A Christmas To Remember

Merry Christmas! Today my family (minus my Dad) were surprised to find that my Dad had written a story about a Christmas from his mission and it was featured in the Deseret News. This story is very heart warming and truly shows what Christmas is all about. You can read the story here http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705272689,00.html. I hope that you all have a fabulous Christmas.

Ginger Bread House

Tonight my siblings and I attempted to make a Ginger Bread House. We obviously aren't very talented when it comes to this. I don't think that any of us have made one since we were in elementary school.



Us with the finished product.




Pretty much Reed and Tommy started just putting down a ton of frosting and threw candy on top.

Christmas Lights

Last night as I drove back to Provo from Bluffdale I looked off of the side of the freeway in Provo and there was a huge house completely decked out in Christmas lights. It was awesome! Then as I drove down Center Street in Provo and there were lights everywhere. I loved it! I have always loved driving around at night during Christmas time looking at lights and listening to Christmas music. It just puts me in the Christmas spirit so much!

So Much To Be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving! I love Thanksgiving Day. What a great day to be able to concentrate on those things that we are thankful for. I love this quote from President Thomas S. Monson, "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues." (An Attitude of Gratitude, Ensign, February 2000)

Here are a few things that I am Thankful for:
- My Family, they are some of my best friends and I am so thankful for them
- Jesus Christ and his Atoning sacrifice
- The Gospel
- The opportunites that I have to learn and grow
- Fabulous Friends, I have such great friends who are always there when I need them
- Things that make me laugh
- Good Books
- Music, I love music!
- A wonderful home and apartment
- Delicious food, the food that the Anderson family will prepare today is going to be so delicious! I am so excited.

Those are just a few of the numerous things that I am thankful for. I am so thankful for the numerous blessings that the Lord pours down on me!

Halloween Past

Today I would like to speak about some of my past Halloween experiences. I enjoy Halloween as much as the next person. I love candy, so obviously Halloween is somewhat of a hit. I seem to come up with a problem every Halloween. I can never think of something to dress up as. I can't even tell you how many times I have dressed up as Kelly Kapowski from Saved by the Bell just because I have a Saved by the Bell t-shirt. When I was young my parents never let me dress up as anything cute. While my friends were running around trick-or-treating as a princess or something equally as adorable I was ringing door bells dressed up as such horrific creatures as a hunchback or a werewolf. No joke. I remember going to preschool at Bingham High School dressed up as a hunchback. My parents put crazy make-up on me and ratted my hair. They stuffed my back pack with newspaper and put it on my back with one of my Dad's t-shirts over the top. My Dad even insisted that I walk around like a hunchback would, with a limp and kind of dragging an arm.

The worst Halloween costume of my life had to be the Werewolf. The first picture displays this particular costume. As you can see all of my siblings were cute and happy clowns, I was a monster. My parents bought this kit and glued all this fake hair on my face that was guranteed to come off easily and without pain. Unfortunately this hair liked my skin, it didn't want to come off. I remember my Mom trying to rip it off my face. Needless to say a great deal of pain was involved and it took a few days for all of it to come off.

I think that I must be psychologically scared by the costumes of my childhood. It must be why I can never think of a great costume these days. I do have big plans for this year. Stay tuned to see how one of my high school choir outfits will finally become useful.

Reed's Mission Call

Reed got his mission call yesterday! He has been called to serve in the New York Rochester Mission. He reports to the MTC on January 21. I am so proud of Reed and his decision to serve the Lord by going on a mission. Everyone who knows him knows that it truly is a miracle that he is able to go on a mission. Reed is going to be such a fabulous missionary.

Am I Old Enough For This?

I just returned from my very first business trip. It seems odd to me that I am old enough to go on a business trip. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I was 10 and waiting for my Dad to come home from his business trips and now I am going on them. Weird. My company had a regional meeting in Las Vegas that was held in the Paris hotel on the strip. I had a sort of epiphany during this trip, only the weirdo's are attracted to me and never was that more manifest to me then it was in Las Vegas where I was hit on multiple times (I don't believe I have ever been hit on so many times in my life as this weekend). But most of the time they were ultra strange or had a beer in the hand or were incredbily sketchy. So yeah, basically only the weirdo's are attracted to me as it has been most of my life especially during this past weekend.

Big News

After a month of unemployment, sending out tons (I lost count) of resumes, a few workshops, eight interviews, a few rejections, and a lot of frustration I HAVE A JOB! Yay! I am now an event coordinator with United First Financial. I interviewed with them last week and thought that it would be a really cool job but I didn't know if I had enough experience. Then yesterday I got an e-mail saying that I they gave the job to someone else, I was a little bummed but thought oh well. Well this morning I had just gotten back from another interview and the people at United First Financial called and said that there had been some changes and they offered me the job. I started an hour and a half later. Conveniently the job is in Bluffdale, less then ten minutes from my house. So needless to say, I am very pleased to no longer be part of the world of the unemployed and I am excited about the new opportunities that I am going to have!

