My camera is fixed! Now my posts will be REALLY exciting! (to me at least..) :)

Merry Christmas!!!! (EVE!)

we spent our Christmas Adam hanging out with Heather and Maryjane. Dallin politely played taxi, while Heather courteously bought dunch (lunch and dinner). Emily attended a Christmas party and watched "Forever Strong" (she also HIGHLY recommends it to anyone and everyone). Now Emily spends her first few hours of the greatly anticipated Christmas Eve by blogging and sewing buttons onto pillowcases while Dallin catches his z's. Merry Christmas Eve!

{picture taken before Dallin fell asleep, obviously.}

You know when you've anticipated a great week and as the week passes you continue to hope for really great, super days, and although the week is only 2 days from being over, and you haven't witnessed one of those days yet, you continue to hope and wish for it??

I'm having one of those.


...and yes, I am willing to let you help. These are the things I'm sure would get these last two days to fall under the "really great, super days" category..
1. Flowers (any kind, but I'm loving RED right now..)
2. Ski passes
3. A really fuzzy blanket, a dark room, and no noise for at least 6 hours.

feel free to call or email me to let me know you will be giving me any or all of these things, or if you don't want to go to the trouble of that, just drive all the way out to my house in the snow that won't stop falling. {I love the snow, LOVE LOVE it, but on a day that I'm supposed to be going on errands, it's making me nervous, and slightly grumpy.}

treasures in my pockets

Last night when I got home,
I was changing into my pajamas and out fell a
yellow crayon!
I'm not really sure how it got there.
I have never had something that random
fall out of my clothing.
{I don't remember it getting in there,
but it wasn't too hard to figure
out where it came from.
When Dallin and I were volunteering,
one of the little girls dumped all the crayons out.
She was sitting on my lap. :) }

Tonight when I got home, I was changing into a skirt
to go to the temple with Carrie, and
out fell a
green pea!
{again, not exactly sure how it happened,
but at least this time I remember losing
one green pea while eating them for dinner!}

I wonder what cool treat I'll find tomorrow...!

Happy Birthday to me! I just wanted to say thanks to my friends and family who made my birthday special this year. I know this is late, but like I said, most my posts will be for awhile. My birthday was perfect. I was able to see Twilight with Teresa and I loved it. After the movie Dallin took me on a romantic date to "The Garden Restaurant" in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and then we walked around temple square and looked at the lights. It was such a great night and Dallin really put a lot of thought into it. He knows me very well and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you Dallin!

GoodBye Gamma

Sad, Sad, Sad day. I went to my last Gamma activity last Thursday. I acted weird the whole time. I know I did. It's mostly because I've been in denial this whole semester that my time here is almost up, and now it's here and it hurts. I don't understand how my path doesn't continue with my Gamma girls. I have made so many great friends, and I am very sad to be leaving it all behind. I have loved every minute of Gamma (except maybe some of the stressful officer meetings, ha ha.. but seriously). I hope next semester I will be able to get some time off of work and make it up to Salt Lake on a Thursday night to see all my best friends. Thanks for everything you have given me Gamma. I have truly learned a lot, and I am very grateful for all the experiences I have had and for everything I have learned. I will miss the Spirit residing in our Thursday night meetings as we passed the little angel figure around the circle and discussed our blessings with each other. I will miss the ftgots and the hilarious embarrassing stories. I will miss knowing everyone at the institute and feeling on cloud 9 when I receive 10+ hellos on a swift walk to the Gamma room. I will miss the retreats, especially the one in Midway. I will miss the exchanges (but not really..). I will miss my amazing, and devoted advisor, Debra Hunter, she is a truly amazing woman. I will miss having my Thursday nights planned for the whole year. I will miss that part of myself that I know I will be leaving behind. Gamma is such a blessing in my life. I am so sad to be leaving. I hope I remember my experiences always, and that my experiences remember me.

Although I..

went to bed at midnight and woke up at 6:50am ish

-and drove to Provo and back
-and panicked about a sister in a car accident
-and washed sheets from 2 beds
-and picked up a niece from the hospital because ANOTHER sister is sick
-and bought ingredients for a pie
-and went to three grocery stores looking for a rolling pin
-and did 5 loads of laundry
-and made 25+ phone calls
-and played mom all day
-and studied for a final (while baking the pie)
-and didn't sit down at all, except for when in the car

I am still awake. Today I learned that it's important to have a plan, but it's more important to be flexible if the plan does not work out. It's more important to help someone else out, than to check off an item on your to-do list. It's more important to say I love you, than to feel regret if something happens. It's more important to wear a seatbelt, than to harm yourself or someone else. It's more important to rely on God than yourself.

Today was a DAY! One of those one days, where you remember why you love your family, why you say your prayers, and why you help those in need. One of those days that reminds you what is most important.

Here it is 1:30 am, my alarm is set for 7:30 am, and I am uploading pictures because I can't sleep. These pictures were taken at the Hammond Christmas Family Party on Saturday night December 6. Enjoy!

Grandma Mable, Beautiful Mother, Lovely Sisters

Grandmother and 9 Daughters

Mother, Brothers and Sisters

a little late..

