California...beautiful.

Last Friday, Katie, Amanda, and I packed all of our warm clothes and headed off on an adventure. We decided a couple weeks ago that we should go to the XGames in Aspen. Everything worked out wonderfully and we got to stay in the condo in Carbondale.

We stopped at the City Market in Glenwood to pick up some food and were lucky enough to be there during the sales pitch of this knife lady...ha. She gave us some weird plastic knives that can (supposedly) cut cool designs in apples and such...super useful. Then we listened to her presentation in hopes that we would get some more random knives. When it became apparent that she wasn't giving out every knife for free, we felt awkward and snuck away when she was looking the other direction. Anyway, really random and bizarre experience.

So we got to the condo, which was just redone after a flooding incident and looks really great, and we made sure to get some pictures with our new knives (since I didn't have a camera to document the experience in City Market).

Oh, just some nice family photos.

  

 Pushing the camera button, running back to the couch, and flipping upside down proved to be quite the challenge.

 Organized by hair color...normal.

 Up on the Superpipe on Friday night!

 No zoom!

 Saturday

On Saturday night, after scoring free stuff (swag) and watching crazy stuff at the XGames, we drove around Aspen, did a puzzle, had dinner with my aunt and uncle, and took a trip to the Glenwood Hot Springs. It was wonderful. Then we had some girl talk while eating snacks on our slumber party king-size bed.  

On Sunday, Uncle Tom and Aunt Dodo took us to a delicious breakfast at the Village Smithy in Carbondale. Then our journey back to Fort Collins began. It was a little long, but we entertained ourselves by blowing Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape bubbles and holding our breath through the Eisenhower tunnel (while dancing to "Look at Me Now" and driving at about 20 mph).

Amanda was our responsible driver for most of the trip :)

The totes awes weekend didn't even end when I returned to Fort Collins. On Sunday night, I got to spend a little bit of time with my family, including Abby, Abba, Matthew, Alex, and Cathy! And I spent Monday morning helping with precious baby twins, Trey and Luke, and their 4 year-old sister, Abby. I'm so very excited that that will be my job for the semester!! I'm back to school, but looking forward to my upcoming trips to Indianapolis and the Bahamas. Holy cow, my life is rough.

p.s.

Missing my sibs.
http://ellenmcd.blogspot.com/2011/12/my-biggest-passion.html
It was the greatest thing in the world to have everyone home for Christmas.
http://ellenmcd.blogspot.com/2011/12/holy-junk.html
http://www.littlelifeadventures.com/2011/12/big-holiday-post.html
Have I mentioned how much fun we have together?

Oops

My plan was to post an update on my weekend and my life, but I got distracted and dropped the ball. So here's a sneak peek of the post to come...

I'm actually living at home right now...

For all the times that I wish I didn't have to tell one more person that I live at home, there are so many more times that I am so grateful I do. Because the fact is, if I weren't living at home, I would miss out on some beautiful moments. Like random (and somewhat rare) moments when Olivia is in a silly mood and will be weird with me. Like tonight, when she cranked some gospel song that she found on YouTube and danced her heart out. And she didn't even stop when I came in the room to laugh with her and take pictures of her. Sister's got some moves.

 And the jacket comes off. Get it gurl.

I also bet her that she wouldn't cry at my wedding, but she assured me that she will. She's also convinced that Tim Tebow will write me back (did I mention I sent that letter?), probably to ask me on a date. 

Random Title

Sometimes I just don't know what to title my posts. Sometimes that's the hardest part.

When I spend my time blogging and watching Friends and such, instead of doing homework, I don't even feel like I'm in school. It's the greatest thing! Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks that I forgot about...

 On our father-daughter road trip to Colorado Springs

 I'm a sucker for pretty landscapes and, most of all, skies

 Amanda, Katie and I hiked Horsetooth and decided to be adventurous mountain women instead of taking the usual route up the rock. It was the day we were foolish fools and the day we almost died. And the day we (I) fell on the ice several (painful) times.

