Happy New Year's Eve!

Blogging when on vacation is hard. And I've been milking my vacation. Sleeping in late, getting completely hooked on Toddlers and Tiaras (thanks Netflix), seeing lots of movies, eating out courtesy of Papa Richey, and playing games with my sisters.

The pictures I've snapped really don't even come close to showing what a good vacation I've had. But I'm going to post the ones I instagramed here anyway. (Sorry if you already follow me on instagram... you're about to see them again...)

Christmas Eve was spent with roommate Lisa and her family at the Botanical Gardens until my flight to Oregon

Pit stop home from the airport to see the famous Eugene Christmas lights

Our lone, leftover Christmas stocking of Missionary Sister Emma

This picture is actually of Emma. She's on the phone.

My dad's shoes as he gets dressed for us to play floor hockey at the Stake Center on Boxing Day.

We're all excited about the Rose Bowl in Duck country. And if I had a niece she'd be sporting this outfit.

Cami (24) and Rach (18) got their ears pierced for the first time. Look how cute they are.

Puppy Ellie gets a picture, she got a shower after going on a run through the mud in the rain.

Tonight the plan involves dinner with friends and probably games. If I make it to midnight we'll count that a success. (I'm lightweight when it comes to staying up late.)

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

Merry Christmas!

It only took us until 4:00 to finally finish opening presents but we were able to have a lovely church meeting and talk to my sister Emma on her mission in London too. It's been a good Christmas.

And I'm posting this video again because I liked it so much last year.



Merry Christmas! Hope you all have had a most wonderful day!

Party Planning Committee

Somehow I ended up on my bureau's holiday party planning committee. I missed the first meeting due to the National Christmas Tree Lighting. And I conveniently was "sick" during the other meeting. Next thing I know, I'm being totally dragged onto the committee being thrust $500 and sent off to Costco to make sure enough booze was purchased. (Great idea people, send the sober MORMON for alcohol.)

I was informed that all the other meetings were pointless because one person veto'd all the ideas that were different. And then everyone else felt awkward to bring up other ideas. It felt like a scene right out of The Office. So many similarities in this video:

Except Angela veto'ing karaoke and drinking games, it was someone veto'ing African food in favor of Soul food and Popeye's Fried Chicken. Gross.

Two more days of work. Two more days...

Sigh of Relief

Our front window from the outside.

Yesterday I took a sick* day. I was not actually ill. I was more sick of work and needed a lovely day of R&R. It was awesome. I feel so rejuvenated to be at work today. Highlights of yesterday include: getting my computer fixed at the Apple store; putting together** the shelf I bought at Target while watching a really stupid and awesome movie, Christmas Cupid; having my new and lovely roommate Lindi surprise us all by bringing home Cafe Rio for all; and eating the cheesecake*** I made the night before for Lisa's dad's birthday.

Last weekend my sister Jess and I went and sang carols at The National Gallery of Art. It was so much fun because the acoustics were awesome and everyone was singing. There's something about singing the same loved songs with 200 other people that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy. Then we went to the Christmas market by the National Portrait Gallery. I love living near a big city. (In the city would probably be even better.)

*when I told my sister Cami I was sick I imitated Karen on Mean Girls. Cami quickly followed up with Regina's response, "Boo you whore." So as I was looking for the clip linked I came across an 8 minute version of Mean Girls dubbed over in Polish and it made me laugh. For the Polish speakers out there, check it out.

**actually I did a terrible job putting together the shelf and couldn't find pliers to pull the little wooden pegs out of the holes when I messed up putting it together (due to lack of direction following) and the closest thing I could find to the strength of pliers was my teeth. Yep, I pulled those pegs out with my molars.

***it was a cheesecake making first. also, I used orange instead of lemon, and decided to go overboard by busting out my juicer to get the orange juice.

Puppies

I'm like extra sappy today or something. I found myself tearing up while watching this video:

I can't wait to see my Ellie in a week and a half!

Hot Chocolate

Apparently I've become quite the racer (meaning I did two races in a week and a half). Not that doing a 5 miler and then a 5K make for being a runner, but, that's all I got pictures of these days.

Last Saturday I ran the Hot Chocolate Run with a million other people in a horrifically unorganized race. (I suspect that since it's the first time they did it in DC there were a lot of unaccounted for problems that occurred. But, they really should have had it at a place with public transportation access. That would have cut out the hour long + wait we had trying to get across the bridge to the National Harbor.)

But never mind that. We ran, we ate chocolate at the end, we were happy.

See?

Immediately post race. I'm red. Yeah, also busted out that sweatband again. Genius.

With our fondue goodness. We couldn't tell if it was actually really good. Or just really good post race.

The fondue dish. 

All the happy runners. Allie's so happy she can hardly keep her eyes open.

We finished our runner's high off with Cafe Rio that night. And I finished off my night by going to bed at 10:30 and not waking up the next day until my alarm went off at 9:30. I think I was catching up on missed sleep from other nights. There was no way I was that tired from a 5k.

Other things not pictured from the past week:

1. Went to the White House Christmas tree lighting. Highlights include Michelle Obama and Kermit the Frog reading The Night Before Christmas; and One Republic singing their Christmas song Christmas Without You. Watch what I saw HERE.
2. Saw the latest Twilight movie. It was... interesting... Actually, I was highly entertained the majority of the time. Couldn't help but laugh out loud when the wolves are talking to each other in their heads. Ridiculous is really the only way to describe that.
3. Read three stupid books (and when I say stupid books I mean I read fluff novels, nothing with real substance). Bringing my year's book number to 65. 

PS. Thanks for the lovely race all my racer girls, Domineau, Allie, Stefi and not pictured: Meradyth and Lindsay

Post Thanksgiving Wrap-Up Post 1

I'm at work today. I know. It's so depressing. So I will drown my sorrows in the Thanksgiving leftovers I packed in my lunch and post the first update of Thanksgiving.

Two years ago Lisa and I started a tradition of running a race on Thanksgiving morning. We did a 10K two years ago, a 5 miler last year and yesterday we did a 5K. Except that 5K wasn't actually a 5K it was actually a 5 miler (which incidentally is the same race we did last year but we for some reason kept thinking last year's was a 5K too). Soooo let's just say, I could have run a 5K without a lot of trouble, I was NOT prepared for a 5 miler and am suffering the after affects today of sore knees and legs. BUT, the thing about the 5 miler is that I (with Lisa and Debbie) ran the entire thing. We stopped only once to grab the cups of water around the 3.5 mile mark and walked as we drank for about 20 feet, then we picked up and ran again.

I know it sounds braggy, but I'm awesome. And proud of myself for running the entire race! I kind of can't believe I did it all without stopping and with no training since I had shin splints a couple weeks ago and took a three week hiatus on running. I know for you runners out there, 5 miles isn't really that big of a feat but for those who profess to hate running (cough, cough, me), and is entirely too out of shape, it is a real accomplishment.

And, let me tell you, I'm thankful for friends who cheer me on to keep going, run with me at my pace, tell stories because I can't talk and fist bump me each time we pass another mile marker sign.

PS. Sweat bands? Best invention ever! I don't know why I've never worn one before. I'm totally wearing one every time I run from now on.

PPS. Good thing I ran yesterday because it totally prepared me for running down the street this morning at 7 am in my Hawaiian printed robe and boots pushing our big trashcan because we forgot to put it out last night... Yeah... there's a good chance that trash guy got a peek of more Lauren than he should have...