Happy Dance!

guys. I love love love Thursdays. I always say that because it is oh so TRUE! :o) This week has been just awful in many ways and I am very glad to have weekend just about here. I have a lot of random things, so let's get this party started shall we?

• BLUE TANGO! TONIGHT! I am so excited to go dancing! One of my favorite peeps to dance with is going to be there tonight and I'm rather excited about this.

• Tomorrow is Date Night. In fact, this last weekend Monkey Man was conversing w/someone from the ward about Movie Night and the next movie we were going to do and where and such and the topic of when came up. This other person mentioned how we could do Friday and Monkey Man said, "Friday night is Date Night. You can't mess with Date Night." I was SO EXCITED to hear those words come from his mouth. I love Date Night. On the agenda is dinner, apple pie making and the annual lighting festival at the Riverwoods. Sounds festive right? :o)

• I am going to be crafty this weekend and I am just so excited about this. I'm going to make a new bag for my church stuff. :o) It should be pretty sweet. Maybe I'll take pictures and tell you about it. Maybe.

• I got whacked in the face with a volleyball last night. Got whiplash. WORST headache EVER. but it was a fun night regardless.

• Also, last night I had a training meeting with the General Relief Society board. It was a wonderful board. I took so many pages of notes of things that I can be doing better. Part of me LOVES these meetings and another part of me hates them because afterwards I just feel so inadequate. There is so much room for improvement.

• I am just so happy these days when it comes to Monkey Man. After an emotional breakdown (over things that have been building up for some time now) on Tuesday evening, Monkey Man let me gripe and complain. He lent the best listening ear. The conversation led to other topics and his philosophies on life and the gospel are so well aligned with mine it is sometimes scary. I really really really really like him. I think he's the bee's knees and love being able to spend time with him any way I can.

• My cousin is blessing her baby up in L* this weekend. Sister B, Brother-in-Law T and I are all going up to spend time with them. Monkey Man may or may not be coming depending on his schedule on Sunday. Regardless, I am excited to spend time with my cousins.
• I really love going to the gym. SO GREAT.

• I'm really excited for the Holidays. They are going to be so much fun this year.

• Also, what does when get a boy they've  been dating for a short time (*cough Monkey Man cough*) for Christmas? I'm thinking maybe I'll make a stocking and stuff it with cute, fun  knick knacks, but I'm not sure. Your ideas are welcome.

Have the most fantastic weekend ever friends! Loves!

Tender Mercy Tuesday - Birthday Edition

Hello dear friends. I love Tuesdays. For me they have been such a great time for reflection and review of the past week. Sundays are also a good day for that, but after the craziness of a Monday it's always nice to take some time on Tuesday to look back and see what wonderful things have blessed my life in the past week.

I have had several small and tender blessings this week, but the one that stands out the most is one that happened on Saturday. I was getting ready for my birthday party when I received a phone call from a dear friend of mine, former RS President and former visiting teacher. She wanted to stop by and visit! I was so excited to see her. :o) She came bearing a wonderful birthday present (which was just SO thoughtful of her!) and apologies for not being able to come and celebrate with me. I didn't mind and I thought she was just the most wonderful thing in the world for stopping by to visit with me on her own time earlier in the day.

I have been so very blessed with the best friends in the world. I realized this weekend as I saw all the people who turned up to support me and celebrate my special day with me that I need to be a better friend. I need to return the favor of sending people little notes, dropping off a special something, or calling just to say hello. It's not that hard to be a good friend - I just need to do it. :o)

What has blessed your life in the past week?

Thursday Things

Good morning internet friends!! It is a beautiful Thursday morning over here and I am one happy little Alishka. Tomorrow is my day off and I couldn't be happier about it. I am so excited to get some things done and go on a date and all of that good stuff. :o) I've got some great things to share with you, so keep reading!

• Today is Sister B's Birthday! She is 20 years old! Wow. I can't believe she's that old. :o) I love her. She is the best little sister and does so many great things for me. Last night I took her out for a haircut and dinner at Tucanos. Basically, I'm the best sister ever.  :o)

• I'm pretty sure I haven't told you yet - but Sister B is ENGAGED!!! YAY!!! She's getting married June 16th. I am so happy for her and her fiance is a great guy. 

