Festival of Trees!!!

I love this event! Folks decorate trees beautifully and then donate them...other folks pay ton '0 money for them and it all benefits Primary Childrens. It's a bummer that it's only for two days because it is CROWDED- loads of people want to see the awesomeness! I took the Katie Claire along with me...I shall show a few of my favorites:

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was a good time! I didn't take a single picture, but I think my mom might have...silly ones of playing pool or something. Dinner was delicious! Our table consisted of mom, dad, me, Pam, Chad, Cody :-) Oh, and some smoked turkey, green beans, 3 different kinds of potatoes, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce...mmm, it's making me hungry to think about it now. Black Friday was successful and easy for me this year...mom and I went to the mall at around 9 and the crowds really weren't bad at all. I mostly bought some new clothes for work from Express...25% off before noon. Anyhow, it's a week after the fact and I still need to document my last 3 things I'm thankful for...well, surely I'm thankful for so much more than the things/people I have included in this project, but I will choose:

Family- my own immediate family as well as the Huggins/Hawkins/Jordan clan who I consider an entire adopted extended family...more to love! I have some pretty awesome family members and I love spending time with all of them. I will highlight my fantastic sister-in-law, Lisa and my first born nephew, Mathew...both of whom exemplify pretty much the ultimate person! And...my Honey, who I honestly view as the greatest blessing and influence in my life right up there with my mom. I love her so so much.






Friends- I have focused on a couple specific pals in my past posts, but I have so many wonderful friends. I am incredibly blessed in that aspect! I love them all and have so much fun with them all the time! They all provide me with excellent examples of so many admirable traits, and endless support!







The Gospel of Jesus Christ- It is always difficult to adequately express the tender feelings I have for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are here living because God created us and Christ atoned for our sins and afflictions and knows all the trials we face. My strength comes everyday because of my faith in and obedience to the principles and commandments I have been taught. My joy comes from the knowledge I have about our divine nature and where we came from. My life is motivated by the knowledge I have gained about our potential and what we can achieve and be blessed with after this life. My choices are guided by the Holy Ghost and chosen ultimately because of the love I have for God and our Savior.

West Point, ahoy!

Here I am at the parents, and it feels lovely. I had an excellent 1st day of freedom...

-Slept 'til 10.

-Went to In N Out with Tiff, Mike, and my little Dylan :-) Taught them how to order correctly and how to appreciate the party in their mouths. Dylan is so cute and funny and makes me so happy! The sun was shining bright and we even ate outside, in November!
-Went home and straightened things up a bit.
-Showered and got ready slowly.
-Enjoyed some new music by Carrie Underwood and John Mayer.
-Went on a great hike with Kip. Then we went to Kneaders, delicious.
-Headed up to West Point, where we're watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles...the best Thanksgiving prep!

Well, I only have a couple days left of the "Thankful Fors" so I should get down to business. Today I pick:

Nature- I love being outside...it's best when the weather is cooperating, of course :-) I'm reminded of the beautiful nature today after my hike in the mountains of Utah Valley, which are quite awesome. I have seen so many unbelievably gorgeous places and there are so many more that I hope to experience! One of my favorite places is Muir Woods in No. Cal...

Jamie- She is my best friend and I'm grateful for her consistency in my life. She's the most fun, quite hilarious, knows me through and through, and we've had so many super fun adventures together! Our friendship has withstood some real tests, and I love her so unconditionally. There are countless thing I could say about her character and talents. I spend a lot of time missing her, so here's hopin' our lives get geographically closer again at some point. Home- I sure do love the coziness of home! Now this is actually Goldie Hawn and Kirt Russell's home, not mine, but a girl can dream right? ha ha!

Free For Five Days!

I'll be honest, I've been kind of hating work lately...it just gets exhausting and I can't ever let up because there are a lot of little people depending and expecting A LOT everyday...mainly I really stink at getting up at 6 a.m. and actually feeling rested. With that said, the number 1 thing I am thankful for today is......


-I'm done with work for the week!!! That means sleeping until at least 8:30, only wearing mascara for half the day, working out before I get ready for the day, seeing some friends, celebrating with family, learning my script, enjoying the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, watching the BYU-Utah game and hoping for a victory or at least a really close game!


I'm also thankful for:


-My awesomely comfortable mattress



-The fact that some people find my dorkiness "cute"...it helps the confidence a little...

Wow, doozy of a weekend...

It's been an interesting couple of days and my thoughts are cluttered, so I'm sure there's nothing like thanking to make things better!!!

