mission calls + playmobil + psych

today started out being not the best day ever. actually, it started out horribly. i was just stressed stressed stressed. but, luckily, the day got progressively better. and you know what? it turned out to be pretty wonderful!

1. commiserating with jill

ah, jill. i love running into her on campus. we went to seminary together our senior year of high school. this morning we saw each other in the library. we both said we were doing fine...but then decided that we would tell each other all the things that were stressing us out. it sounds kind of depressing...but it was nice to talk to someone just as stressed as i was. i love that girl.

2. a mini penrose reunion

on campus i ran into amanda and stacie. they both lived in penrose hall with me last year. seriously, we had theeee best hall ever. i mean look at us all at our hall sleepover last year!

stole this photo from facebook. look at us with our staches!

the three of us caught up for a minute or two, but i couldn't stay any longer because...

3. laura got her mission call!!

my wonderful friend laura got her mission call today! she's going to the north carolina raleigh mission. she's going to be the best missionary :) it was fun because i actually got there a little bit early, so we talked for a while. we also had a slight dilemma because her computer is somewhat broken, so skype wasn't working. we ended up using her friend's ipad to skype with her family. i was in charge of the camera, and pretended to be my aunt carrie. (it's a long story, but it involves 8 women running around england for two weeks, and taking over 4,000 photos all together.) i also got to see mike collett! i'm just so excited for laura :)

so what i'm being supremely awkward and laura's eyes are half closed. and mike is creeping in the background. it had to be posted.

4. packages

i got a package from my family today! i love those people. in it was a wonderful present: a playmobil advent calendar!! the greatest!! i'm so excited to open the first window tomorrow and play with it!

cutest package ever

bam. be jealous.

the scene i get to set my playmobil toys up in! best family ever? i think yes.

5. the christmas lights all around campus

these days, like i've already said, i've been spending a lot of time on campus. it's so nice to walk out of the library and see the lights on the trees! it's hard to feel like it's christmas when we're in the middle of finals prep, but the lights make me smile every time i see them. it helps me remember that it's christmas time :)

happy happy christmas time! i love christmas!

6. psych!!

tonight was psych. awesome. that is all.

dude. watch it. #hashtagkiller

7. hot chocolate

i love hot chocolate. this shouldn't be news to anyone. but before i left la, my aunt gave me some amazing hot chocolate mix. i used it tonight, and it was delicious. also, i put a mini candy cane in it. it was beautiful.

here's to a wonderful tomorrow! :)

my life. which mostly consists of school. and homework. and the library.

1. extended hours at the library

even though this means it's time for finals...it means i get to play in the library for a long time. and because i'm a nerd, that makes me happy. oh, and ps i saw a guy walk into the library today with a pillow. kind of brilliant...kind of sad...because it's so true. you need a pillow in there during finals prep.

it was nice of them to make it look pretty

2. check lists and planners

today i kept myself sane with a checklist. it worked quite well. i'm grateful for those.

today's checklist. ignore that it's backwards. also i should have ticked two more boxes...but my backpack is really far away and i didn't want to reach for my pen. also ignore the nooch in the background.

3. class with amber

class with amber is the best. we sit next to each other. we discuss things. sometimes not class related. but that's ok. also she scratches my back for me and i don't even have to ask her. she knows me so well.

4. french

hello, favorite class ever. i love my professor. i love my classmates. i love the subject. the end.

5. "road to heaven: pilgrimage through southern france" a lecture by dr. jesse hurlbut

this was cool. dr hurlbut is in charge of the study abroad that i really want to go on next fall, and he was talking about all the places that we would go see. he described the history and significance of the pilgrimage, and showed us photographs of all the cathedrals and places of importance along the trail from le puy-en-velay to saint jacques de compostelle (santiago de compostella in the north of spain).

this is a cathedral built on top of an inactive volcano in le puy. pretty amazing stuff.

6. visiting teaching

tonight kailey and i went visiting teaching. we talked with rylie for a good long time! i love both those girls. it's always fun to just chat and take a break from homework.

speaking of which...i should get on that. wish me luck, everyone! it's gonna be a loooong night.

a tribute to miss riss + the most awkward moment of my life

today is marissa's birthday. i've decided that on the birthdays of people who are important to me, i'll write tributes to that person. it's a fun way to be grateful for them! i might throw in a few other things, too.

