It's time once again to say "Goodbye" to 2013 and "Howdy Hey" to 2014. Every year on New Years, I think about what is in store for me. I remember last year I thought, "Holy cow, this year I'm gonna graduate and go to college and leave home. What a big year!!" And a big year it has been.
At the beginning of the year I sang with these 9th Avenue ladies at Battle of the Bands at my High School.
Over Daddy's college Spring Break came our family's trip to Disneyland! So much fun, and we were all the perfect ages for it.
Over the kid's spring break, we went for my sister's Sweet 16 road trip to exciting Moab!
Late spring brought some highly anticipated and bittersweet changes. First, the final choir concert of high school (been with these gorgeous girls singing and dancing since Junior High).
Then LDS Seminary graduation.
Then High School Graduation!!
Summer brought many things.
A second job.
My first big purchase (of my life).
My second big purchase (of my life).
A Cafe Rio Mint Limeade addiction (great way to beat the heat).
A Grey's Anatomy addiction (really, where had it been all my life??).
Diving into a YSA Ward head first by going to Summit with this girl!
Learning how to write to a bagillion missionaries due to the age-change.
Ghana
Zimbabwe
The Philippines
Callifornia, Oregon, California
Minnesota and California (again).
Then came autumn time, a new home, and a new school.
Got all packed up to move away.
Moved to college.
Signed up for/participated in my first rodeo.
Had a blast being fun and crazy!!
Now it's winter time, and the Holidays have come and gone. I'm preparing for another fantastic semester with many more adventures to come!!
As I begin a fresh new year, I can't help but think what a big year this one is. It's gonna be even bigger than 2013! "Holy cow! This year I'm going to finish up my freshman year of college AND leave on a mission." And what a wonderful year it will be.
I am feeling so incredibly blessed today. I love the family that I have. I love their impact in my life. I love that we will be together forever. I love that I get to spend so much time with them over this Christmas break!! We have had so much fun so far.
My mom brought to my attention last night how this Christmases after this will likely NEVER be the same. The next two Christmases I will be out serving an 18 month LDS mission, and after that, perhaps my sister. Life truly takes off from here.
So this year has been ever more sweet. My siblings and I slept out last night and had a good old time playing games like "Never Have I Ever" and sharing crazy camp (girls camp or scout camp) memories. This morning we have been relaxing, napping (after all, one does not get much sleep at said Sibling Sleep-Out), visiting, and playing with all the new treasures Santa left. Also, this year as siblings we went pretty all out for one another and our parents. It was so fun seeing what was important to each sibling and how each gift was received.
These days are precious. It's not gonna be like this forever, but with each new chapter our relationships shift and grow. I love how even though I've been gone for several months, I get to come home to a family that loves me. My relationships with each of my siblings has evolved into something new and exciting and I cannot wait to see what life has in store for all of us. On this Christmas Day I am thanking the Lord for the blessing of my family and the birth of His son, my brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. May we all remember this day, and always to keep Christ in our lives. Merry Christmas to you one and all!!
I was dared by a friend to sing a song and post it to YouTube. I like to sing, but I never sing solos in front of ANYONE. In my choir days (that seem like they were a long time ago, but actually really weren't) it was nerve-wracking, but easy enough to get over when it means the difference between pass and fail. Anywho, this is something different than I've ever done before. So, while you read the rest of my Christmas blog post, I give you the Little Drummer Boy. Nothing fancy. Just me, my guitar, and a practice room.
This year, Christmas has felt quite different to me. It's my first year away from my family for a good portion of the season. I wasn't there with them to decorate, put up the tree, go to the family/ward Christmas party, I haven't watched with anticipation, the growing pile of gifts beneath our tree, etc. It's so strange. In our apartment, we have:
a Christmas tree,
a snowflake filled/light covered window,
a popcorn garland,
and even snowflakes!!