Thankful for:

Sunshine-and there's even been a lot lately!
Sharpened Pencils- make all the things I'm jotting down constantly a lot more fun..also does wonders for my OCD
Hoodies- are cozy and hide my mid-section
The Gym- particularly when I actually go, which has been a problem lately...went and played racquetball tonight though!
Dancing- it is so fun and liberating!
Antibiotics- it's about time I get this funk out of my body

And mostly, this picture:

Haha haha ha haHA HA HA HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! This makes me happy every time! So, Leslie & the girls were down from Idaho and we went to Disney on Ice, which was way fun...mostly Aubrie was happy, but every once in a while in life she pulls a very dramatic screaming fit, and I shouldn't laugh, but it's kind of HILARIOUS! She was pretty done posing for pictures and we were trying to get one of her with Uncle Chad...lol...he's trying to be extra happy to make up for it...

In N Out Officially in Utah County!

Thank You For:


-Elastic Waisted Pants- such as p.j. pants, athletic pants, basketball shorts, etc...if life was my way, we would all live in them- everyday, all the time- you know, pretending they were fashionable.


-Cereal- I LOVE cereal! All kinds! Captain Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, Golden Grahams, Honey Bunches of Oats, Cracklin' Oat Bran, Strawberry Frosted Mini-Wheats, S'Mores- just some of my favorites. Such fun, yummy, easy , comforting food! This might be one reason why I need elastic waisted pants...


-My Mom- There are thousands of things I could say, of course, but today I'm grateful for her willingness to help me with random things and go with me to do weird things. She came to my classroom and graded a bunch of stuff for me today and then we went to the insane opening of In-N-Out! It was awesome! Way crowded, but they were ready and super efficient! I'm also thankful for Leslie going there ahead of us and saving a spot in line!

Still Thanking...

Today I am thankful for:

-Disco Inferno, the Musical- Who knew? I had never heard of it, but I saw that the Scera theater was holding auditions for it and the thought of dancing in a show sounded pretty appealing for my life right now. SO, turns out that after callbacks I ended up with the female lead role, Jane. Don't know much about the show yet, but I know I get to sing some solos and duets and dance some disco! Sounds good to me! (Show runs Jan.8-16)
-Skylar's Note- In this job of mine, there are rarely times when I feel appreciated and a lot of the time my head is about to explode. But there are the few moments of cute kindness, like this note I got from one of my students a couple days ago (granted I asked them to write a Thank You note to anyone of their choice): "Miss Young, Thank you for showing us that you are here to teach us. Thank you for holding us in your excellence. You really have a kind heart & soul. You have changed our lives. That you for being the teacher we know you are." Yes, a 4th grader wrote that...or copied it from a poem, lol DEEP! But it made me happy.
-Kim- my friend Kim is such an amazing example to me in every way! I haven't seen her in quite some time, and I should really remedy that! I am so thankful for her friendship and the bright spot she has created in my life and memories. (Sure wish you were still with me here at Snow Springs Kimmy!)

11/17!

I will take a moment on this monumental day to thank Mr. Mark Henson for his obsession with the number 1117. For those who don't know, Mark was my H.S. Show Choir director who was amazing and changed my life. He always said that the number 1117 would show up constantly in his life in a myriad of ways. Because our choir period happened to fall during 11:17 a.m. each day, he would always look at the clock at that time and mention it. One year on 11/17 at 11:17 we had a party. Oh how I love that man and MISS those days!!! Happy 11/17! So, along with Mark Henson, here are my three things I'm thankful for today:
-Michael Jackson-he was a musical genius and fantastically entertaining. I am so grateful for artists who have such amazing musical minds (specifically the ones I love)! Go see THIS IS IT!

-In N Out- particularly the fact that they are building three all within 15 minutes of where I live. One is going up right at the freeway exit I take for work! I get to have it this Thursday! I could go everyday if I want! (Let's pray I don't) To answer questions, no, this won't necessarily keep me in Utah, but it is sure great for the time being!

-All of my friends adorable kids!!!- Today I am specifically grateful for the hilariousness of Dallin (Brynn's son)...the picture below made me laugh so hard today! He's too cute! I wish I was around them more often!

Thanks

I really do have many things to be thankful for, so I will follow Lisa's lead and list 3 things I'm grateful for each day this month up to Thanksgiving. Good idea Kitty, good idea.

So, for today:
-The Temple
-Avocados

-Kip

Would You Like a Delicious Carrrrrrrramel Apple?

Had a BLAST on Hallween night- a BLAST!-with some beloved old roomies, a few other friends, and my ma! Too bad what followed was a week from HELL with all kinds of confidence slams, discouragement, and self-esteem busters...such are the ups and downs of life right? Watch out world cuz I will not let that happen this week!!!

