VACATION!

I love Christmas time. The lights, the traditions, not having to work for 2 whole weeks. Now if it would just stop snowing today life would be perfect. I'm not too fond of snow today, I didn't want to drive in it, so it kind of ruined the plans I had today. I did end up going out but didn't go to all the places I wanted.

I've shoveled the sideway twice and my roommate once and it needs it again. I think we'll wait and make the other people in the building shovel.

My roommate made a snowman in the front yard, he's a tiny snowman and will probably get lost in the snow if it keeps snowing!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Christmas spirit in the air (sorry, long post)

My roommate had tickets to Music and the Spoken Word on Sunday. Since it was the special Christmas concert edition, and we have nephews about the same age, we took the two of them with us. They came over Saturday night and we had a sleepover. I love my nephew but he tends to drive me nuts. He's a talker and doesn't stop. I think he talked non-stop from Lehi to Orem with 3 stops in between!

We got up Sunday and had breakfast then left for Salt Lake. It had snowed Saturday night which made the drive a little scary and made us a little late but they let us in anyway and I think we only missed a couple of minutes.

During the broadcast they told the story of how Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words to "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". I have always liked the song, but it wasn't one of my favorites but that all changed on Sunday. I found the text online and thought I would post it for those that may have missed it.

Longfellow's Christmas

Sleigh bells and laughter pierced the stillness of softly falling snow, as the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow family, bundled in winter wool, whisked along in their horse-drawn sleigh. The five children giggled with delight.

Then, ringing down snow-packed lanes, across fields, and through the wooded hills and valleys pealed the bells—solo steeple bells and choirs of carillon bells—playing the familiar carols of Christmas. The Longfellow family delighted in their message of joy and peace.

But a few months later, fire ravaged their home. Trying desperately to rescue his wife Fanny, Henry was terribly burned. Three days later, on their 18th wedding anniversary, Fanny was buried - while Henry, confined to bed, fought to live—fought for the will to live.

Two Christmases came and went. Henry wrote, “How inexpressibly sad are the holidays.” “‘A merry Christmas’ say the children, but that is no more for me.” On Christmas Day, 1864, he wrote:

“And in despair I bowed my head;
‘There is no peace on earth,’ I said;
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”

At some time, each of us echoes the question of his broken heart: When pain, grief, and loneliness overwhelm us, where is the music of hope and peace?

For Henry, the answer came at Christmas. As the rising sun burnished the windows of the Longfellow home brilliant gold, pealing through the crisp morning air, came a clear, joyous ringing…Christmas bells.

From his lonely desk, Henry heard them. In that instant, his broken heart was healed. Renewed, he plunged his pen into fresh ink, and joyfully drew it across a sheet of snow white paper…

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Christmas bells still ring out a clear message: Out of suffering and despair, joy can flourish anew, and hope and peace be reborn. Peace on earth. Peace in each broken heart.

And so, as the bells pealed on, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow finished his carol of hope and faith:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep,
“God is not dead; nor doth He sleep!
The Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

After they had done the regular Music and the Spoken Word broadcast, we got a special mini concert, but one of the best parts was when President Monson got up on stage to thank the special guests. My nephew was in awe that he was in the same room as the prophet. So cool!

Another fun part was when the organist played "Go Tell it on the Mountain". The first half of the song he played with only his feet! My nephew thought that was so cool. I told him that if after he learned to play the piano, he could learn to play the organ and play with his feet. He thought that sounded like fun.

Thanksgiving week

I had so much fun this week! Loved the time off of work and didn't get on the computer for most of it and was still quite busy!

• Watched youngest niece for a couple hours on Monday.
• Took Dad to a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. He had surgery and has a cast on his foot.
• Took oldest nephew to buy a book for his birthday gift (a month late!), and 2nd niece came to my house for a sleep-over Wednesday night. We had pizza, watched a movie, played a game... she wouldn't go to sleep... but we had fun!
• Had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner with all the family. Played Rock Band with Brother and Sister-in-Law. It was fun, but I'm not any better at Rock Band than I am at any other video game.
• Watched my first James Bond movie. I've avoided them so far, but this time I couldn't really get out of it. That's the show that Mom and Dad wanted to watch.
• Got to do our Thanksgiving tradition of shooting targets in the desert. But we didn't get to shoot the rifles just the shotguns so I have a rather nice, big bruise from the shotgun.

All in all, a wonderful week, and I really wish it wasn't coming to an end. I haven't missed working yet, and I'm not ready to go back!

Tag from Julia

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME (first pet, current car-or dream car): Cricket Camry

2. YOUR GANSTA STAR NAME (favorite ice cream flavor, fav. type of shoe): Sherbet Flats

3. YOUR NATIVE AMERICAN NAME (your fav. color, fav. animal): Blue Dog

4. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME (your middle name, where you were born): (kind of sad when you don't have a middle name!)

5. YOUR STAR WARS NAME (First 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): PowAm

6. SUPERHERO NAME (2nd fav. color, fav. drink): Red Milk

7. NASCAR NAME (grandfather's names): Kayle Keith

8. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME (5th grade teacher's last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Larsen Los Angeles

9. SPY NAME (fav. season/holiday, fav. flower): Spring Daisy

10. CARTOON NAME (fav. fruit, article of clothing you are wearing right now): Blueberry Hoodie

11. HIPPIE NAME (what you ate for breakfast, your fav. tree): Muffin Oak

Now I tag Sam, Larissa and Lindsay.

Twilight the movie

My sister really wanted to go see the first showing of Twilight this weekend. We convinced her to wait until Friday night and we would go with her. So 7 of us went to the 10pm show Friday night. We had so much fun and I really enjoyed the movie. With all the bad reviews and people saying it wasn't like the book, I went with pretty low expectations. But I really liked it. No, it's not exactly like the book, but what movie made from a book is?

Busy, busy, busy...

Boy have things been busy lately. For a week, I wasn't home before 9 pm and it's taken it's toll. All I want to do this week is sleep!

Here are some of the highlights:

• Spent a couple of nights with the family. Youngest nephew left me a voicemail, it was so cute. Was told by my 2nd niece that I am her favorite aunt! (since she has 7 aunts I felt this was a great thing, even if she was just trying to avoid going to bed! And yes, it worked...I let her sit and rock with me a bit longer.)
• Spent some great time at Friday's Kids and played a great game of 'Duck, Duck, Goose'.
• Went to a fun basketball game with roommate.
• And in the midst of everything, I even got my laundry done!

Now, if I can just get through this week at work everything will be great. I've got a couple of days of vacation next week, added to the holiday, I don't have go all week! I can't wait for my vacation to start Friday at 5.

Halloween

I borrowed my brother's 4 kids tonight and took them to a spook alley. They were raising money for Friday's Kids and I thought it would be fun to go. The youngest 2 got a little scared and only went through with me once, but the older 2 had a blast and went 4 times. The youngest nephew kept saying "guy scare me". All in all it was a fun night.

Happy Halloween!