What is your favorite Christmas song?

Let’s get real. At holiday parties we get stuck making small talk. One of my favorite, easy, I don’t know you conversation topics is Christmas music. You can get jokey about how they play it too soon, trash how annoying Feliz Navidad is etc. But if I want to actually get to know someone a bit better, I will ask about their favorites and why. My own answer is a two-parter. I have a favorite song, but it isn't about Jesus. And that sort of feels wrong, since Christmas is REALLY about the birth of Jesus! So instead, I go with one Christmas song and one Christmas carol.

Christmas song
My favorite Christmas song is Silver Bells. I love it because it reminds me of how it feels in Portland during the entire month of December. Just the reference to busy city sidewalks, cold weather and the feeling that everything is festive! (even the traffic lights) It especially takes me back to what the holiday season felt like as a little girl. I have memories of walking through down town Portland from my dad’s office building all the way to the Keller. Of course we were going to see the Nutcracker! It is only a 5 or 6 block walk, but I remember it being so cold and not even being phased, it was Christmas after all! We were decked out in our holiday best. I actually vividly remember wearing a green and black velvet cape... so ahead of the trends! I just love the holiday bustle of the city.

Christmas carol
My favorite Christmas carol is Go tell it On the Mountain. It also happens to be my mom’s favorite. I’m a copycat. It is just SO GOOD! But somehow, it isn't super popular. How can that be!? The message of the song is spot on.

Sachertorte, dirndls and Maria von Trapp.

What do these things have in common? You guessed it! I’m going to Austria!

One sunny afternoon in June, Brian let me know that I may have the opportunity to go to Austria with him. Brian works for Young Life and his region is putting on a camp in Austria. I had little information, but he then said, “We leave the 26th of December and we will probably get to ski.”

We are going to Axams, Austria (outside Innsbruck). Fact: The 1964 and 1976 winter Olympics were hosted in Innsbruck, and many of the ski events were hosted in Axams.  AT OUR RESORT! It is only a little beautiful. Take a gander at the hotel where camp will be:

The extra bonus here? Brian and I are going to travel after the camp. We are going to Salzburg and Vienna to get our tourist on. I can’t wait! I freak out about how much fun it is going to be and Brian quickly reminds me that it is going to be a ton of hard work… to which I say…

Then I ignore him and get excited again!

Happy Christmas season you crazy fools! If you want to get me a present, feel free to get me anything Tyrolean, Austrian or Bavarian – Those are all kinda the same thing right?

I guess I have some research to do.  Also, the captain is a terrible winker! Let’s just blame the Nazis. On another note, you can bet I'm excited for the Carrie Underwood Sound of Music special!!

Halloween History

In honor of Halloween, and throwback Thursday, I decided to post some photos of costumes over the years. This year I am not dressing up. I don’t know if this is because Halloween falls on a weird day, if it is because I am 26, or if it is because I was literally not invited to a single Halloween party… What the!? I need new/ better/ more friends.

I hope you enjoy this trip down (my personal) memory lane!

We begin in 2007. Why 2007? It is because this was the first year I retired my cut-off denim skirt. You’re welcome for sparing you the photos from 2005 and 2006!

Legends of the Hidden Temple

Libby and I stayed up until 2am making these shirts with stencils and fabric paint. Then we left the house at 4am to go to the REI garage sale. I think I would die if I tried to do something like that now. Ahhhh to be 20 again! (Unrelated side note: once I slept on the street to be in line for the REI garage sale. Now I would pay someone the amount of a full priced ski jacket, without getting an item in return, to not have to sleep on the street. How the times have changed!) Special note about this photo, It was taken mid-evening when we came back from the fraternities to use our own bathroom… Always thinking! Also, Brooke’s helmet is backwards. Haha!

Ninjas! 

This was such a comfortable costume. I was wearing black scrubs that I ended up wearing as pajamas for the rest of the school year. Not only was this comfortable, but our weapons were multi use! Did you need a garnish with that drink? Let me help you.

SWAT team 

This was just lazy. We put tape on our clothes to say SWAT. And Chelsii took those masks from her work. I will say, this was probably one of our more popular costumes. People LOVED the swat team. I think it is because we saved a floundering party though, clearly there is nothing remarkable about this costume.

