Tradition, Tradition!!

As we all know, the holiday season is swiftly approaching and I thought it would be fun to list some of my family's traditions. I'm sure I will not get them all but here are some that come to mind...beware this is kind of long:

Christmas Countdown Chain: This is one of my favorite traditions and even when I was the only kid at home I made my parents continue this on. We make a countdown chain for December 1st through December 25th with a specific color paper for each person. So instead of the chain being 25 links long it was 7x that. Each person knew their color for that season and had a specific "task" to do each day. The chores were on a rotating pattern. This was a very systematic chain and making it took a lot of brain power...seriously I think my mom was the only one who ever totally understood how to make it. The tasks we did were anything from lighting candles, making a Christmas goodie, wrapping a present, reading a Christmas story, doing service, to moving the star on the countdown calendar. It was a great way to not only countdown the days till Christmas but also to feel the Christmas spirit and get some Holiday tasks accomplished. I sure do miss this!

Candles: As I mentioned above with the lighting candles, we would light candles at dinner time, every day throughout the month. The last night (Christmas Eve) the candles are lit and you have to be in bed and asleep before they burn out or else Santa Claus cannot come. It always stressed me out as a kid trying to fall asleep because I was way too excited! This too had a system as you had to burn just the right amount off of the candles each night to have the perfect amount left for Christmas Eve.

Caroling: We usually go caroling sometime during the month, sometimes on Christmas Eve. We always make up plates of goodies to take. We usually go caroling to the families my parents home/visit teach. We also go to neighbors, less active church members, and widows. It is always a little embarrassing because I don't think we have the best signing voices but it is a fun way to do a little service for others.

The Nativity Story: Every year, like many families we dress up in makeshift costumes of towels and sheets and reenact the nativity story as someone reads from Luke 2. When I was a baby I played baby Jesus but when I got older I always wanted to be Mary or the Angel. My puppy Mollie was the ever faithful sheep for whoever played the sheperd. I also made my parents keep this tradition up even after my brothers were all gone.
We also added another reenactment of the nativity to our tradition ever since my freshman year in seminary when my teacher put on this activity (Bless Sister Sorenson's heart, she died of Cancer a few years ago but was the BEST teacher ever). Anyway, the presentation she did was as follows: You put each piece from a nativity set into a brown paper bag with a number on it (each in a separate bag). In each bag is a story or scripture and a song that corresponds to the character in the bag. After you read your paper, everyone sings the song and you add your nativity piece to the stable. The last piece is baby Jesus and after he is placed in the scene you turn on a light or have a light rigged (flashlights work well) so that it shines directly on the newborn Savior as you sing the final song which I believe is Silent Night. Oh I get the chills just thinking about it.

Gifts: After acting out the nativity we usually were allowed to open one small gift on Christmas Eve. I loved this because I could hardly wait until Christmas Day and this helped me survive the suspense. Also, on Christmas Day, my parents...I mean Santa... always left a few gifts out and unwrapped by the stockings. This was to show that Santa had in all actuality come the night before. It also helped if presents were big because then they didn't have to be wrapped.

Wake-Up Call: I don't know if this is a tradition or what but I always wake up super early from anticipation and wake everyone up to open presents. Even now I cannot stand the excitement. As I have grown older it is not the presents that thrill me as much as the feeling-it is the most wonderful day of all. I just love staying in my jammies all day, sipping hot co-coa to holiday tunes by the fire, and eating delicious food and candy all day. I cannot think of much else to set the mood like that.

These are a few of the main things I remember about Christmas at home. We don't do all of these anymore but try to do as many as we can. It just isn't possible to do the countdown chain when we are all in different states. I love Christmas for many reasons and traditions help make the season what it is. The most important tradition however if remembering the reason we are celebrating in the first place. I love my Savior and am grateful for His humble birth, His perfect life, and His victorious death.

And now I am curious...what traditions do you have?

I Can Take the Heat Mandi

Well I am bored at work and Mandi tagged anybody who can take the heat so I guess I will give it a shot...

