I Feel Pretty, Oh So Pretty

I decided to end this year off with the ugliest picture taken of me all year. Okay who am I kidding, Sister Jackson took worse pictures in Jerusalem, but this one is still pretty bad. I mean look at the size of my hands!

Why am I donning a paper mustache? Well I decided with the new year maybe I'd try a new nose. Just kidding. But not really. My nose has never really worked. I've always struggled breathing through it which is why I sit in class with my mouth wide open or why I refuse to sleep in public unless my mouth is closed or why I'm always carrying around a big wad of tissues. Looking back my stinking stuffed nose has caused quite a bit of embarrassment. So Wednesday I went in to the hospital dressed in my first hospital gown, got my first IV, and received my first surgery. (I've been so lucky to be healthy and never have a broken or sprained anything, or stitches so this was quite the step.) The procedure took twice as long because when the doctor (My awesome sister in law's dad) was done he realized the cartilage inside my nose was still so crooked and it would still give me problems so he went in and fixed that as well!

I'm feeling pretty great and even though I can't really breathe out of my nose right now because there's a big tissue there I know I will be able to one day and that's exciting. I'm so grateful for modern medicine and technology that have allowed me to get this done. I'm grateful for my awesome mom and all my siblings who are treating me like a queen, to my sweet Aunt Margaret and Uncle Lynn who brought me flowers, to my cousin Barb who brought over a bunch of movies and watched some with me, and great friends who keep texting me to see how I am. I feel so loved, and yes I feel oh so pretty!

12 Memories of Christmas

1. It was finally our turn to have Mutti (my grandma) for Christmas. It was so fun to have her with us for all of our festivities. I wish I could remember all the details, but I have one memory that I love. In our family it's a tradition to all sleep in the same room. Well even though Mutti lived around the corner she insisted on joining us in our tradition. Then she insisted on 'sharing the bed with at least one other person.' So my cute 70 year old grandma slept in a little room with seven crazy kids that Christmas Eve and created a memory I'll never forget.
2. Sledding with the family behind the four wheeler. This is the true way to sled, after all you don't have to walk up any hills and the ride is so much longer! I don't know why more people don't do this. I can just picture my family all bundled up fitting three to a sled sometimes as we rode around.
3. It's always hard to come back to school after Thanksgiving break. Last year I was feeling especially down the whole ride to Rexburg. When I walked in the apartment though I was welcomed by tons of Christmas decorations and my roommates were there to welcome me. Amidst our crazy end-of-semester times we still found time to celebrate Christmas. We had a fabulous Christmas party and even sent out Christmas cards. Aren't we adorable?
   
4. Long, long a go we were caroling in our beautiful blue van. I don't remember exactly how it happened but the sliding door broke off so we went around that night holding the van door up as we drove from house to house. I don't think we ever made it through the caroling song that night without one of us laughing remembering the broken door on the van.
5. One of my favorite traditions is we get to open one present on Christmas Eve. Well one Christmas Eve we got back from caroling and all went to change into our pajamas. When we came upstairs we found Benjy, who was probably 5 at the time already playing with the truck/construction set that he had decided to open from Mutti. For some reason I thought this was the funniest thing.
6. One year I really wanted a motor scooter. Mostly because I'm lazy and it seemed nice not to walk everywhere. Well as Christmas got closer there was this big box under the tree with my name on it. I was so excited, I was going to get my sweet scooter! Christmas day came and I opened it to discover...an air purifier! This was also the Christmas that I got contacts in my stocking! I love to tease my mom about this because even though at the time it seemed weird...these are the two gifts that I've used the most and I've loved them.
7. When Sara was a student at BYUI I remember feeling Christmas didn't quite start until she came home. One year her ride was dropping her off in Draper so we all loaded into the car and listened to Christmas music as we drove to pick her up. The weather was really bad and the older folk were nervous but Marie and I seemed oblivious so we just had a party in the backseat as we waited in this mall parking lot for Sara to come. I remember being SO excited and having a blast with Marie.
   