• I happen to be the wedding planner for Sister B's wedding. Fun times y'all, fun times. You will probably hear more about that as we go.

• When Sister B and I were at Tucanos last night there were some guys seated next to us from my ward. They're new and I don't know them all that well, but I sort of knew their names. Well one of the guys, was just the BIGGEST flirt. He was so funny and I really enjoyed flirting with him throughout dinner. It was good times.

• I need new running shoes. Hopefully that will get taken care of tomorrow.

• I'm going to Ballet West's Sleeping Beauty on Saturday. I am STOKED. 

• Roommate A and I went shopping at the mall together for the first time since living together. I bought awesome teal shoes and 2 new pairs of earrings and a jewelery stand. It was happy times.

• My date for Saturday, Church Boy, is awesome. I've picked a good guy to go to the ballet with me.

• There's a HUGE milestone coming up on this here blog - I'm trying to decide what to do for it.

• My birthday is 3.5 weeks. I am very excited for my birthday party. It is going to be AWESOME.

• I am HAPPY. Seriously. Life is good and I am one happy little girl. 

I am ready for my awesome weekend. It is going to be very awesome. This weekend is forecasted to be the warmest weekend yet to date and I am very much looking forward to some sunshine and happiness. :o) Have a great day peeps!

Dating Battle Stories: Sweetums - Part One

{artwork by Roommate A}

Mondays are usually no fun at all. So, to make coming back from the weekend a little bit better I have my last dating recap for you! This one has to be my favorite - which is why it has been saved for last! :o) Today's recap is all about Sweetums. This story ended up being really long, so I've decided to post it in two different posts. :o)

so, without further ado - Part One.

So, I have to start off this story with a little bit of background by saying that Sweetums and I did, in fact, go to high school together. Our groups of friends overlapped, but I never went out with him or hung out with him on a regular basis in high school. After graduating we got to be better friends and talked online all the time. I developed a huge crush on him. During our first semester as freshman at BYU he would stop by my place of employment and say hi all the time. He took me on a group date with his friends once and then about a month later I took him to Fall Preference. It was tons of fun. Then, he went on a mission for our Church. He got back and I was kind of dating someone, then he was dating someone, then we were both dating someones. During this time (aka the past 3 years) we would hang out from time to time, see each other at friends' weddings, talk online, etc. Every time I saw him I was reminded of how awesome this guy is, but wouldn't do anything about it. (usually because of the current relationship status.)

About 6 weeks before SwingKid and I broke up, Sweetums and I had a really good, long conversation about life and what I was doing and how my relationship was going. I got the feeling that Sweetums wished I was single...but didn't dwell on that fact. 3 days after SwingKid and I broke up I got the feeling that I needed to call up Sweetums. Using my favorite social media site Facebook, I sent a message to Sweetums telling him we need to hang out. We talked about 4 days after that and had a really good long conversation that I vaguely mentioned here.

The second Saturday in December I had plans to get some Christmas gifts made for my ballet company, but those plans fell through when the supplies were giving me issues. Sweetums happened to see my online, asked if I'd be available and later called me to hang out. We got some food and then ended up at his place (with a real fireplace!) and roasted marshmallows, starbursts and played video games. Much flirting ensued. We also watched a Muppet movie. I vaguely mentioned this event in this post.

Right before I left to go to Virginia he and I made plans to watch a movie and hang out. I mentioned that here and here. That night was a blast. As I mentioned here, I ended up pulling an all-nighter. We watched the movie and then just got to talking. We were also hanging out with Roommate A and her boyfriend and ended up playing Guitar Hero for several hours. We made mac and cheese at 2 am (such a single thing to do!) and then watched Invader Zim for a little bit. As Roommate A and her boyfriend fell asleep in the cuddle chair, Sweetums and I cuddled on the couch. We ended up talking about a ton of different things and he asked me if he could kiss me. Unfortunately for him I had decided to not kiss anyone until the new year. (I had several reasons for this) We also talked about "us." Some might say we had a DTR. It wasn't meant to be that...but it's kind of what it turned into. Basically...we both admitted to feeling attracted to the other person (and having those feelings for a long time) and we want to explore the possibility of a relationship, but we don't want to rush into anything. I want to date lots of people and he said he wasn't ready to commit to a serious relationship yet. (key word being yet. :o) ) The evening (or should I say morning?) ended about 15 minutes before Roommate A and I left for the airport. Sweetums and I had tentative plans for New Year's Eve - and I knew he and I would be in touch. I was one happy camper getting on the plane that morning. :o)

...........to be continued..........