1. that guy at sugar and spice

for riss's birthday lunch, we decided to get ice cream from sugar and spice. this guy told us we were beautiful. that was a nice thing to say to riss on her birthday.

now on to the important stuff. like all the things i love about marissa.

2. how loving she is

marissa is the nicest and most genuine person i have ever met. that is no exaggeration. i can't tell you how many times she has forgiven me for the stupid things i do. like today, for example. when i forgot it was her birthday. that was bad of me. but even though i had forgotten, she just smiled at me and said, "it's okay! i love you!" and i knew she really meant it. she never judges me, or anyone for that matter. i guarantee you will never meet someone as genuine as marissa.

3. how funny she is

miss riss likes to do funny things. we all like that she does funny things. sometimes she crawls under tables at chili's during her birthday dinner and gets stuck. and we take pictures of it. and she laughs and we laugh. sometimes she turns into a little "help-help" and hides under becca's bed. sometimes she says things that she doesn't know are funny until we all burst out laughing. sometimes we like to be baby dinosaurs together. all of the time she makes me smile.

4. her selflessness

marissa is always thinking of other people. one time last year when we had cleaning checks, i got home from campus late for one reason or another, and i was behind on my jobs. when i walked in the door, marissa had already started on my jobs for me, even though she wasn't even finished with hers because she wanted to help me. for christmas last year, she secretly (and i don't know how she did it because it's next to impossible to keep secrets in a dorm) made us all pajama pants! i don't know how she does it, but she is such a good example to me of putting others first.

5. being one of my best friends

i know that no matter what, marissa will love me. even if i sing happy birthday to her at the top of my lungs while we're walking across campus, she will love me. i'm so glad that she is one of my best friends :)

I LOVE YOU MISS RISS!!

here are a few photos from our birthday dinner at chili's:

riss and her free shake from chili's. happy birthday!

lindsey just smacking riss's booty when she was stuck.

it's...whatever. really. don't worry about it.

just a little birthday love at chili's. ignore how annoying my voice is.

oh ps. the most awkward moment of my life? yeah. that happened today.

so it's like 11:45. there's a knock on the door. i answer it. it's some random guy standing outside my door, under some mistletoe. we proceed to have a very awkward conversation about the christmas season and how great it is. he's fidgeting. i want to hide in my room. a voice shouts from around the corner "ARE YOU GONNA KISS HIM OR WHAT?!" i freak out momentarily but remain calm on the outside (at least, that's how the story in my head goes). he says, "you can close the door. i won't be offended. just a little disappointed." i tell him "i don't really kiss guys i don't know...but i'll give you a handshake!" (a HANDSHAKE? i'm telling you people, i am SO good at being awkward.) i shake his hand under the mistletoe. we say goodnight. i close the door. and that was that. merry christmas! :)

sleep deprivation + sydney = crazies

oy. today has been a day. anyone who has come into contact with me will agree. i have been off the walls! it may or may not have something to do with the lack of sleep combined with the early wake up time... anyway. i have a good list of things for today. sorry i don't have any pictures...

1. starbucks. again.

oh man. this morning for breakfast at the airport, i got another salted caramel hot chocolate. yum.

2. the games on my phone

today while i was sitting in the airport, waiting and waiting and waiting for my delayed flight, i played games on my phone. i also listened to some music. then i played some more games. then i looked at pinterest. then i played another game. you get the picture.

3. joel

today joel gave me a ride from the airport to my apartment in provo, even though my flight was delayed for an hour and a half. how nice was that? i payed him in peppermint joe joe's from trader joe's. (joe joe's are the trader joe's version of an oreo.) he was very kind to put up with me in my..."condition." that would be, me being ridiculously sleep deprived.

