A Follow-Up

Now that the semester is officially over, I decided this evening I would start doing all the things I'd put off for the last couple weeks. Things like laundry, decorating for the holidays, and giving an entire movie my undivided attention. The Shop Around the Corner was starting when I arrived home from work so I sat right down and watched the whole thing. I like this side of December much more than the last couple weeks.

One bright spot amidst the dark darkness of finals was my birthday. I took the day off and gave myself time to finish up the last of my projects for the semester. Katie took me to Costa Vida for lunch, Alisa stopped by the house on her way home from work with a bunch of yellow tulips and some chocolate just for me, then the folks took me to La Cocina that evening for dinner. But the brightest spot of all? I received an email that afternoon from my instructor (THAT instructor), notifying our class that the final grades had been posted. She mentioned, once again, that she takes attendance very seriously and would not be making allowances in her advanced classes if we had excessive tardies or absences. Fine. I wasn't thinking that far ahead - I just wanted to see what my grade was. 

I opened my student profile and slowly scrolled down the page with one eye closed. As long as I didn't know my grade, there was still a chance I passed. But once I knew, that was it... ACK!

So... I passed. And what's more, I somehow stayed above a B. I almost cried - my terrible punctuality had not totally compromised my overall grade. Earlier in the semester I posted that one thing I enjoyed about pursuing this degree was that your work speaks for itself. This class made me work harder than any other I've ever taken and my final grade was a welcome acknowledgment of the many hours and lost weekends I'd put in. Still, my list of New Year's resolutions for 2015 should probably include overcoming my tardy tendencies. 

Birthday Song

This evening we celebrated my Grandma's 78th birthday by taking her to dinner. She wore tan capris, a black blouse, strappy black wedge sandals (to show off her pedicure), and a gold anklet with tiny pearls. She always looks just so. Over enchiladas and free margaritas we shared a lovely evening chatting, laughing, and feeling collectively traumatized by some of my Dad's jokes. 

Grandma told us how her older brother called her earlier today and sang "Happy Birthday" over the phone; how over the years he would always call on her birthday and sing to her. As he now suffers from dementia and rarely utters more than a dozen words a day, this phone call was pretty remarkable. He even managed a few minutes of conversation. I'm so happy that Grandma received such a kindness on her birthday as hearing her brother's voice. Where would we be without those for whom we sing "Happy Birthday" and those dear few who sing for us?

Grandma Donna, Uncle Gilbert, Uncle Joe, Aunt Virginia

Too often I will clear broad pathways in my mind and allow discouragement and negativity to march their terrible parades. Remembering happy moments, like those from this evening, never occurs to me as much as remembering the painful ones - embarrassment, anger, disappointment, sadness. My Grandma told me she's afraid she spends too much time thinking about things in her past she cannot change. We have that in common. But worrying never brings comfort, only more worry. Don't pick at it, Lauren. You're only making it worse. So instead of looking too far behind or too far ahead as I often do, I simply wanted to remember this evening while it's still just now. 

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

LAGOON!

Lagoon today, guys. HUGE success! Again, no pictures documenting our adventures, but you could consider that an added triumph as I only looked at my phone when I needed to check the time or answer a call. A few of us enjoyed ourselves so much we redeemed today's ticket for a discount on a season pass. So if there are any other Lagoon season pass holders out there, just let me know... You are welcome to join me as I chase the nostalgia of my adolescent years. 

My ideal Lagoon companion would be someone brave who could motivate me to go on the scarier rides (namely Wicked), but would totally understand if maybe I wasn't up to it. Would also sit with me during the sometimes-cheesy-but-still-impressive live music shows and patiently walk through Pioneer Village looking at old-timey things. Taste for Dippin' Dots ice cream also attractive quality. Must not be afraid of delinquent youths as the park is usually teeming with them. Rides I will not even consider: Sky Coaster, Rocket Re-Entry (Blast-Off is fine), Catapult, Wild Mouse. (So just drop it.)