A Christmas Gift to you - Introductions

My dearest Internet friends. I hope this Christmas morning finds you in places you love most with the people you love most.

I love giving presents.  This year, I was most excited for my gift that I gave my parents.  You see, life has not been very easy for them with still having two houses and the such - and I wanted to do something special for them.  So I gathered up my siblings, we all pitched in and purchased a gift certifiacte to the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia. I made my mom tear up (which was totally the goal) and they are excited to use their gift. The greatest thing about it was that when I purchased their gift certificate I entered the drawing for their monthly giveaway....and then I WON! So...My parents got double the amount they would have originally which made it even better. :o) Happy Day.

Now, I have a gift for each of you!!!  Today I am going to introduce you to a new group of characters on my blog and a meme that I would like to call Dating Battle Stories.  Each time I have a fun adventure with dating I will bring up this fun meme.  It won't be a regular weekly thing like my other two memes, but a meme regardless.  Also, each of these Dating Battle Stories will feature a different picture - thanks to my awesome roommate who likes to draw stick figures of me and fun situations with boys.

So...let us begin with the Introductions of the cast of characters from some dating battle stories that I have had as of late. The next couple of weeks will be me playing catch up on the fun times I have had in December and then you can look forward to the occasional Dating Battle Story in the months following as I date and flirt (because I'm really good at doing those things.)

Without further ado....

{artwork by Roommate A}

The Characters:

Sweetums - Named not becuase he looks anything like the muppet....but he does love the Muppets. I know Sweetums from High School. He loves music, pumpkin spice egg nog, and road trips. He's very nice and gives the best hugs. I've crushed on him in times past, but the timing has never quite worked for us.

The Australian - Named because he was born and then lived in (for a few years) Australia. He just got home from his mission in Japan, is Roommate A's boyfriend's friend and is the nicest person ever.

Mad Dog - I've known Mad Dog for years and when I first met him swing dancing that is how he introduced himself. He had a hand in creating Blue Tango (my favorite dancing venue) and has crushed on me for a long time.

Blindman - I haven't met Blindman as of yet. Roommate A is setting me up with this person. All I know about him is that he's "cool" and that he lives with Roommate A's boyfriend.


So there you go. The cast of characters for future Dating Battle Stories. I hope you're looking forward to them. I know I am! Now...I must go and run off that apple pie from last night.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Happy Christmas Eve!!!

I love, love, love Christmas Eve. I have posted about it several times in past years. It is just a happy day in our house.  This year I am more excited for what gift my siblings and I got my parents. I could care less as to what I got - I know I will love my gifts, but this year it doesn't seem to matter to me that much.

It has been odd being here in some ways. I have never been out to see my family without leaving a significant other on the other side of the country. I am a little jealous of Sister B and her boyfriend....but at the same time I am okay with it. It feels right and I'm okay being single this year. I know I say this almost every year in my journal - but I can't help but think that this could be the last year of the holidays being JUST our family.  I wouldn't be surprised if there is at least one significant other here next year...or something. I don't know. Someday things will change and it will be interesting when they do.

Enough of me waxing poetic...Happy Christmas Eve!!! enjoy all of your lovely traditions. :o)

tuesday!

well guys there's like this huge storm coming my way and stuff. Winter warnings, blizzard talk...it should prove for an exciting evening in with SwingKid. (canceled the ballet classes for tonight. no driving on the crazy I-15 for me!)

anyways. I'm getting very excited for the rest of this week (just have to get through 9 hours of work tomorrow!) and then the rest of the holiday season. :o)

And now I bring you (before I get back to my crazy busy desk) Ten on Tuesday.

1. What are your plans for the holidays? Do you travel at Thanksgiving? If you celebrate Christmas, do you travel then, too?
This year I am spending Thanksgiving with SwingKid and his family. Sister B is spending the holiday with HER boyfriend's family...so it will be a very different year for everyone involved.  I am traveling to VA to see my family at Christmas time and I am very much looking forward to that because I get 10 whole days to be with them! (well...more like 8 when you minus two days for flying...but still!)