Happy Fall!

I know that many people mourn the end of the summer, but I love the fall! So happy second day of fall. There are many things that I love about the fall, and it is by far my favorite season. Here are some reasons (in no particular order) of why this is my favorite!

1. Football

2. Changing colors on the trees (I love this and I am wanting to go on one last 4-wheeler ride in the mountains to enjoy this)

3. Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving! The most incredible food ever(especially with the Anderson side)

4. Halloween. For myself I have never been one for the dressing up portion so much(as I had some crazy experiences as a child which I am sure I will write about when Halloween grows closer) but I love to see all the cute little kids dressed up and out trick-ore-treating. And lets just be honest, what is better than a Holiday all about giving out candy?

5. Cooler temperatures. I don't like how hot it gets in the summer. Without air conditioning I would be miserable. I love the cooler temperatures and the crispness in the air that comes with the fall. The temperatures are perfect.

6. The expansion of my wardrobe. I love my sweaters and cold weather clothes. They are just so cozy.

7. Apple Dumplings. If you have never ate this delectible dish you are missing out more than I could ever explain. This is my favorite dessert.

8. First days of School. I used to love the start of school. Remember that line off of "You've Got Mail" about freshly sharpened pencils? I always think about that line at the beginning of school/fall.

9. Reed and Tommy's Birthday. (November 18th) This is always a highlight of the fall. The last few years we have spent the boys birthday at a friends cabin.So fun!

10. Apple Cider/Juice. There is nothing like drinking good apple juice in the fall. Even better is warm apple cider. Oh I love this and it is perfect in the fall. Can you tell that I like apples?

Pretty much I love everything about the fall, and these are just a few of the reasons. Happy fall!

I looked out the window and what did I see...

So this morning I was eating my breakfast and sitting at my families kitchen table. As I was enjoying my french toast my Dad yelled to my mom and I to look out the window. There in our garden were two large buck deer. They were enjoying our tomatoes out in the garden (just as they have all summer)and when they saw us watching they ran away. I wish that I had my camera with me so that I could show you how big these deer are but unfortunatly my camera was in the other room. These are three and four point deer. They are large and have that is partially in thanks to the buffet they have feasted at in our garden. Every once in awhile when we've lived here in Bluffdale we will see deer in the yard but it hasn't been too often. This year though we have had these same deer almost daily. We think that these deer live down in the gully behind our house and they come up to feast on our grapes (which are all gone) and our tomatoes. Then they take a nice refreshing drink out of the pond. They are pretty but I wish that they hadn't ate all of our grapes.

Priceless...

My Dad sent this to me and I thought that many of you would enjoy it as I have!


6 Hotdogs: $12.00

Designer Shorts: $96.00

Souvenir Boots from Laramie: $150.00

Having this guy NOT be a BYU fan: Priceless

I have a Confession...

I love things that are cheesy. And I am not talking about cheesy foods. I am talking about fabulous cheesy movies, t.v. shows, books, and other similar items. I just can't get enough of them. Even though they are absolutely ridiculous, I love them. A lot of the things that fit into this category have similar aspects. The dialogue is a bit ridiculous and there is typically a moral to the story. I have realized this before but I was reminded of this fact in my life last week when I went to the Redbox and rented the Disney Channel Movie, Camp Rock.
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Pretty much I really enjoyed this movie. Also, I really like the Jonas Brothers and their parts in this movie. But lets just be honest, I really do enjoy almost all of the Disney Channel movies and t.v. shows. (Does anyone remember Even Steven's? I loved that show!)




Another excellent example of cheesiness that I love. Saved by the Bell. Really, I don't think that it gets much more cheesy than this. Can we just say Jessie's caffiene pill addiction/breakdown episode. I watched this again just the other day, and it was hilarious. But really, how can you not love Saved by the Bell and all types of similar cheesyness? I really just can't get enough.

Boyz II Men

Last night my friend Michelle and I went to the fabulous performance of Boyz II Men. I am not going to lie, I really liked it. I was a little skeptical at first but I thought, hey why not, this could be fun. And it was amazing! Although Boyz II Men were a little bit before my time, I still knew a few of their songs. So first of all, I loved the harmonies. I feel as if this is a dying art. It is rare these days to hear that and it is so incredible. Secondly, these guys can still dance (something that I really wish was one of my talents!). Thirdly, I am pretty sure that these guys had not performed for a crowd of this size and who had so much enthusiasm in years. They kept saying things like "You have know idea how much this means to us" and "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, this is incredible." Then they started bringing out their own cameras and taking pictures. It was really fun because they were so into the crowd. Last of all, these guys are incredible entertainers! I think that my favorite section was when they sang Motown hits. I really enjoyed it. The only down side of the evening came from the special, special people who were next to us and were feeling the effects of their alcohol, oh well, it was still a fun concert.