Ballerinas

This was a fun one! Nothing to really say here.

Ke$ha and Nicki Minaj

Mar and I had a blast putting these costumes together. We put a pillow in her pants and trimmed her wig bangs! Haha!

Jazzercise

This was again, SO COMFORTABLE! Tennis shoes and stretchy pants? Yep! We danced our hearts out and our feet didn't even hurt the next day. Our evening in these costumes was at an Elton John cover band night. Feather boas and Olivia Newton John references galore!

I hope you all have an amazing Halloween! I will be at my parents house having chili and passing out candy. I think Halloween chili may be our most consistent family tradition. 

Independence Day!

Down with the Red Coats!

Have you noticed how the news calls it Independence Day rather than the 4th of July? Do they have to? “Independence Day” is the official holiday title, so I guess they can’t get sloppy and casual and call it the 4th. So pretentious.

I spent the most amazing weekend in Black Butte. [Read an old post about the ranch here!] What was so amazing you ask? Oh, just everything.

I subjected Brian to my family… so let’s just say I was thinking the weekend had the potential to be a little dicey. He could be like, “whoa, what is up with these people?” Or maybe he would embrace us, including the weirdness that is inevitably in every family. I mean, it isn't like you know what is weird about your family. You are in too deep. The weird is normal for you! Don’t worry, it was great!

The weekend was freaking awesome. I spent so much time in the sun. Time walking on the golf course and laying by the pool! I think I am probably no longer 98% water, but instead 96% water and 2% sunscreen.  (So I just researched this and the internet says we aren't 98% water. Umm. I’m pretty sure I learned that fact, turned myth, in science class. Great job public schools!) But seriously, it was a great weekend. The men and my mother golfed, my sister and I walked with them on the golf course and lounged by the pool… and we really did nothing else. Basically we ate, relaxed and sipped bevs for 4 days. What a great way to honor those who fought for our freedom!

Okay, that is all. Linking up with Sami today for weekend shenanigans, 4th of July edition! Pardon, I meant Independence Day. I hope you all had great weekends!

Old is the new young!

Today is my birthday! As a gift to myself, I will not be writing a big long blog post.

So please go about your day and celebrate me. You may also celebrate my mother! Today I thank her for her (epidural free) hard work to bring me into this world.

I was born. You are welcome.

My Love is Your Love

Whitney Houston taught me that. Happy Valentine’s Day friends!

I hope you are all celebrating with some glitter, hearts and chocolate! I for one will be hitting up the store tomorrow to get some good chocolate on sale. 40% off baby!

Obviously love is complex, but today I want to discuss a specific concept about love.

Love isn't love until we give it away. 

We talked about this at my bible study this morning. We have love. We feel love for others. More specifically we receive love from God. That love from God is real because He expresses that love to us through scripture, prayer, words from others and by romancing us with His creation. We are also commanded through scripture to share that same love with others. (Side note: Jesus is God, God is love, and we receive Jesus… scriptural word play!)

Let’s reflect that in our lives! This isn't just a religious concept. It is straight up reality. When we feel love for someone and don’t share it with them, that emotion becomes void. Unless we express to people that we care for them, it is not real to them.

So take this sappy holiday as an opportunity. You don’t need to send a card or candy. It can be a word, a call or a text. Tell them that you cherish and appreciate them!

Note that this does not only apply to Valentine’s Day. Remember it daily, love isn't love until you give it away and it becomes real for the other person!

PS. I think that is a song lyric… but we are just going to pretend it is an original thought from my group this morning. Okay? Great.

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Fat Tuesday just got obese.

Today is Fat Tuesday!

I know that Fat Tuesday exists because it is the day before you give things up for Lent on Ash Wednesday. BUT instead of buying into the Mardi Gras thing, I am going to take the title of “Fat Tuesday” literally. Today I will be swinging by Little Big Burger to grab some fat on my way home from running errands.

So while thousands participate in the debauchery that will take place tonight in NOLA, I will be participating in Sunday’s episode of Downton (because I fell asleep) and some truffle fries.

Happy Mardi Gras sinners! What the what is a King Cake and why is there a naked baby in it? Answers please!