2. How do you make the plans for the holiday? If you have a significant other, how do you decide which family to visit?
I make plans on how I feel. SwingKid hasn't ever come out to VA for the holidays...it's really expensive and until we're engaged it will probably stay that way. We just...decide I guess?

3. Do you have your Thanksgiving meal at lunch or later in the day?
I'm a fan of having the meal in the early afternoon. Around 2pm. Which is exactly when I'll be eating this year. :o)

4. Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving tradition?
uh. no. eating good food and being with family is about as crazy as I get.

5. After a big meal do you lounge around or get up and take a walk?
hmm. usually I lounge. Maybe play a game or two of something festive.

6. Do you shop on “Black Friday” or do you avoid it?
Sometimes I shop on Black Friday, sometimes I don't. It honestly depends on what deals are out there and if I want anything bad enough to get up that early in the morning.

7. When do you usually finish your Christmas shopping?
Early. I'm a planner and very organized with my Christmas shopping. I should have it all done before December 10th this year. (probably the latest yet...but SwingKid is HARD to shop for and he's being difficult this year)

8. Do you and your significant other exchange gifts? Is there a budget?
Yes we do. We don't have a set budget...seeing as how one of us has always been in school while we've been dating the budget has been "don't go broke."

9. When do you decorate for the holidays?
Thanksgiving weekend. After Thanksgiving. I plan on doing it Friday/Saturday/Sunday this year. :o)


10. Do you go “all out” with the decor or do you keep it simple?
um....I live in an apt. so I can't really decorate the outside...but I do go pretty "far out" in the living room. I love christmas decor!


one year ago
two years ago

NaBloPoMo 2010

Looking at the archives it has been 2 years since I last participated in NaBloPoMo. I think I'm going to try to participate this year. You'll find the same normal memes...and then other random things. But then, I'm a random person so it will seem pretty normal. :o)

First off, I have to say that last night's workout was HARD. There was at least 2x that I remember that I wanted to give up and just stop or slow down but I didn't do it! I wanted to complete that workout, and complete it I did! I feel pretty good this morning (if not a little sore) and I am actually looking forward to doing said workout again tomorrow evening.

Second off, It's Tuesday. But it's also kind of Wednesday because I don't work Friday this week (HALLELUJAH!) I am hoping today and tomorrow go by fast, because I am really looking forward to Thursday. :o)

Finally, because it is Tuesday we get the lovely Ten on Tuesday meme. You're welcome. :o)

1. Do you color? If you do, is it with markers, crayons, colored pencils, etc.?
hmmm... I love to color, but I can't remember the last time I really sat down and colored. I am a crayon girl. Love Crayons.

2. What’s the most organized part (or system) in your house?
my closet. it's done by color. :o)

3. What’s the most unorganized part (or system) in your house?
hmmm..this one kitchen drawer. It's driving me nuts. I think I'll fix that this week....

4. If you had unlimited amounts of time and money, what museum would you want to see and why?
Hmmm...I'm not sure I'd pick a museum as the first thing I'd go to...but I think I would want to visit some famous art museum in Paris. Or Italy. If only because then I could tour the rest of the country....

5. What is your favorite part of the fall season?
the smell of Fall in the air. Crunching leaves. Hot Apple Cider. Cuddling under a blanket.

6. Did you dress up for Halloween?
Yes I did! I was two things: one, a pink lady w/my coworkers and two, a flapper w/SwingKid dressed up in his zoot suit. We were awesome.

7. Have you started Christmas shopping?
I know EXACTLY what I'm getting my parents. I'm not sure what sibling I have yet and SwingKid always gives me heartburn when it comes to picking presents. He loves the practical gifts that he doesn't like to go shop for, but I believe Christmas/Birthday presents are for FUN things, not necessarily needs (at least, not all the time!)

8. Do you crack your knuckles?
yup.

9. If you had to live in another city for a year (all expenses paid), which city would you choose?
easy. New York. I'd love to go to Broadway all the time and I would go see every professional ballet company at least once. (probably more than once). OR! I'd want to live in a foreign city. That would be awesome.