Life Changes

So after four fabulous years in Provo, I have graduated and moved out of good old Provo. The problem is that I have no job. Sad! Right now I am attempting to find a job, which is definatly not my favorite thing in the world, in fact it is quite frustrating. So if any of you out there have any great job ideas, let me know! Until I find a job, my parent's are being great and letting me crash here in Bluffdale with them.

Oh yeah, only 5 more days till BYU Football, I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I Love The Olympics!

I absolutely love the Olympics! I have been looking forward to this years Summer Olympics all summer! I love to watch these athletes (many of which have incredible life stories) fight and compete to win and achieve their dreams. I love seeing world records broken and the excitement and sheer joy on the faces of the competitors. It is so inspiring! The most inspiring story I have heard from Olympics thus far has not been from one of the athletes but from another hero. Many saw the 9 year old little Chinese boy, Lin Hao, who walked into the Opening Ceremonies with Yao Ming and the rest of the Chinese team. His story is incredible! His school was demolished in the earthquake that China had a few months ago. He some how climbed out of the rubble and then went back in not once, but twice to save two of his classmates. I believe I heard that only 10 members of this class survived. When little Lin Hao was asked why he went back for his classmates despite the danger he said that he was a class leader, a hall monitor, and that it was his job to go back and help others. I almost strated to cry! What an incredible kid! He is a real hero! Plus, he is just so adorable.

On a different note of the Olympics. I love Michael Phelps and I hope that he goes on to win all 8 medals!

1 Month Left...

I am on the countdown! There is officially one month until my absolute favorite time of the year, fall. Why is fall my favorite time of the year you may be asking yourself. Well there are many different reasons but one of those reasons is football. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a deep love for football, specifically BYU football. I just can't explain the excitement that I feel when I watch my Cougars run onto the field before every game. I love it all! I still get the chills every time I watch the end of 2006's BYU vs. Utah football game. I relive every agonizing moment as if I don't know the outcome and when the clock expires and John Beck is still scrambling around looking for an open teammate and then out of the blue, there is Johnny Harline catching the ball in the end zone, I am moved. I know it's cheesy, but I am emotionally invested in my Cougars. I love BYU football!

I Love the 4th of July!

The 4th of July is definately one of my favorite holidays of the year, but let's just be honest I love pretty much every holiday (including Memorial Day)! This year we had another fabulous day. As is tradition my family held a big 4th of July breakfast in our back yard for the neighborhood. It was a hit. Everyone in the neighborhood looks forward to this event. And as always, the yard looked beautiful! My parents do such an incredible job keeping it up. Later that afternoon we went to a fabulous BBQ with some of my extended family. The evening though was the highlight of the day! I got to go to the Stadium of Fire with my family. It was so much fun! The Blue Man Group was fabulous and Miley Cyrus got better as she went along. The best part, the fireworks! I absolutely love fire works so this was so much fun! Here are a few pics of us at Stadium of Fire.

We danced when Miley sang a song we knew.

There Are Some Things I Just Don't Get...

So last night and today I have witnessed two things that just make me wonder. The first occured last night when I went to a country concert with a few of my friends. The concert was over at the UVSC/UVU baseball field and featured Josh Gracin, Collin Raye, and Joe Nicholes. The concert itself was fun. But in between acts I got a little confused. They brought out a Neil Diamond impersonator. Immediately when I think of Neil Diamond I think of two things, my 6th grade teacher Mrs. Damjanovich making us learn all of the words to "America" (Far, we've been traveling far...) and the second is a classic quote in my family from What About Bob? "There are two kinds of people in this world, those who like Neil Diamond and those who don't." (Obviously Mrs. D. loved him) Well I began to wonder last night and more particularly today, what motivates an individual to be a Neil Diamond impersonator? Do you stand in the mirror one day and think to yourself "Wow, I have an uncanny resembalance to Neil Diamond, maybe I should impersonate him." Is it a love for tight pants and sequined shirts that make you choose this career path. Or is it just a deep rooted love for all things that are Neil? Pretty much I am confused.

My second confusion point came this afternoon as I went to my aprtment for my lunch break. As I often do I watched Gilmore Girls on ABC Family as I ate. During one of the commercial breaks came an announcment from ABC Family announcing their weekend programming. The announcement stated "ABC Family celebrates America with a Harry Potter weekend." This comes as news to me as I have never thought of Harry Potter as an excellent example of American Patriotism. What is an excellent example of American Patriotism you might ask, Neil Diamond's "America"! They're coming to America, today!...My country 'tis of thee (today) Sweet land of liberty (today) Of thee I sing (today) Of thee I sing! Today, Today, Today!

