California Gurls we're UnFoRgEtTaBlE...

I love being home!  It feels soooo great!  It might feel a little greater if I was going back to school on Sunday though, just because I love it there so much.  Oh well, I'll get my turn in April I guess.  Now I just get to work on my online classes and hunt for a job.  This warm weather in December is AMAZING!  I've missed that a lot!  I definitely love living in and being from California.  Eighties at this time of year is the complete opposite of what I just came from.  It makes me realize that I think I really do like the beach over the snow.  Something else I love about being in California around Christmastime is that Annie and Jordan come to visit.  Not that I've had a shortage of Marsden visits lately. :)  I'm going to be so sad when they go back home tomorrow and I won't be going with them!  They make such good Tuesday lunch dates!  I'm jealous Blake gets to go!  So lucky!  But I also can't wait to take advantage of the time I have at home.  We've already done so much that makes me glad to be here.  I've missed my family tons and I'm so glad to be back in the same ward with all the rest of them.  They are the BEST company and I'm so grateful that I'm able to spend Christmas with them.  I love them so much!

It's the MOST WONDERFUL Time of The Year...

Thanksgiving makes me feel really thankful, like it's supposed to.  I'm thankful for school, which I'm not sure that I've ever said (I'm also very thankful for the internet BECAUSE OF school); I'm thankful for my family, especially now that I don't see them very much; I'm thankful for my friends that are both old and new; I'm thankful for where I live; I'm thankful for church; I'm thankful that I can now listen to Christmas music without being criticized; and I'm thankful for DECEMBER!  I love having a Christmas tree up, looking at Christmas lights, and watching A Christmas Story.  And thanks to Joan for all the Christmas stuff. :)  Thanksgiving was awesome!  We got to spend it with Dad's family, which we don't get to do very often so it was tons of fun.  It the first home cooked meal I've had in 3 months and it tasted so good.  Unfortunately, it was a HUGE home cooked meal, after which I stayed up till 7 in the morning Black Friday shopping with Mom, didn't get much sleep the rest of the day, then the next time I ate was dinner Friday night.  It didn't stay down.  I promise.  BUT luckily, I didn't have to take the shuttle home.  Grandma was nice enough to drive me all the way to Rexburg, then all the way back.  SUPER CONVENIENT!  Thanks so much!  I'm glad to be back, but excited to go home.  17 days...