4. jalyn

oh, baby j. it was so good to see you today. i love how you decorated for christmas! laughing during church may not have been our finest moment...but i enjoyed it. also i enjoyed eating questionable soup and watching 'the holiday' with you. because when the santa anas blow like they did yesterday, all bets are off. anything can happen. :)

5. becca and riss

i got to see becca and riss today. we played with giant stuffed unicorns. it was good to see them.

6. being with my roommates again

i love being back in provo. don't get me wrong...i was so sad to leave my family. i may or may not have cried for a second at the airport. but it's nice to see my provo family again! and i'm grateful that they put up with my crazies. i seriously think i lost it for a while there. at one point, i was telling heather i needed sleep, but continued to dance around the room like a crazy person and i sang everything that i wanted to say. yeah. something happened...maybe some sort of short circuit issue in my brain. i'm not sure.  heather, jalyn, karen, and steph: i'm so glad you put up with me :)

7. 18 days left in the semester

oh yeah, baby. 18 days left until i get to go home to the napa valley. I'M JUST SO EXCITED. the end.

here's to a good last two weeks...and awesome finals!!

biceps, great weather, and starbucks

today was my last day in southern california. sad day! but it was great to spend the day with my family.

1. starbucks

this morning i got to go to starbucks with my aunt lisa and my grandpa. grandpa had never been there before, so we decided that this thanksgiving break, we had to treat him to a salted caramel hot chocolate. they were delicious, and it was a fun way to spend the morning.

2. apple products

it appears we have become an apple family. everyone, minus my grandparents, has an iphone. some of us have ipads. (not me, i'm not that cool.) we have mac laptops. it's pretty crazy, but it's a great way for us to stay in contact with each other.

3. the weather

um, hello. it was 85 degrees today. let me tell you, i was in heaven. i was wearing a short sleeved shirt and flip flops all day. fantastic. tomorrow i am off to the land of snow and ice (well, there's no snow, but it'll be there soon), but i am so happy to have had this wonderful day.

walker, dad, and grandpa in the wonderful weather. grandpa was standing on a block of wood because he felt short :)

oh, ps, in case you were wondering, this is what my brother's biceps look like.

4. the mall

the mall here is out of control. it's enormous. i can't even...it's big. it has pretty much every store imaginable. i love it. i got a skirt and a sweater. it was great!

jimmy choo! this is for baby j, an hommage to our trip to canada.

5. the usc win

it would have been a very sad evening in the hughes household if usc had lost. i'm grateful that they won because the usc win = happy hughes men.

6. my cousin scott

one year ago today, my cousin scott got his mission call to tallahassee, florida. it was one of the coolest experiences, watching him open his call and see where he was going. we all miss him, but he's in the right place. oh, and of course i'm grateful for bray'd and mark, too :)

scott and i after he opened his call.

the 'scott corner' at thanksgiving :)

well, in the morning i'm flying back to utah. i'm grateful that i've been able to spend the week here in los angeles with my family. i've loved every minute of it!

how would you like to be my next...uhh...president?

happy black friday! here's my list:

1. talents
some of my talents include 'eating a lot of peanut m&ms,' 'eating a lot of peppermint joe joe's,' 'eating a lot of vegetables,' and 'eating a lot in general.' in the words of my aunt carrie, "eating is one of my greatest accomplishments."

2. uhh...compliments? i think?
today at cvs pharmacy, my aunt carrie and i were looking for christmas lights and other stuff. i ended up buying nail polish. (but really, is anyone surprised? yeah. didn't think so.)anyway. the cashier looked at me and said, "oh, this nail polish is very refined. you must be a very refined woman. you have beautiful eyes. oh, you have very beautiful eyes. how would you like to be my next...uhh...my next...(at this point i was feeling very uncomfortable)...president?" i told him i wouldn't mind and promptly left the store. it was a most excellent awkward moment in my life.

3. the quilt emporium
my aunt lisa owns the quilt emporium. it's the cutest little quilting shop! every summer, i would spend a week here in los angeles and i would work with her there. today we got to stop in and look at some of the changes she's made. it was fun to be there again. i love looking at all the fabrics.

obviously this isn't the entire selection she has...but i liked these patterns.

4. christmas decorations
today in the dollar store i found the garland section. can i just tell you that it made me so happy? see? proof.

garland happy

rudolph the red-nosed...santa?

