Obligation?

I sort of feel obligated to write a I'm-thankful-for... post today because it's Thanksgiving week and all, and I am thankful for things. Lots of things. I just don't feel like thinking of good, real things I'm thankful for at this moment.

So maybe I'll post 10 silly things I'm thankful for instead of the serious things I'm grateful for. Yeah, that sounds like a lovely idea.

1. Harry Potter
2. Mascara
3. Air conditioning
4. Email
5. Curly hair product
6. Netflix
7. Flushing toilets
8. Grocery stores
9. Spanx
10. Mints

And, for the picture of the post: me, post haircut, pre make-up, yesterday morning. 

A perk of having a roommate who does hair? I got it done before church.

Masterpiece Theater

Do you watch Masterpiece Theater on PBS? I love it. Today while browsing for the show schedule I found The Men of Austen. I feel like the usuals are known--Mr. Darcy, Mr. Knightly, Mr. Ferris-- you know, the ones that got made into movies staring famous leading ladies (Keira Knightly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Thompson). But Masterpiece Theater has done remakes of the other ones. And they are fantastic.

See how handsome Captain Wentworth from Persuasion is?


or Mr. Tilney from Northanger Abbey?


even Colonel Brandon from the new Sense and Sensibility.

and here's Mr. Farrars


I love Masterpiece Theater and although I watched the new Emma already on youtube, I think I might just watch it again in a couple weeks! So, go watch Masterpiece Theater on PBS. You won't be sorry you did.

Christmas Miracle

So I mentioned casually that we almost died on Friday night. Yep, it's true. Here's the story:

We went up to a our friends' apartment over in Maryland for a special screening of Elf, hot chocolate and treats on Friday. Shortly after the movie finished Amy got a call from her sister wondering what was going on at our house. We didn't know! We weren't there! But all Andrea knew was that there were firetrucks there. So we basically ran out to the car knowing that there were firetrucks were at our little house in Virginia. What happens usually when firetrucks are at your house? They're putting out a fire! I had the following thoughts (in this order) running through my head: "It's my fault! I have my bookbinding stuff too close to my heater!" "Oh no! How much is this going to cost us? What's The General going to do?" "My computer!"

When we finally turn down our street we can see lots of emergency lights flashing. We get to the house and are greeted by two firetrucks with their floodlights shining across our lawn. The house is in tact. No flames. Whew!

Turns out, though, that when our roommate got home at 10:00 that night the house smelled like gas. Really bad. She, along with the neighbors who had seen some eerie gassy smelling smoke billowing out of our chimney and out of our furnace room called 911. Turns out that something was seriously wrong with our heating.

Here's where our story gets confusing. Since only one roommate was there at the beginning and talking with the firefighters, we aren't totally sure the exact details of the rest of the story, and when she recited it she said, "I think..." When the firefighters entered the house they tested the air. They either said our CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) levels were really high, OR our Carbon Monoxide (CO) levels were really high. Either way, they told us we could have died. They aired out the house for us and left when it was safe for us to enter. They told us we needed to make sure we had carbon monoxide testers and new fire alarms.

So the debate of the weekend was if it was CO2 poisoning we almost got, or CO poisoning we could have had, and no one can really remember what the firefighters said. (I didn't even talk to them.) But, what I do know is that it's a Christmas Miracle that no one was in the house that Friday night, because it's a frequent occurrence that someone is usually home. I don't really care what could have killed me, all I care about is that I am alive. I will be going to Utah this weekend for Cousin Ashley's wedding. I will be going home for Christmas next week. I will be talking to Jess and Cami when they call from Sibu, Malaysia and Helsinki, Finland. I will be skiing on Mt. Bachelor after Christmas. And I will be watching the Ducks win the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.

It feels a little like Thanksgiving again because I AM GRATEFUL TO BE ALIVE!

And, because I'm lazy and haven't transferred the pictures from camera to computer yet I stole the pictures that were posted on Amy and Andrea's blogs. (Thanks guys!)

Thanksgiving Feast

(Carly left, Lisa right)

Our Thanksgiving feast turned out wonderful. Lisa and I prepared Mr. Bird the night before so that we could just pop him in the oven when we finished our race and got back to my house.

Carly arrived around 1:30 on Thanksgiving Day from NYC and jumped right into food preparation. We made sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, gravy, and heated rolls. (Jello salad was made the night before but it was forgotten in the fridge for the meal. Whoops!)

Here is our group, minus Lisa, and me and Carly clearly love each other more than everyone else in the group.