10. Do you have any reoccurring dreams?
not really. I have had reoccurring dreams in the past, but not any as of late.

So there you go. A few fun facts about me on a Tuesday. Now...go forth and conquer! (or something equally awesome)


one year ago
two years ago
five years ago

*sniff*

I love the smell of a summer morning. I think it smells SO good. If I could just sit outside from 9-11a every morning I would be one happy camper.  Unfortunately, this is not a possibility for me. C'est la vie.

In other news. It's Tuesday. Yesterday was a FOREVER long day and today, oh man today. Today I sat down to my desk and the phone started to ring at 8:05 am and didn't stop ringing until 30 minutes ago. My to-do list of things to finish from yesterday is still incomplete and my to-do list from things to do today is already as long as my first to-do list. I might die by the end of today. At least the day is flying by though. I need this whole week to just fly by so that I can enjoy my weekend with no ballet classes. :o)

and now, a little Ten on Tuesday meme for all y'all. Loves.

1. If you could trade lives with another blogger for a day, who would it be and why?
hmmm. Well, Gabrielle from Design Mom is pretty awesome, but then there is the Pioneer Woman who also is wicked cool. I just don't know. There are so many cool people that I want to be like! I'd probably put them all in  hat and then just choose one randomly. :o)

2. Do you prefer receiving handmade or store bought gifts? Be honest!
ooo. Some of my favorite gifts have been handmade. There is something special about a handmade gift that just oozes "I care about you and I made this especially for YOU." However, SwingKid is very good at picking out gifts for me and he always nails it right on the nose. So...it depends I guess.

3. Would you rather camp or stay in a hotel?
I love, love, love camping. I haven't been in ages, but I REALLY want to go sometime soon. :o) However, a hotel is nice every once in a while, but right now I just want to go camping.

4. What’s your favorite comfort food?
french fries. I love fries. mmmm. yummy.

5. You’re having a really bad day at work. How do you unwind when you come home?
well. it depends. I either cuddle up next to SwingKid, watch tv, read a book, or take a bath. The gym usually doesn't happen on really bad days.

6. What’s your favorite chore? (Or, the chore you hate the least)
When I get in the mood, I love organizing and cleaning the kitchen counters, BUT I have to want to do it in order to like it.

7. What got you interested in blogging?
I really don't exactly remember. Probably a combination of it was cool and the 100 Hour Board writers did it and I wanted to be like them so I did it too.

8. Are you currently reading a book? What is it?
I just finished THE DEMON'S COVENANT by Sarah Rees Brennan. It was fabulous. I'm not sure what I'm going to read next. I have three books on my shelf to read and I'm excited about all of them, I just have to pick one. :o)

9. Do you have a favorite artist?
hmmm. I like art generally. It changes with what the art is for and where I'm putting it.

10. Have you ever met someone famous?
hmm....Nope. Unless you count Cosmo the Cougar. My dad at one point worked with the cheerleaders and I was very good friends with Cosmo at the age of 8. :o)

two years ago

Monday Marvels

It is Monday my friends. I had a fabulous weekend (although Logan got DUMPED with snow which made driving NO FUN) and enjoyed some much needed alone time with SwingKid. We were up very late talking about who knows what and just sitting on the couch. One of my favorite things EVER!

Yesterday, I was asked to speak in church. My topic was the First Christmas. Pretty much the Luke 2 story.  To begin my talk, I decided to take a jab at writing poetry. I took the well-loved story "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," and re-wrote it to be "'Twas the Night of His Birth."

It turned out very nicely, if I do say so myself, and many of my friends in my ward were shocked to hear that I had written it. :o) So, for your reading pleasure this Monday morning and for today's edition of Monday Marvels, I give you 'Twas the Night of His Birth.