Oh my goodness. I just went to the Little Big Burger Website and they are putting in a location in SW!! My life just got so good and so much fatter. That means my hood is getting an Elephants AND a Little Big Burger. Yes!

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A Kiss at Midnight

I hope you all had lovely Christmases. Mine was awesome! Relaxing to the max.

This post is not about Christmas though, it is about New Years! Well… not New Year’s really, but the kissing thing that goes along with it.

Personally, I would rather have someone to kiss at noon on New Year’s Day than a one-time kiss at midnight. I also know that for many folks out there this option is not reality.

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate the passing of one year and the welcoming of a new. Why then is a kiss part of the equation? Is it because we are ceremonially kissing the previous year goodbye? Or is it because we are kissing the one who we want to begin the New Year with? It is a fact that 85% of NYE dates are not planning on ending that same year together (Psych, I made that statistic up, but it is probably close!). So why the pressure? Why the stock on having someone to kiss? Doesn't the desperation involved slightly make it lose its meaning? I would say so.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the NYE glitter, champy and fun. But over the years I have probably only had one or two NYE nights that got close to the hype surrounding them. And one of them was probably the millennium. The fact that Y2K didn't happen should keep NYE ‘99 at the top of all of our lists. Also, do you remember Will Smith’s album Willenium? Yeah, Will 2 K forevs.

So do not feel bad if you don’t have a midnight kiss lined up. I’m sure there will be a stranger waiting in the wings. And who knows, maybe they are your soul mate!? But think twice and ask about their bill of health before you go snogging a possibly herpes ridden stranger. That meaningless midnight smooch might leave you with more than a hangover the next day… It might leave you wondering if you should hit up the free clinic.

Or consider having a NYE change of perspective as I have. Because wouldn't you rather have someone to kiss at noon on New Year’s Day and the days following? I know I would.

Happy almost 2013!

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from 1989! If only we were still this cute.

It is Christmas, therefore I will not be putting effort into a post. Duh. Instead, I thought I would share a Christmas card my mother sent out when we were children. Obviously pre "dark years" (middle school).

Enjoy some time with your loved ones! I know I will. Merry Christmas to you all!

All I want for Christmas.

Is a new Christmas recipe to try and a perfect ski day.

Actually, what I really want is the means, clothing and motivation to dress cuter. But I think that is just a pipe dream at this point.

Okay, I admit it. You know I am still holding out for the Harry Potter Snuggie. I guess Santa didn't get my letter last year. Now they are sold out!! I guess I’ll have to go back on the Hogwarts Express without my cozy Griffindor robes. Lame. (Full disclosure, I am aware that I would probably be a Hufflepuff. So embarrassing.)

Cheesy, but the best gift is going to be spending awesome quality time with my family and friends. My family is super cool and hilarious (mostly on accident). I am excited for a lazy Christmas morning, a big breakfast and cooking all afternoon.  Another highlight will be spending the evening by the fire with a glass of mulled wine and a stockpile of Christmas cookies. These cookies will have been baked with my gurl Caitlin. We have been doing a Christmas cookie bake since high school. It is seriously awesome and you should be jealous!

Gross pictures. But these things will happen! 

Maybe I am alone here, but I haven’t really enjoyed the festivities that this holiday season has to offer. It has been too rainy to get hot cocoa and walk downtown looking at the lights! I haven’t been to Zoo Lights since I was a small child either… not that I’m tryna do that. It is probs a rip off. Basically I have only seen the tree in Pioneer Square doing a drive by and I have done most of my shopping online. It makes me feel like something is missing! The city goes all out and I feel like I have turned my back on the fun. Peacock Lane anyone? Let’s hold hands and look at the lights.

Not related really, but this is my parents Christmas card. Cute right!?

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Holiday Advice

I don’t know about you, but I love Thanksgiving and family activities. Maybe it is because I have a super small family and I am not yet married, therefore I am not trying to juggle multiple families.

My obligations are limited. I choose to kick it with my mom all day and cook. I get to pick out our cooking jams aka kitchen dancing music and make pies. No seriously, that is all the responsibility I have.  So… that is pretty awesome. My mom often tries to make me watch football, but I can usually get out of it.