5. doris day
christmas is not christmas without doris day. well, doris day and bing crosby. but right now, we're discussing doris. ever since i can remember, her christmas album has been played during the christmas season. i think in my mind, the classic song is 'snowfall.' also, 'have yourself a merry little christmas.'


6. laughing until i cry
this is not an uncommon occurrence, but every time it's the best. tonight we played taboo as a family and let me tell you, my mascara was everywhere. it never gets old.


so even though i didn't go shopping today, i hope everyone had a wonderful black friday! here's to tomorrow being equally wonderful :)

always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name

happy thanksgiving! the best day of the year! (or one of them, at least.) it's the day when my family eats so much food we can't breathe. it's the day we eat so much food we can't even HEAR. it's the day we spend all of our time together. it's the day we spend laughing together. it's the day we give thanks together. here are a few of the things that i'm grateful for on this holiday.

1. my family

i don't think i have the words to explain how grateful i am for my family. related or not. (we all have those family members that aren't really related to us, but we love them just as much.) they mean everything to me, and i am so glad that i was born into the hughes family. i think the closest i can get to explaining it is this avett brothers quote.

so glad that i'm a hughes :)

ps the avett brothers are one of my favorite groups. this song is called 'murder in the city,' if you were wondering.

2. food

we ate so much food. like i said. we're so full we can't hear. but i'm grateful for the food we were able to eat, and that we had enough. and that we always have enough.

basically the story of our thanksgiving.

3. thanksgiving antics

there are too many to number...but they include brady spraying whipped cream on my face, my brother sticking a crystal glass in his mouth, and me winning an old mango scented candle. and eating lots and lots of pie. (have i mentioned that i love pie? well i do. even more than cake.)

we hugheses have big mouths.

yeah. this just got blogged.

4. my education
i think i take my education for granted sometimes. i am so blessed to have completed a high school education and to be at byu. as much as i complain about snow, i really do love being there. and i love going to school. yes, it's true, i'm a nerd. but i really do love it.

my first day of college in 2010 :)

5. the gospel
i am so grateful to have the gospel in my life. i'm grateful to be a member of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. i'm grateful that on my mom's side, my ancestors were among the first people in europe to accept and join the church, and that it has been passed down through the generations so faithfully. i'm grateful that my dad, his sisters, and my grandparents joined the church. i'm grateful for the changes they made in their lives so that i could be here. i'm grateful for a loving heavenly father and savior.

6. the christmas season!
now i know some of you are going to laugh at me. but. i. love. christmas. everything about it. i love the lights. i love the music. i love the atmosphere. it's the joy and the family and the hot cocoa and the christmas trees and the sparkling lights and remembering the birth of the savior. i am so excited that it's officially the christmas season! 

some of my friends last year at temple square in salt lake city. the lights are the best at christmas!

i hope you've all had a wonderful thanksgiving today! (well, i guess yesterday. it's after midnight here...whoops!) i'm grateful for this holiday and the chance it gives us to reflect on all the blessings in our lives. happy thanksgiving! :)

i'm just yap, yap, yappin'

as an intro to this blog, watch this clip until 0:13. 

i love being here with my family.

1. sleeping in

my grandparents let me sleep in today. let me tell you, it was the best night's sleep i've gotten probably since the beginning of the school year. i wasn't even sleeping on my wonderful mattress pad!

2. family

i got to see my mommy today! i got to see my daddy today! i got to see my brother today! it was a happy time. i've missed them a lot. i got to hug them and pet them and squeeze them and call them george. thank you, loony toons, for that gem of a quote. you probably only need to watch it until like 0:30 or so. anyway. i was happy to see them.

3. grandma food

today there was grandma food abounding. for dinner we had homemade chili. for a snack we had homemade chex mix. there was trail mix and fudge and every kind of juice i could imagine.

4. my cousins

today i also got to see some of my cousins. it was great. mark and i played family feud. i threw peppermint joe joe's at brady. i missed scott, who is in tallahassee, florida, serving a mission. love those guys.