Halloween in 4th Grade

I think when I was in 4th grade, I was a hippopotamus. A hippopotamus...a purple one. That's embarrassing. But I think I was one of those kids that was far from shy and very rarely embarrassed. Here are some current 4th grade costumes...

AND 4th grade Teachers..

My Boyfriend Dylan

I'm gonna go candid for a moment and say that this little guy is my favorite. He belongs to my great pal, Tiff, who I got to work with for some (now very missed) years. I absolutely love all my friend's kids, and I consider myself super lucky and blessed to have soooo many adorable little kiddos in my life. BUT, this one!!! Oh goodness!!! He loves me! And I love him!!! He's seriously hilarious! This is only one humorous experience with cinnamon toast...the kid is jolly and a goof all the time!

A Fairy Infestation!!!

Went to Orlando over Fall break yet again for the excellently fun "Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party". Totally makes Halloween for me! Jam and her roomies made fairy costumes, so she hooked me up with one too and there were 7 of us flitting about all night. One fellow guest among the crowd said, "It's an infestation of fairies..." in a slightly perturbed tone. HA HA! Pretty much Jam and I love the parade and the fireworks and the music playing in the park, but man, the candy they are givin' out these days at the trick or treat spots...blechhh. It's not even all name brand anymore.

Speaking of fairies...or ferre's. Our buddy Rob Ferre and his girlfriend Annie auditioned for the American Idol Experience at Studios. We mostly made them since we aren't able, being Disney cast members. Rob got through to one of the shows! It was way fun to experience it with him and live vicariously.

Class of 1999 BABY!

Good grief, was that really 10 years ago? My mind reels trying to make sense of the fact that 10 years have passed since the Brea Olinda Wildcat days! What is even more boggling is the current state of my life and how it compares to what I thought it would look like by now. According to a questionnaire I filled out at Grad Night that has been sitting in a time capsule for 10 years, I'm supposed to have been married for 3 years now, among other things. A few other disturbing things on that survey are: at the time I weighed 117 lbs. (hmmmmm...wish that were still the case), and my primary concern was that "Satan is taking over the world" LOL I mean, I guess that's true, but...
Anyway, clearly I went to my H.S. Reunion. It was a couple weekends ago. I made the 10 hour trek to Orange County on a Friday, did the reunion (and Disneyland) on Saturday, drove back Sunday. Was it worth it? I.............dunno. I loved High School. We had a pretty dang fun class of people and the reunion had potential. However, it was a hundred bucks and because of that (in my opinion), only about 50 people showed. At least the Sweeny's were there and Erin provided some drunk commentary on the micropohone...it really wouldn't have been the same without the "it's sweater vest, not a cardigan" chant. Turns out it would have been loads more fun for me if a lot more people came! But, it was fun to hang with my pals Carrie, Lindsey, Sam, and Ryan. I really missed my Cameron and Sari. And since some of my best pals are a year older or younger, I think the ultimate joy would be a Show Choir reunion that would span the years of '97-'00...eh eh?! I will post a few pictures from the event, but first I will copy and paste Carrie's blog post about the reunion here because she makes me happy:
"HS reunion re-cap

I didn't do the HS reunion justice. I was just extremely embarrassed at how shy and awkward and scared I felt! I need to thank Shelley, for taking me w/ her & paying for half of it & for the fun time that we had. Anytime with Shelley is a fun time! :) We found the Alibaba motel...which is pretty much a once in a lifetime opportunity. We talked with strange boys in another car that wanted to know where we were headed- they didn't speak english so Shelley cleared it up "ESCUELAAAAA" that moment right there made the night, for me. :) She pulled a gang sign and everything. It was great. We looked through my old yearbooks to see if Melissa Lawless signed any of them. Nope. Not that we found at least. I might check more thoroughly another day.

So Shell, for the 20- I'll pay for 1/2 of your ticket & if you are married, great- go make out with your husband, whatever. :) If you're not, we can go cause a rucus together & eat some yogurtland. :) Love you SHMOOP!"

BY THE WAY!!!

For the first time in all my days of living, I pulled in to Anaheim on a Friday night to find the Disneyland traffic OUT OF CONTROL! What was going on? Disneyland was at full capacity! What? On a seemingly normal Friday evening in October. There was no explanation. My response is...recession???? I don't think so. It's a myth. Everyone is fine. I wanted to check out the craziness so I parked anyway...in a lot that I honestly didn't know existed. We had to ride a random hired Anaheim city bus to the front entrance (which was like 3 miles away).