Many people say that the holidays are stressful. I totally get that! If I had kids or more than one family to answer to, they probably would be! As this is not my situation, I would like to dish out some baseless and gratuitous holiday advice. When I say baseless I really mean it, my only commitment on Christmas Day is my commitment to not showering until at least 1pm.

Here it is:
Do what you want.

I know it sounds selfish, but it is to save your sanity! My dad decided many years ago that they were never going to spend a holiday on the freeway. And you know what!? I am incredibly grateful for that decision. They did what was right for them (and us) and invited everyone to them instead of trying to please everyone else. Everyone was included, so it really just became their call at that point. I’m sure there was some initial drama involved, people probably called them selfish or whatever… but in the end it led to happy, low-stress (for the most part) holidays extending throughout my childhood.

So that is my advice. It is my final word. Just do what you want! And when I am married and I am talking about how much I hate the stress of the holidays, please send me this so I can be pissed at how ignorant to family dynamics I was at this point in my charmed, employed, un-married life.

Here’s to your very own Norman Rockwell holiday season.

Gobble gobble. Psych! We are having prime rib. Seriously.

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Tricks and Treats in the Emerald City.

I went north this weekend to celebrate Halloween. Go ahead and start calling me Lucifer for celebrating the devil's holiday. I just really like to dress up! It was a blast to spend good quality time with friends. I’ll add pictures below of our outrageous 80s outfits, but first I thought I would share 3 weekend highlights.

1.) People laughing at our costumes and us staying in character by walking around doing lunges, high-kicks and punches. (I was sore the next day)

2.) Laying in Cameron’s bed while watching Harry Potter and eating tortilla chips.

3.) Brunch with some of my fave ladies X2. (we had brunch twice, there weren’t clones of my friends)

Jazzercise and Flashdance

Others thought we were Olivia Newton John. I'll take it! 

Prom queen 1985! And her Mormon date. 

Just a couple action shots. Did you want to store your lip gloss in my fanny pack? 

I hope you all had fun and safe weekends! My Halloween will continue with a chili/ voting/ candy passing out party at my parents house on Wednesday. Woot!

My mom's Christmas card is done.

My sister just sent us these pictures from when our family was at Black Butte. I am sure it is a huge relief for my mother, as she frets over her Christmas card for weeks! Honestly, maybe even months. As it turns out, most years she can't even find a picture. So after agonizing over the potential card, she ends up not sending one at all! She is so crazy. Yet, I love her so much.

Here are some of the good ones!

We were dancing!

Had to throw a back-handspring shot in there too! 

Please excuse my bad form in the back-handspring. I had just eaten a large meal and my jeans weren't stretchy. I know... excuses. 

That is all for now. Enjoy your weekends! 

Black Butte Ranch: The 4th was a Wednesday.

My family went to Black Butte over the 4th. I neglected to post about it because I am lazy. So I am posting about it now! Here is another BBR post if you are interested. 

I took off the Thursday and Friday after Independence Day. Why? Because I was trying to fight the calendar for being so rude. Wednesday!? Really world?

Anyway, it was a lovely extended vacation. I hung out with my family and my friend Lauren stopped by for the weekend.

My sister and I hiked the Butte:

We paddle boarded in the lake down there (scroll for photo proof).

Lindsey channeled Zac Efron (HSM2) for this shot.

We walked on the golf course:

We were standing at the top of that. 

We spent our days at the pool:

Yep. That is the view from the lodge pool. 

We paddle boarded:

Basically the hardest work I did during this vacation was walking up hill (The Butte) and helping wash the dishes after the many delicious meals that I had no part in planning or making. It was an awesome break from real life.

Black Butte Ranch on Dwellable

He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

Easter is this weekend and I think we should reflect. I love Easter. It is my favorite of all holidays. It is a time to remember the greatest sacrifice there ever was and a love we don’t deserve.

Think about how many stories and movies carry themes with reflections of Christ’s sacrifice for us. It is a big deal. So let’s spend this Sunday thinking about ways we can honor and thank the one who gave His life for us. It’s not about eggs, bunnies or a honey baked ham. (although I do love me some honey baked ham.)

It is about Love.

Jesus is God. God is Love. What if we all had Love?

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. -John 15:13


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