 Amanda's really good at taking self-pictures.

 I clearly have more practice. I mean...

 We found the trail again!

 Told you.

 I like to sit in my room in dim lighting and light yummy candles and sit on my couch and watch Friends. So good.

 Tonight, I wanted to make some yummy food in the apron my mom made me for Christmas. I also needed to buy Oreo's for a Wyldlife game, so I decided to make Oreo Balls. I've had them a couple times but I've never made them myself. They are so delicious, it's mind-blowing.

 Oreo's and cream cheese in a food processor...

 

...dipped in white chocolate. Holy junk.

 I made everyone try them and show me their happy reactions...they weren't even faking!

Peace and Blessins

First of all, this video has nothing to do with my post. I only want you to appreciate the title of this post, so feel free to watch it if you're curious. It'll always be a favorite to quote.

HA. Ok, moving on. I just got to Skype with my old Whitworth roommate, Aimee, and it was really great. It made me nostalgic for Whitworth and my year there, which is weird. Because while I was there (mostly during second semester), even between fun days, I felt incredibly unhappy. When I wasn't in my room, I usually tried to put on a face, but I was really struggling. But looking back, I miss the super fun girls that lived in my dorm, weekly (or bi-weekly) dance aerobics, eating meals with friends, all the weird Whitworth traditions that I thought were ridiculous and the even weirder little bubble of a community, and being awkward at my brother's house with his roommates who actually really grew on me. Looking back from a distance, when I'm not experiencing the sadness that sometimes consumed me that year, I realize I was very blessed. Regardless of my emotional state a year ago or even now, I am so incredibly blessed. By the people I'm surrounded with and by the experiences I've been apart of.

Kelle Hampton blogged a couple weeks ago about picking a word for the year. At the time, nothing was really weighing on my heart, but the first couple weeks of 2012 have been full of reflection and thinking about the future. Just now, I've decided that my word will be embrace. I want to be continually reminding myself (and you can remind me, too) to embrace whatever is going on. To be present in the here and now. Not to mourn whatever frustrating circumstances or overwhelming schedule I am in the middle of, but to embrace each experience that I have the opportunity to be apart of. Because we are so blessed and life is too much fun.

10 things I'm thankful for today...

1. Girl Scout cookies...I'm currently eating some Dulce de Leche ones...uh, yum!

2. Productivity. I actually did some homework today...almost a first for the semester.

3. Fun family. My mom's sibling were in town for Allen's 50th birthday this weekend, and they are all so awesome! It was fun to watch them interact and imagine how my siblings and I will be when we all have families (and live on our family compound). It's also so cool to be at home for these things.

Jackson's sagging pants were killing me.

4. Froyo. Yeah, I've had my fair share of desserts today.

5. Huevos Rancheros at The Egg & I. My joy revolves primarily around food. It's fine. But I got to enjoy this meal with Olivia, Abby, Abba, and Cam, and it was delightful.

6. Colorado. I'm constantly telling people my story about going away to school for a year and coming back home because I missed my home state. And usually no one questions that logic, because obviously Colorado rocks.

7. Jesus and his plan for me. I got placed on a team this weekend to lead Wyldlife at Kinard Middle School! I'm kind of terrified, but so excited.

8. Corny movies. Olivia and I saw Joyful Noise today...it was pretty terrible in terms of acting and script and such. But they had beautiful voices and sang Man in the Mirror and some other fun songs. It made me really want to buy the Michael Jackson dance game for the Wii...

9. Katie Bateman. Katie transferred to UNC and I'm so glad, because it means I get to see her more than once a semester! We just usually understand each other and I love that. 

10. Faraway friends. Thanks to Facebook and the rest of the internet, I get to keep in touch (even if it is sometimes rare and minimal) with people that live far away, like work crew friends, Whitworth friends, friends that are actually my family, and best friends that go to school out of state.

Bonus picture of Izzy and me...we're in love and I miss her!