8. I have many memories of Christmas recitals, especially my mom's recitals. These recitals were sweet because they were sing alongs. Well they were sweet when you knew the song. If you didn't know the song the singers didn't wait for you so you had to hurry and catch up. Fast.
9. When Jessie, Marie, and I all shared a room we had a tradition in the winter time. We always woke up to the heater turning on. So we'd grab a big blanket, crawl under it, and then put it over the heater. Then as soon as it was over we'd crawl back into bed. I don't know why our room was always cold at night...
10. Two years a go our family was all together for Christmas. It snowed a ton and we wanted to get out so my brother Chris suggested we go play soccer. (Of course that's the sensible thing to do with a ton of snow.) We put on a gazillion random layers and went to Westridge to play soccer. We could barely run the snow was so deep and we were so bundled, but it was so much fun. Plus we looked really cool:
11. When I was 17 I had the opportunity to be in Savior of the World. This allowed me the chance to bear my testimony of the Savior's birth through song all through the Christmas season. I found it impossible to forget the true meaning of Christmas this year. It was such an amazing experience, I wish everyone could have it.
12. I have so many memories of opening thoughtful gifts Christmas morning and being so touched. There is NO way I could name them all, so I'll pick one of the earliest I remember. On Christmas Eve I went into the laundry room to find Marie ironing which seemed odd. Well she quickly hid what she was doing and so I ran out. Later that night I found out that Chrissy had made all the girls matching pajamas and Marie had made little outfits for our dolls. I'm still so touched when I think of the hours that Marie (who couldn't have been more than 13) and Chrissy spent on those pajamas. This is just one example of so many. Every year gifts like these remind me of the true meaning of Christmas.

Nothing Like the Holidays!

"I just love this time of year. All the red. And green. "

Isn't it the best? Well I wanted to write a post because I'm excited about Christmas and I'm procrastinating homework. So win/win. Since I just keep making lists on my blog I decided to make some more! Yay!

Best Christmas Movies: (order is still debatable)

1. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
2. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
3. Meet Me in St. Louis
4. Muppet Christmas Carol
5. White Christmas
6. Elf

Best Christmas Songs:

1. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
2. White Christmas - Bing Crosby
3. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays - Nsync (yep I just went from Crosby to Nsync)
4. All I Want for Christmas is You - Mariah Carey
5. Christmas Eve - Celine Dion

Best Christmas CDs:

1. Handel - The Messiah
2. Jenny Oak Baker - O Holy Night
3. Kurt Bestor -Kurt Bestor Christmas
4. James Oneil Minor - Christmas Dreaming
5. Josh Groban - Noel

Best Christmas Treats

1. Hot Chocolate
2. Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge
3. Candy
4. Candy Canes
5. Candy Corns and Syrup

Best Christmas Traditions:

1. Caroling as a family. So many memories from this!
2. All sleeping in the same room on Christmas Eve. I look forward to that this year. Think all 16 of us will fit?
3. Opening presents one by one Christmas day. Similarly, opening a present on Christmas eve.
4. Decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. The first few hours of this are quite fun.
5. Christmas card pictures! They're kind of always a pain to take, but I love them. My favorite Christmas decoration in the house is the big frame with all of our Christmas card pictures in it. There are some pretty bad ones. Like this beauty below. My mom wanted to do a scarf/turtleneck theme. Well Jessie didn't own any turtlenecks so she's wearing Sara's and Sara and Chrissy are wearing my mom's. Benjy's scarf has pink on it, so that's why it's tucked under. I just love this pic so much. David's backstreet boy stance is probably my favorite. I'm still trying to figure out how this one didn't get picked.

These are just a few of the reasons why I'm excited for Christmas. I have 16 others though! My whole family is going to be together for Christmas this year. Here's a picture of our last Christmas together. Add 4 1/2 and you've got my family!

Does she think she's going to end up with the fictional character?

Not think. Know.

Welcome to the post that reveals Becky's celebrity crushes. Okay this post is going to embarrass me completely, but that's okay. You know why? Because everyone has these ridiculous crushes, and don't you even try to deny it! I know you do. So let's bring mine out. Starting with actors....

James Marsden. I think this picture says it all, but in case you need more excuses here it goes...James Marsden is awesome because he is versatile. From Enchanted to Hairspray to 27 Dresses (which I actually hate except for the parts with him) to X-Men to Saved by the Bell (he's in a few episodes) to horror movies that I don't watch he can do it all. Plus he's got a great smile and gorgeous eyes. Oh yeah and he can sing. So he wins.