We listen to Christmas music sometimes, eat Christmas treats, watch Christmas movies, we really are pretty festive. But, it is all very different than being at home. It certainly gives a whole new meaning to the song "I'll Be Home For Christmas." A song which, by the way, I used to hate and now resist the urge to tear up each time I hear. But let me tell you what I've learned and what has actually been very nice.
1. Making Christmas Gifts is so easy when you don't have to worry about someone accidentally walking in and discovering your secret.
Being a college student who lives in a college town where it's hard to get work, trying to find money to spend on Christmas presents is a little tough. I keep to a very strict budget. I have enough money for necessities, and an emergency fund in case something goes wrong. I'm kind of a tight wad, is what I'm really trying to say. However, I LOVE Christmas, and I wanted to do something special for each member of my family. So...I decided to make homemade gifts for everyone! Each required time, energy, and a certain amount of spreading out (I didn't want to give them things that looked tacky and homemade, they needed to look nice and show true thought). It was incredibly nice to have not even a sliver of risk in making the gifts! NO ONE could possibly walk in on me who wasn't supposed to. How's that for gifter/gifted confidentiality?
2. Christmas is all the sweeter knowing I've had to wait to participate with my family in the plans, the prep, the excitement.
It is so weird planning for a holiday like CHRISTMAS without my family. I've waited, decorated, anticipated without them. I haven't figured out how I feel about it one way or the other yet, but I know it's been fun in a different way than it used to be. I'm here, far from home, with this new kind of family unit within my apartment and complex. I speak with friends in my student ward about making plans to travel home, what gifts they're giving their families, what kind of service we're going to do that week for others, etc. In my apartment we've had conversations about family traditions. Lot's of conversations start with, "In my family we do this and this and this for Christmas, wanna do that here?" In the complex, there are wreaths on the light poles and buildings. In the common areas (lounge, laundromat) there are paper chains, Christmas trees, paper snowflakes, ornaments, posters. It's a full on Winter Wonderland!
3. The true meaning of Christmas remains the same no matter where I'm celebrating.
Recently there's been a lot of talk about being less discriminatory with this "Holiday Season." I'm sorry, but Christmas has been Christmas for years and years and years. No one ever had a problem before! Hanukkah has always been Hanukkah, Kwanzaa has always been Kwanzaa. We have Holidays this time of year. Some are religious, some are cultural, some are both. I don't know who decided we need to stop calling it a Christmas Tree, but whoever it was needs to just stop. **Soapbox over.** I am LDS (a Mormon). I celebrate Christmas because Christ was born 2000+ years ago. He was born in a humble stable and laid in a manger. Shepherds bore witness of the blessed event. Three wisemen came to glorify Him with gifts. A choir of angels proclaimed His birth. The world was changed forever. This is why I celebrate. This is why I want to be with my family this season. I want to celebrate, with them, that blessed event. I want to bare witness just like the shepherds did, with the miracles I witness and the words I speak. I want to glorify my Father in Heaven and the Savior Jesus Christ just as the wisemen did, with gifts of service and gifts or temporal worth. I want to proclaim the birth of Jesus Christ just as the angels did, with singing and celebration. That is the spirit of the season and that is what Christmas is all about.
In case I don't get another post in before I move and head off for Holiday, here's wishing you and yours the Merriest of Christmases and a very Happy Holiday Season. May it be spent with the people who matter most to you.
It is time once again for the 25 Days of Sweaters, my own personal Christmas Tradition to count down to that blessed day. So...I'm asking you to join me!!! This year I want you to bring out those sweaters: cute, ugly, crazy, gorgeous, or just plain insane! I'm going to be posting some of my favorites on the blog at the end of the month so get crazy!
#NewsFromTheFishbowlSweaters
@NewsFromTheFishbowl
Tag me on Twitter or Instagram and let's have some fun!!!!
And to get you pumped, here's my 25 Days of Sweaters 2012:
A very Merry Christmas to all! Let's see those sweaters!!
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