‘Twas the night of His birth and all through Bethlehem

All the creatures were stirring, including the lambs

Caesar Augustus decreed all people be taxed

And Joseph and Mary weren't ones to be lax

They traveled afar with Mary with child

She never complained and was meek and mild

There was no room for them in many an inn

Though Joseph looked and begged and pleaded with men

A small, humble stable was provided instead

And a manger was given for his sweet head

'Twas this cold night that a baby boy was born

His mother assured his swaddling clothes were worn

And in the same country there were shepherds

Abiding in the field where none of the sheep stirred

Until the bright, brilliant light bore down on them

And an angel of the Lord appeared like a gem

The poor shepherds were sore afraid but they listened

"Fear not: for, behold" the Lord's angel proclaimed

"I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you

Is born this day In the city of David a Saviour,

Which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you;

Lying in a manger wrapped tightly will you view

The babe who will be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The Mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

So the shepherds made haste to the stable there

And they told everyone of the babe and Mary fair

Mary kept their thoughts and treasured them in her heart

As the shepherds spread the word of this new start

Far in the eastern lands were men traveling three

Seeking a star, the sign of the new king to be

Three gifts  they brought: frankincense, gold and myrrh

Gifts certainly fit, for how precious they were

A humble beginning, for God's first born Son

His life and ministry had  only begun

He came to earth as part of God's great plan

To save each of us from the natural man

So as you seek for the Christmas spirit

Christ's birth I hope you'll never forget

Continue to seek for him through the year

And not just at the coming of Santa's reindeer

to do list.....

what i accomplished this weekend:

• work 4 1.5/5 days at my customer service job (almost!)
  
• have an all day dress rehearsal on hump day (that day will definitely be a hate day) (update: it went well in some respects, and awful in others more on that when i have time. maybe a show recap?)
  
• go to 2 wedding receptions and take my friend to the airport
• run 4 shows in one day
• crash after the 4 shows
• get my car inspected so i can register it
• get an oil change
• go on a date with SwingKid (when? i have no idea....)
• spray paint 14 hula hoops before saturday morning (should be done by tonight)
  
• pick up flowers saturday morning (ordered - just need to pick up)
  
• go to post office for stamps (hopefully by this afternoon!)
  
• get wedding gifts (or something?)

considering EVERYTHING that happened....the fact that i didn't accomplish 2 things off my list is pretty incredible. This week's list...man, that's a different story. i have no idea how i'm going to accomplish it all.

Things to do this week:

• Oil Change
• Car inspected for registration purposes
• clean and vacuum car
• clean room and do cleaning checks before Thursday morning
• get health insurance
• get reimbursement check for towing
• work 20 hours
• go to institute
• grocery shopping
• practice song for church (i'm singing in 2 weeks)
• buy a wedding present
• go to wedding reception w/SwingKid
• go to CPK w/SwingKid
• bask in the sun
• make sure bike is functional
• go to Library
  

and the list goes on....life is going to be busy this week!

Update: To Do List

It seems my to-do list keeps on growing before i can really mark anything off. i hate it when that happens...

• work 4 1.5/5 days at my customer service job (almost!)
  
• have an all day dress rehearsal on hump day (that day will definitely be a hate day) (update: it went well in some respects, and awful in others more on that when i have time. maybe a show recap?)
  
• go to 2 wedding receptions and take my friend to the airport
• run 4 shows in one day
• crash after the 4 shows
• get my car inspected so i can register it
• get an oil change
• go on a date with SwingKid (when? i have no idea....)
• spray paint 14 hula hoops before saturday morning (should be done by tonight)
  
• pick up flowers saturday morning (ordered - just need to pick up)
  
• go to post office for stamps (hopefully by this afternoon!)
  
• get wedding gifts (or something?)

ugh....i will be so happy when i can just work and eat and sleep for a little while.

fini!

HURRAH for ALISHKA! The semester is over! well...minus my interview at 2:40...but other than that I'm done. And really, I consider myself done. :-) My flight for Virginia leaves in LESS THAN 24 HOURS! GAH! I still need to pack...eek!

an update on senor guapo....he's going to need some belts replaced and a new water pump...which Buddy has to move the timing belt to get to all of that...which equals a lot of labor. We're talking $580 to fix my little car. sigh. I hate fixing cars. Oh well...it must be done!

SwingKid has been marvelous though. He took me to Springville last night to teach and was such a sweetheart. We watched a wonderful movie last night: 84 Charring Cross Road. Such a wonderful movie. I loved it. :-) He and I are exchanging gifts tonight, and I'm really excited to see his face with his presents. :o) sigh. he's awesome.