Gene Kelly. The gentleman. The singing. The dancing. The smile full of dimples. Maybe I've had a crush on Gene Kelly since I was a little girl and watched Singing in the Rain. I just love his voice, it's so simple but still

gorgeous. Then he starts to dance! Just when I thought he couldn't get any better I saw this clip: Gene Kelly. (It gets good 2 min in.) Okay so maybe there's all this gossip that he wasn't nice and maybe he's dead. But come on, can't a girl dream?

So of course I have plenty other little crushes on actors, but I think these two are the biggest and the ones I'm least ashamed of. Now let's move on to my musician crushes. Turns out Lance from NSYNC is gay, but that crush was so 10 years a go and these men are way cooler.

Meet Benton Paul. I first heard him when he opened for David Archuleta. I really like his simple style of music and I love his lyrics. I may or may not have heard him live 5 times. Not because I'm a crazy weirdo fan, but because it's always cheap and convenient. Here's a picture from the other day when he came to Rexburg to do a show. Here's one of my favorite songs: I Only See You.

William Joseph. I first heard his music when Chrissy and I were driving to a concert about six years a go. Now I have both of his CDs, and one of his books. I think his music is just so beautiful. I was so excited when I found out he was coming to BYU-Idaho last fall. Best. Concert. Ever. Seriously it was incredible! I hope he comes again. Here's one of my favorite songs of his: A Mother's Heart.

There are my musician crushes. Justin Bieber made a close third. Just kidding. Next section - dancing crushes. So normal people wouldn't have a section for their favorite dancing celebrities, but since when have I been normal? Plus when you watch So You Think You Can Dance faithfully you're bound to get a few crushes. So here are the dancing men crushes:

Twitch. Twitch was probably my favorite dancer ever on So You Think You Can Dance. He always had the coolest solos, he did pretty well in all genres, and he had an awesome personality. Plus since the show he's actually gone places! He was on Hairspray, Step up 3, Stomp the Yard 2, and an episode of Bones. (I can't believe I suffered through that. What a boring show.) I just love watching Twitch dance. Also "I want to bake cookies on his stomach." (Please know what I'm quoting.) Here's a sample of why he is awesome: Twitch Solo.

Neil Haskell. Neil is my second favorite dancer (maybe 1st?) to be on So You Think You Can Dance. You want to talk about awesome personalities? He wins. Seriously he was so funny and oh boy he is an amazing dancer! Since the show he's been on one awesome movie (The American Mall), now he just needs to be in more! I couldn't find one dance that was my favorite of him and showed off his talent completely, but I think this is a fun dance: Neil and Sara disco.

So there you have it. My celebrity crushes. Am I embarrassed? Extremely, but I know you have them too!

We have so much, that we can share!

In light of my favorite holiday coming up I thought I'd write a thankful post. A whole post without sarcasm? Well I'll try. I was going to write a list of the things I'm most thankful for; the gospel, my family, my friends, school, America, etc. However I hope you all know that I'm thankful for those things, so here are some random things that I love (and I'm thankful for them):

1. Getting letters in the mail. Barbara's always have hilarious stories and awesome aliases, Bridget's include games, Christine's are always longer than 10 pages, and missionary letters are just awesome!

2. Sitting by the fire reading Christmas stories. (Bonus = hot chocolate)

3. Waking up Sunday morning to a clean house.

4. Big, baggy sweatshirts. I have this routine where as soon as I'm done with school the sweater comes off and the big hoodie goes on.

5. Tootsie Rolls. Best. Candy. Ever.

6. The electric blanket in my bed. Love it.

7. Puzzles.

8. Sleeping in fresh, clean sheets.

9. Hot cars. Maybe Jessie and I will sometimes just sit in the carport postponing getting out.

10. Hearing the nieces and nephews say my name.

11. Bookstores. I hate shopping, but I could spend hours in there.

12. Skype.

13. Family dinners at Aunt Margaret's. Perfect meat, mashed potatoes, rolls, and plenty of desserts. Oh yeah, good company too.