My First Car Accident

This week on Tuesday I experienced my very first car accident, and lets just say it was not one of my favorite events of my life. So on Tuesday I was heading home from work around 5:30. As I was heading west on 700 N. I noticed this massive Club Wagon van on the right side of the road. Well all of a sudden this huge van pulled out to do a U-turn right in front of me. I swerved, slammed on my brakes, and layed on the horn but unfortunately this did not prevent the unaware driver from nailing the front right end of the Jeep that I drive. Luckily I had my seat belt on, if not for that I fear I would have gone into the wind shield, the hit was pretty hard. So I got out of the car (leaving it in the middle of the road because I have always heard the you shouldn't move your car after an accident) and immediately started dialing 911 because I knew there was damage without having to even look at the car. As I got out the other girl got out of her massive van and said to me, "I had my blinker on." In my mind I was just like, yeah, so that means you can hit me? So I said back to her, "Well I swerved and slammed on my brakes and honked." All she could reply was, "I didn't hear you honk." It doesn't sound like it but this chika was giving me major attitude. So by this point in time I am on the phone with the 911 operator and they said that they would send the next available officer. At this point I am a mess, I am bawling and shaking and my chest was killing me. I called my Mom and she quickly got in the car to come down to my rescue. Within seconds my sister Melissa called and she said that she was on her way. Then my Dad called and he was on his way to Dark Canyon with Reed for a scout camp so he couldn't come so I was telling him all the details. After that this boy from my freshman ward showed up and made sure that I was ok, which was so nice of him. Pretty much I had three different people who I have never even met stop to make sure that I was ok, this was an affirmation to me that there are some nice people out there, unlike the girl who hit me.

In the mean time, Melissa had shown up with our cousin Whitney and their roommate Ashley. So I was explaining what happened when the cop showed up. I immediatly went and told him my story first. He took a look at the dammage, had me give him all of my drivers information, and had me pull into a driveway. So when I was doing this I could hear this girl giving a completely different story. She was telling the officer that I hit her and that she had been as far left in the lane as she could be in order to make her U-turn. LIES! I couldn't believe that this girls version of the story was so different. So the officer has us filling out paperwork and Melissa is going around taking pictures of everything with her phone. So I asked her what the damage was to the van and she said that there was a dent in the side of her van where you fill up the gas but it wasn't really bad. I was waiting to give the paper work to the cop and the other girl said to me that she was going to just go give it to him in his car. I went with her to give my stuff to the officer and as I was walking back to my car her friend stopped me and was asking me all of these questions, me still a complete wreck is trying to tell her and Melissa just comes and grabs me and tells them that I couldn't talk to them. Yay for Melissa being protective of me! So another cop gets there and is taking pictures of everything and my Mom arrives.

Right after she gets there the cop has me go over and starts telling me and the girl who hit me (I find out her name is Megan) about what he was putting in his report. "Well you are both telling very different stories. And as far as I see it and the way that I am writing it up is that Susan's story seems to be the most accurate. According to the laws of physics, gravity, and traffic there is no way that what you say happened Megan, could have occured. In order for both of your cars to be damaged the way that they are it would have been neccesrary for them to hit like this" (at this point please view the diagram located belowwhich depicts how the Copper and I believe that the accident occured.) Basically this Megan girl just started arguing with the cop. I just thought to myself, "Girlfriend, you are not helping your case at all." So the cop then proceeded to tell her that she was being issued a citation for making an illegal left hand turn and whatnot. So my MOm and I were trying to figure out how to drive the Jeep back to Bluffdale ( I was not wanting anything to do with driving at this point!) So the cop came and helped us rip off some of the loose items that were preventing us from driving and an hour after this whole ordeal began we were leaving. So basically the dammage to the Jeep is all on the front right end of the car where it is all crushed up and what not. The doors on the right side of the car are not opening and on the front of the car everything has kind of popped out.

Luckily insurance will take care of everything, at least it should. This Megan girl's Insurance company called me to get a statement about the events. I told her exactally what happended and what not and she was actually quite nice. After seeing my address and the recorded part was over she asked me if I lived in Devonshire and I told her I did and she told me that she used to live there. She also told me that Megan is telling a completely different story and that she basically believed me more than her. Yesterday I woke up with major back pain so I stayed home from work and layed around all day. Today my back is feeling a little bit better but not much. I hope that it all goes away and I don't need to go to the doctors. I am just so grateful that no one got hurt and that the damage is fixable.

One of my favorite things about this is that the girl had a California drivers license. Everyone always gives Utahns a hard time about their driving but in reality, it is the peeps from other states who cause the accidents.

YAY for my first post!

I am cool... what more can I say.