Temple Squared

Here are some pictures from my second trip to temple square this year.  This time I went with Clay and my friend Alicia and her roommate Katie.  It was very pretty and we had a fun time.

(I'd taken some pain meds for my leg and forgot that they would make me drowsy, so I was pretty loopy the whole night, haha.)

The Assembly Hall

We got to go in and listen to a high school a capella choir sing for a bit.

Love this side shot of the temple

Looking up into one of the trees

From the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Tree and chandelier in the lobby of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Statue of Joseph Smith in the Memorial Building

 Nativity on the reflecting pond

Bagpiper outside Temple Square.  He was super awesome.

Group picture in front of the tree

Group picture in front of the temple

A good night spent with great friends. :)

Must-See Christmas Movie List

There are just some movies you have to see every year.  These are some on my list.

Elf

"Is there sugar in syrup?"

Source

The Santa Clause

"Now, do you want this doll or not?  Go back to sleep."

Source

It's a Wonderful Life

"My lip's bleeding, Bert!  My lip's bleeding!"

Source

A Christmas Story

"I can't put my arms down!"

Source

A Charlie Brown Christmas

"That's what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown."

Source

Temple Square Lights!

This last weekend I had the opportunity to go to Temple Square and see the Christmas lights with some of my ward!  We also watched the Joseph Smith movie in the Legacy theater.  I love that movie more and more each time I see it!

So tall...

I love night pictures of the Salt Lake Temple, or any temple for that matter :)

My first time going in the Tabernacle.

The organ is so pretty!

Lights outside the Assembly Hall

Ooooo, pretty..

Me and my goofy friends

The classic shot

Friends again... (whoops my eyes are almost closed)

Yay Temple Square!  I hope to be able to go again in the next couple weeks!

That's what Chirstmas is all about, Charlie Brown

"Christmas time is here, we'll be drawing near. 

Oh that we could always see such spirit through the year."

I love Charlie Brown, so I had to put up my favorite lines of the Christmas Story, which Linus recites when Charlie Brown yells in desperation:
ISN'T THERE ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT??

Sure Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Lights please.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came unto them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angle said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavely host, praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.

That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Wishing you and your families a very happy Christmas.

Christmas Morning

Some pictures from this morning:

Sisterly love

Dork sisters

Rosie wearing her new shirt and staring intently at a lizard on the window

Matching 'Slaughter University' jackets for me and Sara = awesome!

Pride and Prejudice and ZOMBIES!  lol

The ward cookbook! Yay!

Earrings from Africa- cute!

Tickled Pink presents from Mommie

What a GREAT Christmas! I'm so glad to be Home for the Holidays.  
I think that's the best present of them all.

ElfYourself: Getting into the Christmas Spirit

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Twas the month before Christmas...

A thought-provoking poem I received in an e-mail this week:

Twas the month before Christmas

When all through our land,

Not a Christian was praying

Nor taking a stand.

See, the PC Police had taken away

The reason for Christmas - no one could say.

The children were told by their schools not to sing,

About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.

It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say

December 25th is just a 'Holiday.'

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit

Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!

CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an iPod

Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa

In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.

As Targets were hanging their trees upside down

At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears

You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty

Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen

On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !

At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter

To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith

Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded

The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'

Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.

Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday!

Just a few thoughts about things that I wondered growing up about PC and Christmas.

I always wondered why we were allowed to be taught about Kwanzaa and Hanukkah in school with no question, but they were really careful to leave out the Jesus stuff when they taught Christmas. And why is it that only the minorities ever get offended?

And the phrase "happy holidays" was something I grew up knowing and saying. Not until I got older did I realize how PC it was. I mean, honestly, there's only ONE holiday out there that I'm celebrating, and that's Christmas. Of course, it could be a reference to New Year's, too, but in all honesty, I'm only thinking about Christmas. I understand that it's a nice way to not offend anyone, but if someone said, "Happy Kwanzaa" to me, I highly doubt I'd be offended, or anything close to it. I'd just think, "Oh, that's what they celebrate. No biggie. They aren't trying to force their beliefs on me."

And, here's a bit of Christmas Myth-busting for you: The word Xmas. Is it a horrible word that anti-Christians have put out there so that they don't have to write "Christ," like I heard when I was growing up? Nope. The letter chi, or X, in Greek means Christ, so it's not secular at all. Feel free to use "Xmas," knowing that you are just a little bit smarter than everyone else who doesn't know what it really is. :)

Merry Christmas!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas :(

Peppermint

My new favorite Christmas candy.

Candy Cane Kisses.  So delicious...

White chocolate with bits of peppermint candy.

Love, love, love!

Knees

Yesterday on my way up the stair in the Testing Center I tripped and hit my knee really hard on the edge of a step.  I thought I'd done something really bad to it, and had a hard time walking a bit after that.

The Testing Center is bad enough without knee injuries.

It doesn't look too bad here, it's just the bruise in the middle, but BOY did it hurt.

Sudoku

At work I've been doing Sudoku puzzles from the newspaper to pass the time.

Last night I did the Weekend Warrior.  Woot woot!

I'm pretty much addicted now.  I came home and did some more.

Lotion

I found this bottle of lotion in a box in my closet last night.  I decided to pull it out and use it since it's getting cold and dry.  

It's pretty much the most delicious thing I've ever smelled.  I don't know why, but I'm just in heaven when I smell it.

Thank you to whoever gave this to me as a gift!

Sticking

And.... it looks like the snow might just stick this time.

Either way, it's still gross.

Snow, snow, go away, come again NEVER!

(The view from out my window)

Pepsi

I've been spending a lot of time browzing YouTube watching Michael Jackson stuff lately.

He's got some good stuff.   I love the Jackson 5's stuff, too.

One of my favorite finds is this Pepsi commercial.

Even though I wasn't alive it makes me feel so nostalgic. (I've never understood how that's possible, but I feel the same about The Beatles.)

Christmas Day

Wooot! Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year!

"[Sh]e looks like a deranged Easter bunny."

(Ring a bell, anyone?)

Changing the paper towels for Christmas morning. :)

ROSIE!

Awww. So cute!

Thuper exthited!

Look at them Christmas pajamas!

dOrKs

O.M.Gosh.

Practicing the "D-OING" face from Kung Fu Panda

D-OING

Hmm... getting better?

Awww. Isn't she adorable?

Monkey foot.

Mommieeee!

I looove my PJ's!

Sporting my Las Vegas, NV shirt that I got in the airport during my layover there.