14. Singing with family. I have so many wonderful memories gathered around the piano learning our new caroling song, or the song we were going to sing in church, or making up our own Sound of Music medley (oh boy that was embarrassing.)

15. The love of traveling that was passed down from my grandma, Mutti, to my mom, to me.

16. Beautiful fall days. Fall is the best season. Anyone who says otherwise is wrong.

17. "The nice feeling I get in Sunday School."

18. Phone calls with siblings. Recently I was especially touched when my little brother called me because he heard I was having a bad day. What a gem.

19. The end of really productive days. Even though they may seem hectic I love sitting at the end and thinking, hmm....I just accomplished a lot.

20. Babysitting. It's like playing mom. I'm especially thankful the Nelsons always let me watch their kids. I've loved babysitting for them for almost 7 years! I love watching them grow up and I'm glad I get to be a small part of their lives.

21. Beautiful scores. Also, Handel's Messiah.

22. Coloring. I have this recent fetish with coloring. It's a little weird.

23. Random memories of Jerusalem that pop in my head.

24. Watching Disney movies. Preferably animated.

25. It waited until yesterday to snow. I'm very thankful for that.

Halloween. Meh.

I don't love Halloween. I mean it's better than St Patrick's Day and April Fools Day but not by much. Let's just say I'm not going to be nominated holiday chair mister for this holiday. However, I'm trying to have a good attitude because my roommates are tired of me being a cotton headed ninny muggins about it. Here's are some of my thoughts on Halloween and only 1/2 them are negative!

1. Worst Candy: Sweet Tarts, Caramel Apple Suckers, and Bottlecaps. Maybe Jessie and I pretended Bottlecaps & Sweet Tarts were vitamins and we forced ourselves to eat them so we could finish off all our candy. Or we'd put them into water to make 'tea'. They didn't make great tea parties.
2. Favorite Candy: Butterfinger was my favorite candy during my trick or treating years.
3. Worst Halloween Movie: All of them.
4. Favorite Halloween Movie: I don't like Halloween movies. The Halloweentown High movies are okay, but that's it.
5. Worst Halloween Song: Monster Mash
6. Favorite Halloween Song: The Ghost of John, Halloween Cat, and the one that goes, "Stir it in my witches brew. I got magic. Ala-kazam-akazoo!"
7. Worst Tradition: My mom made us this soup every Halloween. It was horrible. We couldn't go Trick or Treating until we had eaten all our soup. No wonder I hated trick or treating. That and the whole part where I had to beg people for candy. AWKWARD.
8. Favorite Tradition: Whenever we got home from Halloween we emptied out our pumpkin bins and counted. I still can't figure out how Benjy would always get more candy. Maybe he's cuter? Next we'd make displays of our candy, I usually made a big house. Then we'd open the market and switch our candies around. Marie drove an especially hard bargain.
9. Worst Random Memory: I was a cowgirl one year (yeah, real original I know) and I realized half way through the day I was sneezing because Benjy's hat I had borrowed had horse hair all over it. Unforunately there was a greasy mop in it, so I had to leave it on.
10. Favorite Random Memory: Doing cha-cha to the Monster Mash in the Wakefield's basement. Todd (my partner) was not pleased, but his mom was loving it. She had us dance to all of the songs on this Ballroom Halloween CD. That's it! I've figured out what I'm getting David for Christmas.
11. Worst Costume: I was a cheerleader in 4th grade. I might be extremely ashamed of this.
12. Best Costume: That would have to be Halloween 2008. My roommate, Katelyn Hanny and I dressed up for Halloween. We were Pearl and Mildred. Maybe I made this whole post as an excuse to show you the following pictures. Don't even try and tell me we don't look awesome:

How many licks does it take?

First off I hate this phrase. What patient person actually has the willpower to only lick a tootsie pop? Not me, I usually last 10 seconds before I'm chewing the tootsie roll. So let's ask a realistic question.

How many licks does it take to eat a whole jar of peanut butter?