8 T.V. shows I like to watch
1. LOST
2. The Office
3. Gangland on the History Channel or any other crime tv show
4. John and Kate Plus 8
5. I'm sad to admit but I enjoy Paris Hilton's My New BFF
6. BASEBALL and other sports
7. Friends
8. The old Classics (Full House, Fresh Prince, etc...)


8 Things that happened yesterday
1. Worked
2. Slept
3. Attempted to clean the bathroom when low and behold...
4. Our water was shut off at my apartment complex so I couldn't finish it or shower for a while
5. Showered at my friend's apartment so I could finally get clean
6. Waited for my friend to try on 9 outfits before deciding what to wear.
7. Went out to dinner with some fabulous friends
8. Played Clue with the same fabulous friends


8 places I like to eat
1. Olive Garden
2. Zupas
3. St. Louis Bread Co. AKA Panera Bread Co.
4. Cafe Rio/Costa Vida
5. Home-as in at my parents house!
6. Open Seasame (It's a Chinese resaurant in Canada)
7. Brick Oven
8. TUCANOS!

8 Things I am looking forward to
1. Thanksgiving
2. Christmas
3. Being in Florida for Christmas, being with my family
4. Someday working normal hours again
5. January 23rd- a very happy day
6. Getting married and having a family some day
7. Some day going to Africa
8. Going on a mission with my husband when I am old

8 Things on my wish list
1. a day job but at a place as fabulous as the one I am at
2. warm weather all year long
3. Go to Africa
4. Go to Bora Bora
5. to live closer to my family
6. to get two new roommates- and no, one of them is not to replace Melani
7. Get married and have a family
8. That selfish/mean/bad people would not exist

In Memory

Well I am a little hesitant to post today because I am not doing so for sympathy. I do however want to post in memory of someone very dear to me, my brother Nathan. Today marks the 11th year anniversary of his death. I choose to use this day to honor and remember the life he had. I am going to list some of my favorite memories. Most of you who read my blog did not know my brother so now you can learn a bit:

1) His favorite hymn was Battle Hymn of the Republic-not sure why but I think it is funny
2) His FHE lessons were always intricate Jeopardy games or practice fire drills. The one I remember most was learning how to use a fire extinguisher to put out fire and standing in my front yard spraying down fires. Who says FHE isn't fun?
3)One Halloween he wore my mom's clothes to school to dress up as a women. Let's just say my parents were slightly embarrassed.
4) He loved Nirvana, and Oasis and to my mom's delight, the Grassroots
5) He played Piano, Guitar, and Alto Sax-one time he left his saxophone in the drive-way while waiting for the bus and my dad backed over it on his way to work. The worst part was Nathan had a concert that day...oops!
6) He taught me how to build/shoot off rockets and shoot guns
7) He worked as a bagger at the local IGA and when he asked my friend's mom if she needed help out to the car she said something (I cant remember what) and he picked up her son and carried him out even though he was my age (10 or 11) and totally capable of walking-he was just a goof
8) When he was little he had to wear a pirate patch because of his lazy eye but he would always take it off when he left the house
9) He, Valerie and I used to play a game called Tornado where we would go out in the ditches and pretend tornados were coming and hide or something, I can't really remember-oh the life of a farm kid
10) He was an engineer and was always building/inventing things-he and my dad built a storage shed in our back yard
11) He was an electrician- he made a doorbell for his room and all sorts of other gizmos. He even helped wire our house after it was built.
12) He probably teased me the most out of my three brothers but also spent the most time with Val and I. He was always hugging on my mom and would sit on my parent's lap from time to time.

Well that is some of the stuff that comes to mind right now. I recently made a similar list in my journal but it has a lot more to it probably.

"We're all of us stars
We're fading away
Just try not to worry
You'll see us some day
Just take what you need
And be on your way
And stop crying your heart out"
-Oasis-

Oh the Irony

While most of you are relishing this fine eve of an extra hour of sleep, I am here basking in the joy of an extra hour of work. I am dreading that hour when the clock strikes back an hour and I feel like an hour was spent in vain. It's going to be odd experiencing daylight savings from this perspective but hopefully the time will not pass too slowly.

Are you serious?