I know an old lady...

There is a gargantuan fly buzzing around my room. My fear is that as soon as I'm asleep, he will fly into my mouth and I will swallow him. "I don't know why she swallowed that fly." Perhaps I'll die.

The weekend was lovely - Maleficent and fro-yo with friends, dinner and movies with the cousins, pool time with my sister, Sunday evening BBQ and volleyball in the backyard. I felt I should publicly showcase some of my social interactions like any self-assured, social butterfly type person would. I do fun things with fun people! No pictures, but these things definitely happened. They did! 

This Wednesday is my company's Lagoon Day. Since they turn 22 on June 6th, my plan was to treat Katie & Michael to an epic birthday-at-Lagoon CELEBRATION! Subsequently winning Best Sister of the Year award and outshining all other birthday well-wishers. Michael hasn't been in years, so I was especially excited for him to see all the new attractions. I requested enough tickets for the 3 of us + 2 more for Alisa & Dustin. HOO-RAY! 

Then on Sunday I found out Michael had spent all of Saturday at Lagoon with his newest PG (Prospective Girlfriend) AND bought himself a season pass, making my oh-so-thoughtful birthday ticket for him redundant. "Now you don't have to buy me one!" ...I took it fairly well, though. At Sunday dinner when Michael asked me to pass the salt I said, "Are you sure you want me to pass it? Wouldn't you rather go out and just buy your OWN?" But we're all friends again and looking forward to a beautiful day at the next-best-thing to Disneyland you can find in the state of Utah.

Decembering Remember...

Because blog posts were basically non-existent in December, I started chronicling the highlights. It was a pretty fun month, worthy of a lengthy post. Bear with me... Or go away.

NOTE: Some of these pictures didn't upload very clearly. Click on a pic and scroll through if they're too fuzzy.

Early December... Friends throw a birthday party for Lauren. We eat chocolate cake, drink bubbly stuff, sing carols and showtunes around the piano, and watch The Muppet Christmas Carol. All my favorite things - I make as many requests as I want since it is my party. Everyone happily obliges. 

The Friday before my birthday, a friend at work surprises me with a birthday cake. More chocolate cake!

The Saturday before my birthday we leave our snowy home and fly (YIKES) to California. 

• Day 1: Arrive in Cali at the Long Beach airport (smooth flight!), drive to condo - our temporary home, go grocery shopping at Target, eat Pigs in a Blanket for dinner and then promptly hit the sack. Katie & Lauren share a room.
• Day 2: Lauren’s birthday!! Ignore news of and subsequent facebook posts about Wear Pants to Church Day (it was bummin' me out... on my birthday!),  Crystal Palace, visit Dustin's missionary stomping grounds, Palm Springs, McDonald’s for lunch, giant Marilyn statue, new scarf and shoes, meet cousin Angela (our very own Californian) and her BF Brian at El Torito for birthday dinner - YUM. Find a hair in my birthday flan - NOT yum. Zumba in the garage with the sisters.

• Day 3: Sleep in, play tennis, spend afternoon at Huntington Beach – actually get in the freezing water for some wave jumping. Lauren hurts her ankle getting knocked over by a beastly wave, but makes a quick recovery. Michael loses sunglasses... twice. All of us unashamedly soaked head to toe in sea water and covered in sand. Watch sun set over the water. Clean ourselves up back at condo for dinner at Outback Steakhouse. End the evening with another trip to Target.

• Day 4: First day of Disney! Disneyland… Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean... again, Enchanted Tiki Room, Jungle Cruise, The Golden Horseshoe, Space Mountain, Christmas Parade,  Snow White's Scary Adventures, Mad Tea Party, Choir processional hosted by Lou Diamond Phillips.