Well I don't know how many licks it takes me, but I know that it takes me less than 1 1/2 months! Yep, that's right. 1 1/2 months. You're probably horrified right now, I know I am. But here's the thing, I don't actually lick the peanut butter out, I eat it on a variety of different things. Here's how I emptied my peanut butter jar:

1. Peanut Butter on Saltines.

2. Peanut Butter on Celery.

3. Peanut Butter on Carrots.

4. Peanut Butter - Jelly sandwiches.

5. Peanut Butter - Jelly tortillas. Yep, that's right. Delicious!

6. Peanut Butter - Banana sandwiches.

7. Peanut Butter Cookies. See? I didn't eat all the peanut butter! Half a cup of it was distributed into cookies. Which I ate. Dang it.

Fine. I might have an addiction to peanut butter.

It's a Ruff Life

I never thought I'd have a blog post with that title. Ever. But there is a good reason...

Friday night Jessie and I wanted to get a movie from Redbox. So we got online to look at our options. As we were scrolling down we became quite distraught at the surprising amount of dog movies. What on earth is going on? Is there a shortage of actors/actresses? Are dogs taking over? Do people actually enjoy watching movies where real life animals talk? Because they shouldn't. It's creepy.

So let's talk about these movies. Here are a few of the treasures I found:

1. Marmaduke A talking dog is a no. A talking dog with sunglasses is a BIG no! Even if Owen Wilson is his voice.
2. Cats and Dogs ...as if a movie with just dogs isn't bad enough let's add in some cats. We'll make Homeward Bounds for this generation because they didn't suffer through that.
3. Soccer Dog Of course a hopeless soccer team would recruit a dog. Brilliant?! If there had been a dog playing soccer when I played in elementary school I would've gone nuts.
4. The Gold Retrievers Maybe if it was about Gold Labs I'd watch it. But probably not.
5. Chestnut The dog's name is chestnut. And he wears sunglasses. Enough said.
6. Cop Dog Everybody's favorite cop is a dog. Great. What a hero.

I guess I should be glad no Beethovens were at Redbox at the time, but still. I think this poster sums it all up. It's supposed to make me go "Aw." But oh boy it makes me mad.

5 Random Pet Peeves

1. "Whinny do nothings that don't deserve either one of them." (If you don't know what I'm quoting do yourself a favor and go to the following link: http://www.hulu.com/watch/114945/saturday-night-live-lab-partners) I'm talking about Bella, Katniss, and all those other girls in movies and books that drag along two boys because they can'd decide which one they like. Girls you need to stop doing that. There aren't enough boys for each of us to have two, hey there aren't enough for each of us to have one. So you're being selfish. If you need help I'm available and I'll take Gayle or Jacob. Keyword: OR.


2. Back scratchers. Seriously I love it when people scratch my back, but there's a time and a place. Unfortunately not many people know when that is. I've sat in class behind so many back scratchers just growling (I'm growling, not them) as they caress, pause to whisper something and smile at the person, and then continue in their scratch. AH!!!


3. Bare feet in class. I guess shoes get obnoxious in class or something, so boys and girls will take them off, set them aside, and just sit there in their bare feet or stocking feet. Sometimes they even walk around like that.This drives me up a wall. I think it shows a huge lack of respect, and more often than not it doesn't smell that great.


4. Mickey Mouse. He drives me crazy. Have you heard his voice? Yes, I know that Walt Disney did it for a while and so I'm a horrible person. Still I have to be honest he just really bothers me. Him and Winnie the Pooh. I don't care three straws about either one of them.


5. Unsharp pencils. Is there anything more painful than hearing someone write with a dull pencil? I have chills just thinking about it. I mean I know pencil sharpeners basically don't exist anymore, but still is it that hard to sharpen a pencil?

So there you have some of my ridiculous pet peeves. Laugh all you want, but I'm sure you've got weird ones too.

