Thanks for the memories!

Whew! Talk about perfect timing! One winter storm ended Christmas Day, and we got hit with another storm that started up last night, leaving a small window of time for me to run down to Utah and spend the afternoon/evening visiting with some friends in Utah.
It has been ages and ages since I have last seen some of my old college roommates, but last night I was blessed with the opportunity to get together again with some of them and share some dinner (Elizabeth brought her Chicken Enchilada's, Angela provided the salad, and I brought some of Amy's Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert). We spent a good four hours just sitting and chatting, and laughing more than I have laughed in a long time, and in general just having a good time. It was really nice to catch up with everything that has been going on. Angela had a baby about two weeks ago, and since Elizabeth was in town for the holidays we all decided we should get together and celebrate.
Even though the roads were somewhat scary getting down and back, it was more than worth it to be able to hang out again, (not to mention getting some quality baby snuggling time!) I had a wonderful evening, and hope we can do something similar sooner rather than later. I would rather not wait four more years before we all meet up again!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Seems like everyone is getting pounded with winter storms the last little while, and we were no exception! The last week has brought more snow than seems possible, and blessed us with a traditional White Christmas. Idaho is not famous for the amount of precipitation it gets (unless it is for the lack of it...) but the last little while has felt more like Washington, only with snow instead of rain. Crazy! My car has been snowed in at my parents house for a week now, and the only vehicle that reliably makes it up the driveway is my dad's truck. We even thought there was enough snow to try and build a snowman Christmas day. Operative word being try. Mostly we piled up some snow, and threw the rest at each other. Many messes were made, and much fun was had. Most of the time, I love snow. I had to laugh yesterday when I realized that I only love the snow so long as it doesn't interfere with my plans. I really don't care if it messes up everyone else's plans, but when my plans are on the line... watch out! Oh well, if we spend all year praying for rain, moisture, snow, etc., then it really isn't fair to complain when our prayers are answered. So with that in mind, and the realization that I don't really have any plans for another week, all I can say is "let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

(My sister in the middle of the snowbank on the parents deck - before we really messed it up)

'Tis the season!

Sunday night was our annual caroling night with my Mum's family - mostly it is a chance to get together, eat good food and spread the Christmas Cheer. It also means that I got to spend all of Saturday making our share of treats to put on the treat plates - in our case, Chocolate Mice, (Amy's) Peanut Butter Balls, and fancy Golden Grahm Smores. Took a lot of work, and we went through a LOT of chocolate, but it sure smelled good. Hopefully it tasted good, because I didn't get much of a chance to eat the treats :( sad life. I will just have to take advantage of the super long break from school, and make another batch of the favorites, just for us to snack on :). Should be good!

Just a few of the mice that I made to infest the treat plates. I think they are cute :) Even if some of them are a bit cross-eyed, ;)

Makes me laugh!!

http://despair.com/

This is my most recent find (I am sure you have all known about it forever, but it takes me a while...). I managed to waste a good bit of time after finding it, and I find much joy in learning that I have wasted other peoples time after introducing them to it. It is good for at least a couple of laughs :)

No one mourns the Wicked...

Except me. And a bunch of other people who didn't get tickets either I guess. But definitely me. I knew it was popular, and I knew it would sell out, but I didn't think it would sell out quite so fast. In only one short day, well, less actually, every ticket to dear old shiz was snatched away.

I was feeling so wonderful knowing that Wicked was coming to SLC, and made big plans to get tickets and give them to my family as Christmas presents. I did lots of research and found out when exactly tickets would be available, marked it on my calender, got all the phone numbers ready, and said "thank goodness" I have a cell phone so I can call during my lunch hour at work.

Friday the 12th came around, and I got everything packed up and headed off to work. My eyes were on the clock as soon as it hit ten o'clock, but I kept working till lunch came around. I hurried up to my office and pulled out my cell phone and realized something bad was going on, no reception on my cell! What is this feeling?? Total frustration! With no other way to order tickets at work, I forced myself to be patient and get back to work instead of running home and ordering tickets from my computer and coming back late from lunch. Well, as they say, no good deed goes unpunished. As fast as I ran home you might have thought I was defying gravity, but it was to no avail. Some people out there got tickets for their families, but I'm not that girl.  Call me a sentimental (wo)man, but I nearly cried when I realized those tickets are sold out for good. 

So now I am suddenly faced with figuring out what on earth to do for Christmas this year. I have spent the last few months dancing through life planning this gift, not giving a thought to any other ideas. The wizard and I were gonna have some great fun... sad life!

Happiness is a key to my... Office!

I know this will seem like a rather silly reason to be so happy to some of you, but after four and a half years working for the school district, I have finally pestered my way into an office. No longer will I have to impose on other teachers for computer time or wait in the teachers lounge till classes start. Now I have a place to hang my coat instead of carrying it around with me all day, and a place where I can store my reference books so I can do my prep work during my down time on the job, instead of doing it all at home. 

The High School, as nice a place as it can be to work in, is not always very good at providing for non-traditional employees, they just seem to assume we can take care of ourselves or something. (I guess that is partly my fault, I try to be as self sufficient as possible and I hate to complain...) But honestly, even the students get lockers! This is my third year here, and it is the first year I have even had a mail box, (that took a lot of 'pestering' too). 

It is nice to finally feel like I kind of belong at work, that I have a place in the whole scheme of things instead of hanging on the outskirts or skimming the surface. Even though I will only be here for another year and a half, it is nice not to feel quite so transient. It is amazing how much more professional I feel now that I am being treated somewhat like a professional instead of like a temporary intrusion. Incredible what a little self-advocacy can do! 

It seems that happiness really is in the simple things. That little key in my hand has put a smile on my face ever since I got it a few days ago, and it will probably stay for quite a while!

Whoa!

I must have been pretty sound asleep Friday night, because when I woke up Saturday morning... something was different! 

You can't see it very well in the picture, but apparently a bolt slipped on my headboard sometime during the night, and sent half my mattress plunging to the ground. Didn't even wake me up.  I must have found it rather cozy squished between the wall and the mattress, because I slept really well... lol.