• Day 5: Later start… California Adventure… Screamin’ California, Tower of Terror (Not me! No thanks!), Off the Page, Sorceror's Workshop, Little Mermaid, Soarin’ Over California. Back to Disneyland...  Mark Twain Riverboat, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones, Captain EO, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, fireworks and "snow" (Lauren cries...), It’s a Small World. ALSO... Lauren sees a cat run into some bushes as the park is closing! I was hoping for a cat sighting because apparently there are dozens of cats that live within the park as mousers. Hopefully not as Mickey Mousers.

• Day 6: Tennis, back to Disneyland... Great Moments with Lincoln, meet Cinderella, Ariel, and Fairy Godmother at Snow White's Wishing Well - celebrity sighting! Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Village Haus for lunch, Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Mad Tea Party, Alice in Wonderland. Back to California Adventure... Little Mermaid, Little Mermaid... again, Aladdin mini musical, World of Color (AMAZING!), shopping, Lauren buys her first pair of Minnie Mouse ears and some chocolate. LEAVE PARK - NOOOOO!!! Visit local tourist shop for some less expensive Disney merchandise. 

Beat it.

Disney Artist Mary Blair... I want that job.

Mouseketeers

Archimedes

Oooo, la la!

That's me.

My poor, POOR feet...

AWWWWW...

?    ?    ?

We're optimistic.

• Day 7: Sleep in, avoid sad news about shooting in Conneticut, pack for our return home (NNNOOOOO!!!), eat pizza and apple pie at cousin Angela’s cute place, leave for Long Beach airport. Almost miss our plane – Lauren gets on 5 full minutes before everyone else due to a hiccup in the security check. Lauren thinks if she is stuck on the plane alone it means the plane will surely crash and she will DIE. Katie makes it through the gate… then Alisa and Dustin… then everyone else. Phew. If we die, we die together.

That same weekend (SURPRISE! We arrive home safely from the trip)… See Alfie Boe sing for Music & the Spoken Word at the Conference Center - attend with cousin Stephanie and her family. Took Mom’s ticket because she didn't want to go out in the cold… Sucker! Such wonderful music and the sweetest stories. By far the most beautiful voice I’ve ever heard in that Conference Center... Caroling with friends later. I miss the caroling, but visit with everyone over hot chocolate and popcorn afterwards.

Receive birthday box from Missouri with cute handmade gifts. Hooray! It was literally a brown paper package tied up with string.

GDO (Girls' Day Out) at Sweet Tomatoes for our annual sock exchange. We wanted to eat somewhere we could hang out as long as we wanted and eat lots of food. Also, somewhere that wouldn't be too busy. I got tall, neon zebra socks. It was a fun afternoon!

Ward Christmas Program - We did it! I love my ward. 

Christmas Eve: Eat lots and lots of fudge, Grandma and the Wade family come over for our annual dinner, read the Nativity story and sing carols, cousins exchange gifts and we open our PJs. Lauren stays up late watching 1980 BBC version of Pride & Prejudice - never seen it before. A little dated, but decent. Eats lots more fudge.

Christmas Day: Open gifts from siblings - Santa gave us Disneyland so we're not complaining about the lack of packages under the tree. No sir. Jack Skellington bobblehead from Michael, Avengers DVD from Katie, dance-y games for Kinect from me to the family, beautiful leather-bound edition of The Hobbit from Alisa and Dustin. Drive up to Grandma's for cousin gift exchange and party. Bubble necklace from cousin Samantha, Union Jack umbrella from Grandma, Tony Bennett Duets CD and 3-pack Nivea lip balmmmmmm from Steph. Also, chocolate of the Snickers and Nestle Crunch variety. Consume even more fudge.

New Year's Eve: By now the fudge is gone. Complain about how New Year's is not my favorite of holidays. Set goals for the next 365 days of my life. Watch Men in Black 3 with the family while eating homemade chili. Play aforementioned dance-y games on the Kinect. Watch ball drop and drink bubbly stuff. BAM! 2013.