Dear Jewelry Loving Men,

1. I don't understand you. Jewelry is for girls. You should know that, but some of you don't. Some of you just have to wear jewelry. Well I'm here to help you out to guide you on your jewelry wearing path. Here are some simple guidelines to follow.
2. Earrings are gross. I can't believe I even have to explain this. The diamond stud is especially disturbing so lose it. That means you Mitchell Musso.
3. Necklaces are a no no. I don't care if it is an arrowhead, lucky charm, small ring that doesn't fit on your finger, elephants tusk, silver chain, or homemade rope necklace. Don't wear it. just don't.
4. Easy on the wrists. Watches are pretty attractive so let's just have those be the only things on your wrists. Bracelets are for girls, but some of you insist on wearing them. Fine. Just don't let it be silver or gold chains. Wear one of those rubber bracelets that show your patriotism or one of those weird rope looking things. Don't wear rubber bands on your wrist because then I just want to come up and pull it.
5. Absolutely no toe rings. Okay so I have never seen this one and I doubt I ever will, but I just wanted to throw that gaggy image out there. Can you think of anything more slimy?
6. Rings. Your third finger and your fourth finger are just fine. And if you're married by all means please wear your wedding ring so I don't have a crush on you for two minutes before I find out you're married with a kid. That's just awkward.
7. Pointer finger rings are pretty bothersome. They aren't horrible, but they're kind of ugly. And they distract me when you're teaching a Sunday School lesson and keep using your hands to talk.
8. Thumb rings are worse than pointer finger rings. Don't do it. These are ugly and horrible but they aren't as bad as...
9. Pinky rings. Is there anything as ugly as a pinky ring on a boy? Okay so this isn't very common these days, but it was common back in Jane Austen's time. And unfortunately, I watch movies about Jane Austen's time and I fall in love with her men. There will be this beautiful scene then the boy's hand comes into the picture and he has a pinky ring. Uh. Totally ruins it. Just look at this picture and try and tell me the pinky ring doesn't destroy it.
10. In order to obey rules 1-9 just do the following: Don't wear jewelry unless it's a watch or wedding ring. Thanks a lot!

Love, Becky

When you grow up in a family with mostly girls:

1. You dress your little brother up as a girl and name her Benjalina.
2. You don't get any Star Wars or Lord of the Rings jokes.
3. You think action figures should remain as just toys. Of course you didn't read the comic strips so when you watch the movies you get super confused. Seriously, no more action figure movies!
4. The best part of any TV show is the romance. Whether it's Chuck and Sara, Jim and Pam, or Shawn and Jules their part in the episode makes or breaks it.
5. You get a blister on your thumb after playing Mario Kart for 1/2 an hour. Seriously. A blister. 1/2 an hour!

One of these is not like the other...

It is no secret that in today's society it is cheaper to buy things in bulk. Well that's great, but often you don't want 50 of the same thing, sometimes you don't even want 2 of it. Luckily some geniuses decided to play mix and match. Well usually they do it quite well (Think Creamies mix), but occasionally they screw up so I'm here to call them out on it.

Lets start out with DVD collections: The Rodgers & Hammerstein collection...hmmm where to start. Please take out South Pacific, Carousel, and the King and I. Then there will be the Sound of Music, State Fair, and Oklahoma left. It will be half the price and twice as cool!

The Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen collection. Will you please take out Billboard Dad and replace it with Winning London? Even though I will never purchase this, I'd feel much better about it.

The Gene Kelly collection: Please take out An American in Paris (one of 5 movies that I actually stopped because I didn't like it) and replace it with Summer Stock. Most people don't know about this movie, but if they did they'd like it in the mix. I'm sure.

Now on to food. Or candy. There's this delicious candy mix called the Fun Pack. It is fun. I mean the mix has every form of Tootsie Rolls in it. It has the midgee, the long roll, and the rectangle. It also has some not so great candy like Dots. How did they make it in there anyways? They don't belong. I mean they're the type of Halloween candy that made it all the way to November! Just kidding I didn't eat my candy that fast. It was probably more like December.

There's this awesome chocolate candy mix my mom gets at Costco. It has Reese's, Hershey's Chocolate Bar, Milky Way, Snickers, 3 Muskeeters, Butterfinger, and Almond Joy. Take out the Crunch, no one wants that. Also limit the Almond Joys, those aren't that fabulous.

As long as we're talking Costco; please remove the Raisin cookies from your cookie mix. After all the other cookies are gone they sit in our cupboard or freezer and I end up eating them anyways.

Speaking of Raisins... Dear Chewy, please remove the oatmeal raisin granola bars from your variety pack. Just sell peanut butter and chocolate chip. Because these also sit in the cupboard, in the rejects bowl, so of course I end up eating them.