Now to finish up my last 3 hours of work before my Christmas break begins!

a fun christmas meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? gift bags are cute...but i love wrapping paper! So much fun to wrap gifts up under the tree.
2. Real tree or Artificial? well...i do love a real tree, but i'm okay with artificial. As long as I have a scented pine candle. :)
3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime between the weekend after Thanksgiving and the the first weekend in December. It really depends.
4. When do you take the tree down? um. after Christmas. At some point.
5. Do you like eggnog? I really do love eggnog. but only in small amounts.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? um...i think my favorite gift from childhood is the porcelain doll my grandma gave me.
7. Hardest person to buy for? um. my parents. usually.
8. Easiest person to buy for? my littlest sister.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? it's small, but adorable.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail. definitely mail.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? my brother once gave me this really funny looking reindeer. i had no idea what to do with it.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? my new favorite is Christmas in Connecticut. It's a girl's night in tradition.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? whenever i find something that works for a gift. Once I bought my parent's gift in August.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? um...not that i can recall. but who knows, maybe i have.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? I love my mom's frozen pumpkin ice cream pie. yummy yummy yummy.
16. Lights on the tree? yes. especially white lights.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells and Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? this year i'm traveling!
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? i think so.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? we open one on Christmas eve. the rest on Christmas day.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? when Christmas music is played non-stop too soon.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? non in particular.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? HAM!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? my family! also...I want an iPod so I can use it for teaching. :)

a svithe for you...

For those of you who have no idea what a svithe is...check this site out and read all about what svithe is. :-)

All week I have been studying for a talk I had to give in church today with my topic being Faith. I'll be honest; I've had a difficult time preparing for this talk. Faith is such a broad topic, and because it encompasses so many other gospel principles it is hard to focus in on what faith is.

Edith Hamilton explains that Faith is not belief. Belief is passive. Faith is active.

Let me give you some examples of how faith is active.

First if you have a car and you put gas in it, you might be inclined to believe that it will be able to run since you have put the necessary fluids in it. However, no matter how much you sit there and believe, it’s not going to run. You have to take that belief, turn it into faith and act on that faith and turn the key to start the engine.

My second example comes from my life. Last night I went swing dancing as I am wont to do on Saturday nights. So I am dancing last night and I got to thinking how faith is active in dancing. When dancing with a partner the girl has to follow her lead and trust that he will not lead her astray, or drop her. I can believe that my partner won’t do anything but if I just sit on the side believing then I don’t know if that’s true. I’m not exerting my faith. Instead, I give my partner my hand and my trust and he does just fine. My faith has been tried and I now know that he will be there for me.

Thirdly, Many times we have big decisions to make in life. For some of us, we believe that we can get guidance from our Heavenly Father that will help with those decisions. However, if you just sit at home and believe He can answer your question, but never ask how are you going to get the answer? Answers are not given out like candy at a 4^th of July parade; you have to put the question forward in prayer. You have to have faith that Heavenly Father will answer your prayer by actually asking your question and receiving and answer.

In Hebrews 11: 4 it states, "By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh."

and in verse 7 it says, "By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith."

Now each of these examples have something in common. They all show you how faith is an action, but they also show that you must have faith in something or someone.

Elder Oaks said in the General Young Women’s Conference in March 1994, “Faith does not exist by itself. Faith requires an object. It must be faith in something or someone. In that respect, faith is like love. Love cannot exist without an object. Love is meaningless unless it is directed toward something or someone. We love our parents. We love our brothers and sisters. We love the Lord. Faith is the same. If we think we have faith, we should ask, faith in whom or faith in what? For some, faith is nothing more than faith in themselves. That is only self-confidence or self-centeredness. Others have faith in faith, which is something like relying on the power of positive thinking or betting on the proposition that we can get what we want by manipulating the powers within us.”

When Elder Oaks says that faith requires and object he means that we must direct our belief towards something and act on that, whether that be the gas in our running, our dance partners, or our Heavenly Father. I believe that most importantly, we must have Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have been taught that this first principle of the gospel: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we have faith in Christ, several things happen: we recognize that we can return to our Heavenly Father because of our faith. When we have faith in Him we accept and apply his Atonement and his teachings. We know that He has the power to keep His promises, we trust in Him and what He says. We are blessed because we have faith to obey Christ.