I'm pretty late with posting this. I blame my broken camera. I finally got a CD made with all my pictures though, so bear with me as I post old pictures and write about things already written. This is the night before Thanksgiving. These are my first pies. (first pies without a store-bought crust and cool-whip). I made 2- a pumpkin, and a turtle pumpkin, and yes, I am obsessed with pumpkin. Charlotte gave me the recipe for the crust. I was really nervous. I have never even attempted to make any sort of dough (besides cookies, cakes, etc). They turned out good though. (and yes, I do realize they look prettier than me.. it was late).

Day off..

Today I have a day off. From work AND school! Labs are over, and Heather didn't need me today. I have to admit, I was sad when she sent that text that said, "Friday-off". I truly miss my three adopted children when I have a day off. I especially like Friday's because Ashley has short day and it's more fun since it's the beginning of the weekend. I should just stop making to-do lists for days off though. This isn't the first blog about this either. I just don't get the list done. I sit around too much. Today I've been blog stalking and now my blog will take a turn. Please try not to laugh when you total the amount of blogs that have been written today.

another thing I just spent at least 10 minutes doing is this. Note: You CANNOT mock me until after you've tried it, because trust me, if you're anything like me, you'll laugh at first, go to push the little red X on the top of the page, but quickly hit one before you do, AND if you spend more than 15 seconds doing so, you will finish it............................. and then continue.
ps. make sure the sound is up, or it won't be as fun.

ring, riiiiiiiiiiiiiing

E: Hello?
D: Hi. The next bus leaves at 1:15, but I think Dan might be coming home, so I'm going to call him.
E: Ok.
D: K, Love you.
E: Love you too.
D: You're beautiful.
E: (giggle) thanks..
D: even when you're sick.
E. (more serious now) thanks..
D: K, I love you.
E: Love you too.
D: Love you.
E: Love you too, bye..
D: K, bye. Love you.
E: (giggle again) Love you too.

CLICK.

...and that is why I love him. I am so lucky.

cut, glue, cut, glue, DONE!

I finished my Interior Design final notebook!!! Finally!!! I have to say, this class could have been much more fun! I learned a lot, but I didn't get very many chances to put my creative mind on and create things! The final notebook was probably my favorite! We got to design a room and fill it with furniture and accessories, and I loved it! My new favorite fabric is toile! I have already purchased fabric to make pillow cases and I'm looking for sheets so that I can make a comforter cover! If anyone knows where some are, let me know! I'd rather do that than buy fabric, cause sheets are softer!

Happy December!

It's been a year!! I know you usually consider the year over in January, but for me, it's been a year since I've lived in Salt Lake with my Dad. I can't believe how fast time has gone! I remember how excited I was to be moving in with my Dad and Jessica. I was excited to have people to take care of me, I was excited to let go of some of the stresses that come naturally when living on your own, I was excited to get to know my Dad and Jessica better, but mostly I was excited because it felt SO right! I was really nervous about starting at a new school, starting a new job, and going to a new singles ward. School was surprisingly better than I thought, work was fun because I worked with my lovely mother, and somehow, magically, I found the best singles ward, with the best bishop in the whole valley! I have loved living here in Salt Lake and really grown to love the house I live in. I realized the other day that this is now the place I claim as my home. I wish I would have soaked up every ounce of it, because sadly I will be returning to Provo in January. I'm not ready to leave Salt Lake. I have made so many good, close, life-long friends in Gamma and come to know so many people who have truly impacted my life. I don't feel ready to leave at all, but I know that it is time to pursue my college degree and get in line for graduating and obtaining a career. The good thing about moving to Provo is my best friend Dallin lives there. As I lay in bed last night tossing and turning and dreaming of Provo (but not really dreaming, I'm pretty sure I was awake) I relived those nervous feelings I had before I moved to Salt Lake. They were a bit different this time, mostly because I'm now taking on stresses of living on my own as opposed to leaving them behind, but also because I'm never 100% sure I've made the right decision until after it's already made. I'm nervous to move to Provo, I'm not very excited, and chances are I will go kicking and screaming, but I'm confident I will recieve that reassuring okay at some point. Happy ONE YEAR, and I'm excited to enjoy another December!

Christmas Eve last year.

Christmas Morning last year.

Kara and I with Santa last year.

I'm late again..

The months are flying!!! I know it's not the most important thing to keep a monthly blog record of the month we're at, but since I've done it so far I think I should continue! At the year mark, we'll stop doing every month though. Seven reasons I love you,
1. It's unexplainable, and I'm always baffled at the extent of it, but you love me.
2. You take care of me. It seems like you always put me before you. Sometimes I feel guilty and wish you'd take care of YOU first, but you never cease to amaze me with your selflessness.
3. I love the way you bite the inside of your lips when you're not 100% comfortable with whatever situation you're in.
4. I love the way you call me Emi.
5. I love the way your eyes look when you tell me you love me.
6. I love the way you work hard with all you do.
7. I love when you share your testimony with me.

I love you.
xo, Emi