RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH...

GOOOOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!

26-23. Enough said. I just wish it didn't have to be so close. My health would have been better (as would have Katelyn's and Megan's and Buzz's and Woody's) if I had actually been able to breathe for the last 10 (football) minutes of the game, plus overtime, because screaming plus not being able to breathe due to nervousness equals about to pass out. But WE WON!

First Quarter: Very frustrating
2nd: AWESOME
3rd: AWESOME
4th: Frustrating/horrible/nerve-wracking/crazy insane/loud
OT: All of the previous things, except ending in AWESOME, and much shorter than the 4th quarter--thank goodness. Oh. And 15th row seats. And rushing the field. And J-Dawgs. And now I'm watching Sabrina with Megan and Katelyn and supposedly working on a Relief Society lesson that I will hopefully be able to give after screaming at the game today. I can already feel my voice going.

BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT. RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH, RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH, RAH RAH RAH RAH RAH! GOOOOOOOOOOOO COUGARS!

My Mother: It's Her Birthday/Rolls: A Thanksgiving Tradition

Today there are two things I am grateful for.


First, is my mother. Today Mommy turns 43. Which is kinda weird, I suppose, because most of my friends' parents are much older than that. But I am also the oldest, and have a 2-year-old sister. When my sister is my age 18 years from now, my mom will be 61. But I'm sure she doesn't want to think about that. :)


Anyway, for those of you who have not been fortunate enough to meet this wonderful lady who is my mother-extraordinaire, this is her:


She is fabulous in every way your mother is, times a million. ;) Just kidding. Probably not every way. But she is the most wonderful mom ever. Seriously.

Next I am thankful for Thanksgiving rolls. Every year since as long as I can remember, the rolls have been my responsibility. When I was little, I used to just spread the butter around the dough with the pastry brush. Now I do the whole shebang. And they are yummy and I love making them. But I am also grateful that I am not perfect at them yet. I forgot to divide the dough earlier, and so the rolls are very narrow and fat instead of longer and perfectly-sized. HAHAHA. :)

Mike

I am grateful for rocking out in my car during a 5ish minute drive home with my 9-year-old brother singing songs by Demi Lovato and Black Eyed Peas and mash-ups by the Glee cast. He is one cool kid.

Home

I am grateful that I saw this building as I was driving through some sporadic snow tonight:

Which means I am now here:

With these people:

Thankful #?

I am thankful that I have decided to skip Monday and Tuesday classes and to go home after Sacrament meeting on Sunday in order to spend more time with my family and friends from home. I am thankful that I am going to the Vocal Point concert tomorrow with Sarah Snow and that there is a football game on Saturday. I am thankful that I only have a test and a paper to do before I go home. I am thankful for a roommate who puts up with my mess. I am thankful for friends on missions who write me really long letters when they're bored out of their mind because their companion is sick and who make me laugh and send me goofy applications to fill out. I am thankful that Thanksgiving is in a week. I am thankful that Lisa and Emma, even though I could not be in Paris with them, spent practically all their time together talking about me. That's the next best thing, right? ;)

Oh, and we haven't done a song of the post in a while, so let it be: Here We Go Again, by Demi Lovato. I know, I know. Disney Channel star...but hey. I like the song. :)

Red Coat

Today I am grateful for my red coat.

And now...
PRESENTING:
The Story of the Red Coat

One day, my mom and I were in London. It was her first day and so she had to be not-jetlagged and not-asleep, and so we went to Portobello Road. There I found a nice young lady that sold red and navy coats, long and short. They were hand-made by a nice old lady that the nice young lady knew. They were kind of expensive, but it is a coat, and they tend to be expensive. I probably wouldn't have bought it, except I was in love with it, and my mother, a seamstress, approved of the quality and I had wanted a red coat ever since Tracy got one, because once you see Tracy in her red coat you immediately start thinking of ways to look as good and cute as she does, but in your own way. Also, I look really good in red. haha. ;) Anyway, I bought this nice red coat from this nice young lady and was very excited and took it home and all summer long, although I didn't want winter to come and was enjoying the weather, I wanted it to be fall, just a little bit colder so that I could wear my red coat. And then Conference weekend came and it was the first cold weekend. So I pulled my red coat out of my tiny closet and wore it up to Salt Lake. It kept me warm, made me happy, and a cute boy told me that it was attractive and that he liked it (but in slightly different words...haha). And I have been wearing it often ever since. On Halloween, it abeted me in stealing the Eiffel Tower...I mean, being Carmen Sandiego. Today, it is keeping me warm on a brisk-but-not-as-cold-as-the-past-two-days afternoon. It also goes with anything, even if those colors usually don't go with red. Like today I am wearing a light green shirt, but, to quote Katy A, I look "stylish and not Christmas" or something like that. AAAAND, days when I wear my red coat just seem to always go great. As in, be among the best days ever for no reason. I dunno. It's just awesome like that.

Brrr. But in such a wonderful way. :)

I am thankful that I went camping last night with John Bennion-ites. I am thankful that although it was snowing when I woke up this morning that I was not too cold. I am thankful that Bentley tried to roast his socks in tin foil to warm them up and that he, Matt, and Katie slept outside under the stars instead of in a tent (and they woke up to the snow). I am grateful for John Bennion providing me with sleeping bags that kept me sooo warm and Christine for making me an awesome driving mix and thankful for Whitney for food-ing and everyone else who helped with food. I am thankful that most of us were together, even though we missed those who weren't there. I am thankful Chris Bennion showed his face. I am thankful that Christian was there and that I saw him for the 2nd day in a row and that he gives nice hugs. I am thankful that Tiff also gives nice hugs. I am thankful for Kylie for just always making me so happy. I am thankful for how it almost felt like it was just another night at a hostel in England. Except we were in an orchard around a campfire in Mona, Utah. I am thankful that the sky was so clear last night and that I could see so many stars and it was beautiful. I am thankful for my wonderful friends. I am thankful for Rick and Cheryl and Annelise for coming for a bit and for just chatting with everyone. I am thankful for the snow, even, and how it makes me want the holidays and how it's reminding me that Thanksgiving is really almost here. 10 days 'til I'm home, baby. Or, as Matt McDonald would say bay-buh.