It snowed yesterday... and it's only October 12th!! What in the heck?! Luckily the snow didn't stick but it is still freezing! All of my family is living it up with 60 or 70 degree weather. No fair. I was not made for the cold. Okay, I am done complaining now, and it is supposed to warm up by the end of the week.

Shoes and Shirt...no problem

So with the economic crisis that is occurring, I have become super frugal. I am trying not to spend money on anything to the point that it is almost ridiculous. I am fine financially, better than ever actually, but I am saving up for a new car and possibly grad school in January. I am worried about the economy and am trying not to spend money and so far have been really good. Plus, with how little space I have in my apartment, and all the crap I already own, I really do not need more stuff. But, I messed it all up on Wednesday when I stumbled upon these shoes and HAD to have them. They were a pretty good deal and they had free shipping but I am mad at myself for buying them. I will just have to see how much I love them in person and if I don't I can always send them back. I am excited though because I love comfy shoes that I can wear in the nasty cold here.

Oh and on a more exciting note, I was at the women's soccer game tonight and won a free shirt! Now I thought it would just be a ginormous tee shirt with a weird logo that I would just give away but it was actually a cute shirt from Shade Clothing. It was even my size and was valued at $21.50. Not bad eh?! I am excited. I tried to find a picture to post of it but there weren't any on their website...all I can say is I am going to every game that is left so I can win more!

Can You Feel Real Like You Are?

Ok the title for this blog is taken from a new Goo Goo Dolls song titled "Real." This post has nothing to do with that but I just like it. I love the Goo Goo Dolls so much, probably because they have been around my whole life and they are just fabulous musicians. Check out this song because I love it. On the subject of music, I was thinking today about all my favorite songs and about 99% of them are sung by guys. No offense to anyone who sings but I just prefer men's voices to women's voices most of the time. Even if the woman is on key and everything I just don't like high pitches very much. There are a lot of talented female singers and I do admire them because I sure can't sing like that, but I just love guy singers more.

I was also thinking today about how I am a germ-a-phobe. I know I definitely get this from my mom. I thought of this because I am at work and I wanted to eat some ice cream (because all I do all night is stuff my face) and there were no plastic spoons left. There were however, some of the utensil's that the kids use but they hand wash them. Ok eating off of dishes that teenage boys wash by hand just does not thrill me. So what did I do at this time of great crisis? I ate my ice cream with a plastic fork. :) The first fork I tried broke so I had to get another one. I know I probably won't die or even get sick but I just am paranoid about certain things like that. If I really need to I just suck it up and do it and I am fine, but for the most part I have some weird phobias that make me do some odd things. Here are a few:

1) Pretty much no matter where I am I will not sit on a public toilet, I hover. If I must sit? I line that seat with a liner or some TP.
2) I flush public toilets with my feet.
3) I don't like eating or drinking after certain people. Close friends or family are fine but I will not just share with anyone. I am not worried about getting sick. It's more the thought of their saliva that creeps me out.
4) Every time I eat at restaurant, especially fast food I think about all the horrible things that could have happened to my food in the kitchen (dropped on floor, sneezed on, touched with bare hands, etc...) - some call me crazy but keep in mind I worked in the "food business" for 3 years and that is just what happens, but I get over it and usually enjoy my food
5) I hate hair! -especially if it is dark, and even more so if it is wet. I know hair can't really hurt you but it seriously is so creepy to me, and if I ever have hair in my food, please just shoot me! Hair literally gives me the chills.
6) I rarely trust a dish that has not been cleaned in the dishwasher. I know it may not matter, but I just don't really believe most people wash dishes by hand in a very sanitary manner.
7) Occasionally I do that weird thing where I touch a part of a door that I feel like nobody has touched if I am somewhere really nasty like a public restroom in the South. Seriously, driving from NC to Florida has got to be the worst as far as bathroom breaks go.

I was watching John and Kate Plus 8 and she said something that is so true for me...she is more creeped out by people germs than nature germs. That is how I am. I will eat off of a sidewalk before a floor any day. I don't know why but that is just how my mind works....anyway, my randomness is done for now. Can you tell I get bored at work? Enjoy conference tomorrow everyone!