Have you seen the Miley Cyrus Movie? No? That's alright, you can watch THIS: Lisa happens to be a certified Miley Cyrus "Hoedown, Throwdown" Instructor. She taught us the dance:





We were so full after we ate that for some reason it more comfortable to sit on the floor.

Thanksgiving was surprisingly great. I had fun cooking lots of food for lots of people. We had fun dancing and playing games.

But overall, I'm thankful for all the things and people that bless and enrich my life.

I RAN A 10K!

Lisa and I ran the Turkey Chase yesterday morning.

BEFORE:



Right before we started running. All that was going through my mind was, "WHAT were we THINKING??"


Pictures of the starting line, and running action shots. Lisa looks beautiful in the running picture and I'm already overheated. (Pretty sure that's the most unflattering picture of me ever...) I think we were some where between mile 3 and 4. And about to run up a hill...

AFTER:

I'm looking sweet. I'm looking red. I had to take off my jacket because I was so hot by the end.



It wasn't the easiest 10k. There were lots of hills and I wasn't completely in shape for it. A 5k would have been pretty easy, but by mile 4 I was starting to get tired. Perhaps it was because at mile 4 we also were running up a hill...

But, all in all, I was so happy I ran it so I could eat more sweet potatoes and not feel quite so glutenous.

Thanks Lisa for being my running buddy! It was fabulous!

(Stay tuned for pictures of Lisa's great turkey, the dinner spread, the dinner company, pies and Hannah Montana dancing...)

Thankgiving Week! (4)

I'm thankful for God and my Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for His gospel.
I'm thankful for the Book of Mormon.
I'm thankful for the Plan of Salvation.
I'm thankful for prophets.

I'm thankful for a loving God who has provided a way for me to find joy and happiness.

(I forgot to post this yesterday. Pictures from my 10k and Thanksgiving dinner to come!)

Thanksgiving Week! (3)

I'm thankful for my body.

And that I can run, and walk, and run, and skip, and run, and gallop, and run, and jump, and run and dance, and run. I don't particularly like running, but for some reason my sanity lapsed for about five minutes this morning and I signed up for the Turkey Chase. And if you clicked on that link, you'll notice that there are three options.

1. 10k
2. 2 mile
3. 50 meter kids fun

We signed up for the 10k. WHAT??

I know.

I'm crazy.

Last time I did a 10k I was in 7th grade, in cross country, and had training everyday after school. I've decided I need to make sure there are no lapses in sanity again.

But, I am grateful for all the things I'm able to do. I'm thankful that I'm not even close to being a contestant for The Biggest Loser. And that I can move. That I can do everything I want. I don't have anything holding me back.

And even though I'm nervous about doing a 10k, it's not something impossible, and I know I can do it, and I know I will feel good about eating that extra piece of pie, or that extra helping of Sweet Potatoes tomorrow.

Huzzah!

Thanksgiving Week! (2)

I'm thankful for my friends!

Eugene friends:


Mission friends:


Longtime BYU friends:


Devonshire friends:


Jerusalem friends:


Gossip Girl friends:


Cousin friends:


Current roommate friends:


All my friends have served different purposes in my life and I'm grateful for them all!
Thank you! Love you all!

(And if you're not in any of the pictures but fit into a category, be assured that I love you too, Facebook was just limited in it's pictures.)

Thanksgiving Week!

I'm thankful for my family.

Photos taken October 2008 right before Jess left for her mission.

Thanksgiving

The menu for our Thanksgiving dinner was fabulous. This might be the first year that we have had just our family at our house for the meal, and because of that, it was a great family effort to get everything made. Here is what we had:

Turkey breasts-- we didn't want to have an entire turkey so we made two turkey breasts that were smothered in a sage, thyme, paprika, sugar mix.

Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Pecans-- this is my favorite dish and I got to make it this year.

Apple and Sausage Stuffing-- this is Cami's favorite

Mashed Potatoes

Garlic and Chile Seared Green Beans-- new recipe

Raspberry Jello Salad-- we can't be true Mormons without it (and it's my second favorite)

After dinner we went to see Australia at the theater. It's the new movie out with Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. It was long but I really liked it. I like historical-ish movies and epics. (And I like good-looking men in a movie.) After the movie we came back home for pie. And it was delicious.

Lattice Top Apple Pie-- this was made by Cami and Emma

Banana Cream Pie-- our family favorite and was made by Rachel and my dad

Pumpkin Pie-- crust made by Cami, filling done by Rachel and Emma

Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding

The only thing our Thanksgiving was lacking was Jess. But she seemed to have had a fun day at the MTC. She'll be back for Thanksgiving 2010.