Speaking of Oatmeal... Dear Oatmeal Brand whose name escapes me, please eliminate all plain packages of oatmeal. If people want plain oatmeal they'll get the legit Quaker Oats plain oatmeal, not the package with all the different flavors!

Treetop, I love your juice. I love it when my mom gets the package with lots of different juices, but I could do without your Fruit Punch. If I wanted something that tasted like that I'd get Kool Aid. Could you please take that out and replace it with more of your good old fashioned Apple Juice? Thanks.

Where did all this angst come from? I'll tell you where. I was just searching amazon.com (my kind of window shopping) and I discovered there's a mix of DVDs called the Walt Disney Animated Anthology - the Classic Collector's Set. SWEET right? So I look at it and holy cow worst mixture ever. Pinnochio, Lady and the Tramp, and Simba's Pride (Lion King II) made it in there. Those are NO classics. I guess I'll have to continue my Disney collection DVD by DVD.

Maybe now you think I'm really ornery for being this upset about mixtures, but I'm sure you've thought of at least two mixtures during this post that you've been disappointed in! Right?

The worst collection EVER!

These are a few of my favorite things...

The markets:

The Different Gates to the Old City:

The Western Wall:

Sabbath day visits to Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb

Awesome Friends (I wish I could show all 80 here):

Girls Nights:

The many styles of architecture:

Finding hope amidst the conflict:

Beautiful Old City get-up:

Scenes like this:

The Jerusalem Center:

This is where I got to eat everyday!

Midterm Studying Break:

Dance Parties in the Manna Cabana:
Picnics Outside:

The view from my balcony:

4th of July party

Beautiful Sunsets:

Jordan

So this last week I went to Jordan. It was very fun and educational.We went a lot of places, but I want to tell you about my two favorites; Petra and Jerash.

Petra was really awesome. It’s recently been named one of the new 7 wonders of the world. The Nabateans had cut into this stone that reminds me a little bit of St. George. Because we had gotten up extremely early it was kind of dark in the canyon for the first little bit and that was really beautiful, and it was nice to be cool. We saw the treasury, probably the most famous motif and that was really amazing. I just can’t imagine how they carved that out of the mountain. They must have had patience or something. Seriously that’s what amazes me more than anything else.

I went on this longer hike, which was a little more miserable because now it was getting hot, to this monastery. Oh my goodness it was so sweet! I couldn’t stop staring at it. The carvings were just incredible. I also saw the ‘end of the earth.’ Then I kind of wandered off by myself and just sat there looking at the rock, at this beautiful place God had created.



Another place I went to in Jordan was Jerash. It’s one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world! These ruins gave me a great idea of what it would’ve been like back then. The temple, the theater, the plaza, the cardo, the gates, the dried up fountains, everything was in such great condition and it really helped me picture it.

After a while we went to the hippodrome to get a peek back in time. It started with Roman soldiers showing us what techniques and formations they would’ve used back then. This was actually very fascinating. When I saw all of the formations I thought, hmmm that makes sense, but I never would’ve thought that up! Then some men came out and fought. During these battles right before someone was about to die they paused the game and we gave a thumbs up or thumbs down deciding their fate. It was pretty sweet. We killed most of them. There was this one time when they used a tomato or something and red stuff splattered everywhere. It was super gross. I can’t believe people used to watch that for entertainment. That’s so disgusting to me.

Next the chariots came out and did a chariot race. This part was AWESOME! They were going so fast around those corners I was sure they would fall out, but they didn’t. Also the horses were absolutely gorgeous. Benjy would’ve loved them. Afterwards we were taking pictures with the soldiers and such and Karissa said we should see if we could get a chariot ride. Of course me being me I said, ‘no, it’s okay. I don’t think they’re allowed.’ But she was extra pushy and persuasive towards the men and we went on a chariot ride around the hippodrome! It was sweet and I’m not going to lie, quite terrifying!

The trip was really fun but I was really excited to get back to the Jerusalem Center. On our way in one of the security guards said, 'Welcome Home.' I couldn't help but smile when he said this. This building that was so foreign to me 3 months a go has become my home. These strangers have become my friends. I have less than two weeks left and I have very mixed feelings. I'm ready to come home and see family and friends, but I'm going to miss my practically perfect life here.