I have had experiences in having faith in my Savior. During this past December, (about finals time in fall semester) I applied for some summer camps where I would be a bunk counselor and a dance instructor. I actually got to interview for 2 different camps. One camp offered me the job on the spot; the other offered me a job the next day. I started praying about it. (I would be there now if I had done it) I had a hard time with it. However, every time I thought about going to camp and being a counselor I freaked out, I got super nervous, and I didn't feel comfortable. However, I hadn't made a decision yet. Fast forward to the first week of school. My best friend and former roommate now missionary in Georgia came out to Utah to get some stuff, she visited me. She and I talked about my future. I told her about camp, and at this point I had had blessings telling me that I had good things going for me, but no yes or no to the camp question. I was told to talk to people about it; well my friend was a camp counselor in Oregon. We talked about it, what I would do if I didn't go and what not...and she gave me her opinion. She said, "Alishka, I would be the last person to tell you to not go, but I don't think you should go. (She was the first to say that, everyone told me to go, my parents had been pretty neutral)" she said that every time I talked about camp I got all shaky and closed up and when I talked about other things I lit up and was happy again. I agreed that the idea freaked me out, and that night I decided to act in faith and ask the question not WHAT should I do, but ask the question if not going to camp was the right decision. The power I felt that night as I listened to the spirit was pretty powerful. I took the opportunity the next day to go to the temple and confirmed my answer that I wasn’t to go away to either of these summer camps.

This experience taught me that believing Heavenly Father can answer my prayers is only half of the battle. I have to have faith and ACT on that belief. I had to get down on my knees and really ask. I didn’t really receive my answer until I did that. I think part of me knew all along, but I didn’t have the faith to ask at first.

Faith is definitely an active part of life. You can't just sit around and hope that things happen by just believing...you have to act on that faith and put trust in your someone or something that it will all work out. Believe me when I say that I have had the experience of taking my belief and making it faith by acting on that belief, and it is so worth it in the end.

Now What?

Cake has been eaten, gifts were given and opened, and much fun was had. Now what???

Now my life gets cRaZy!!!

Last night I had a crazy party with my Twin J. It was a blast and SO many of my friends came to see me! Seriously, most of Twin J's friends showed up much later in the evening, however my friends came in my numbers throughout the night. I saw everyone from CPM, to BC, BKT, and TCK. I also saw old friends from high school, my old neighbor, made new friends, and gave out my phone number to a boy. ;) It was successful party. I love my birthday!! I enjoy seeing people I know and care about. I love it when they come to see me and play with me. I have awesome friends. I really, truly do. It was wonderful.

Now...starts my life of super craziness. I have a show in 2 weeks. We are on stage in exactly one week. During that time I have to teach the ballet class I have been assisting for my methodology class, and write and turn in a research paper for that class as well. Oh yeah, I also get to continue practicing for my piano class, studying physical science, and trying to have a social life. uh-huh right. And as CPM told me, try not to have a melt down like last semester. We'll see how that goes. :P

And now I have to prepare myself to loose an hour...this could be bad, very, very bad. Pray that I don't die k? Much love to all y'all and thanks for the birthday wishes!!! :)

I LOVE YOU

Editor's Note:
This is to all my friends from all wakes of life. I can't express how much you mean to me, but I will do my best!

Dear Friend,

Thank you for being my friend. You are fantastic. I am so privileged to call you my friend, and I don't know what I would do without you. You have been there for me in so many different ways. You have been there when I have cried, supported me during the hard times, and celebrated with me during the happy times. Thank you for always being willing to spend time with me, even though you might have had a better offer at other times. You rock my world and I can't thank you enough for everything you have done for me.

Today, I hope brings you some sunshine, happiness, and joy. You deserve the very best in life and I want you to be oh so very happy. Don't spend today bitter that you may not have a significant other to shower in lavish gifts and your love; instead, spend today thankful for everything you do have. Enjoy your time in this place in your life and love others, life, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you so much for being my friend, I love you!!

Much love from your dear friend,
Me.

hmmm..

me madre sent this to me today...makes you think.

Cell Phone vs. Bible
I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our
cell phones?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?
What if we flipped through it several times a day?
What if we used it to receive messages?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to kids as gifts?
What if we used it as we traveled?
What if we used it in case of an emergency?
What if we upgraded to include 24/7 tech service from the Holy Spirit?

Is this something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we dont ever have to
worry about our bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid
the bill!