ). Well Brigg and I have been sucked in to reading Harry Potter all over again with the excitement for the 7th book. We have just finished the 6th book and are dieing to read the 7th one. Not long after finishing it we have realized that we have allowed ourselves to become consumed with the life of Harry, Hogwarts and well all the magic that comes with it. We are even at the point of speaking like the English (and wizards and witches) do-oh blimey- and everything we do or say somehow is related back to something magical in Harry Potter. We have even come across many sites that analyze the books in such gross detail that it is almost like we are studying an actual history lesson from our own life. Well I think you get the point that we are way to involved and consumed in Harry, it should probably be a sin.

So Brigg and I thought that maybe we would feel better about our Harry consumption if we shared some insider tips and interesting info about Harry with everyone else. So here it is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_and_the_Deathly_Hallows
Wilkipedia, believe it or not. I have to say that it is quite interesting. After reading it you will for sure want to read all of them again yourselfs. Well we hope that you become as infatuated as we are, it will sure make us feel better.