5. my grandparents

they are always so funny. here's just a taste of what goes on in this household:

grandma: don't mind me. i'm just yap, yap, yappin'.

grandpa: oh good, because i already decided that's what was happening.

they just make me laugh :)

6. shampoo

i'm grateful for my shampoo. i thought i was going to have to throw it out at the airport yesterday if the line was too long to check my suitcase. luckily i didn't have to. this morning i washed my hair and i was very happy that i didn't have to throw it out.

8. being here

i love being here. it's the most wonderful time of the year. (i didn't mean to rhyme. it just kind of happened that way.)

who couldn't love those faces?

his neck...it's massive.

just a little noochin'

classic facebook profile picture. ha.

crossed eyes. we're fab.

this pretty much sums it up.

well, thanks for reading! finish this post with this clip, starting at 0:14. happy thanksgiving, everyone!! :)

i love you, california

it seems that all my flights through the salt lake airport at thanksgiving are ill fated. last year involved the "snow storm of the century." that's in quotations because it wasn't really. but it did delay my flight for oh...just 8 hours. this year heather and i drove to the airport with plenty of time, but because of some mysterious incident, we were almost late. at the airport, we were trying to get to the economy parking, but for some reason, police were everywhere and kept routing us in circles around the airport. no one was at liberty to tell us what was happening. it was very stressful. ha. however, i did make it to my flight right as we were boarding. once again, i was blessed enough to make it to california for thanksgiving. and yes, if you were wondering, that means that i am posting this from my grandparent's house in southern california :)

today i am grateful for:

1. heather

she gave me a ride to the airport. we handle stressful situations well together. we both love california. we love our families. sometimes we love each other. sometimes. haha. no, we really do though. i'm grateful that she is my roommate and one of my best friends.

2. gum

i am grateful for gum because it helps me pop my ears on airplanes.

3. small children

i mean this in the least creepy way possible. they just make me smile! there were two little kids on my flight named griffin and phoenix. they helped the stewards pass out pretzels to us and when they finished, the entire flight gave them a round of applause. it just made me smile.

4. my aunt carrie

today my aunt carrie picked me up from the lax airport. i love that lady! we had a great time talking the entire car ride to my grandparent's house. we often find ourselves having hilarious conversations. she's great.

5. in-n-out buger

yeah. i'm an in-n-out kind of girl. i had a real in-n-out burger today from la. it was awesome.

6. diet coke

i'm grateful for diet coke because it kept me awake during my flight. if you fall asleep while sitting next to someone you don't know...awkward things are bound to happen. i know. from experience. (last february, i fell asleep on my flight. when i woke up, my head was on the shoulder of the guy next to me. he had been hitting on me the whole flight. he was 32. i was 18. awkward.)

7. my grandparents :)

my grandparents are the best. when i walked in the door, i got big hugs from both of them. i get to sleep in the hollywood bed at their house. i got to eat some of their fudge. they offered me pizza from costco. they told me stories. they gave me more hugs. cj and ed are the best!

8. last but not least, california

i love my home state. so much. i'm so happy to be here. not that i don't love utah. i'm just slightly biased towards california. but really, who wouldn't be? :)

i found this on pinterest. i found it appropriate.

"today is a beautiful day and yellow really is the happiest color!"

today:

1. my weather finger
when i was a senior in high school, my friend accidentally broke my finger (it's a long story involving homecoming and a family of mice). it's never been the same. but it's great because i can always tell when a storm is coming! like today. i totally knew a storm was coming because my finger hurt last night. and do you know what? it definitely rained today.

2. my unicorn shirt
i bought a shirt at forever 21 that has unicorns all over it. today was a stressful day, so i knew that i would need the power of the unicorn. (don't judge me, okay? you would need it, too.) i wore the infamous unicorn shirt and i got compliments on it all day.

my horn can pierce the sky! -the office

3. lunch time
today i got lunch with heather and becca. it was a really nice break from studying and fun to talk to them for a little while. i also got to see marissa for little bit. and lindsey. i miss amber. i love my old roommates!

the girls of eighty-four

yup. i love this.

4. missionary letters
over the past year and a half, i've had the opportunity to write to friends as they serve missions for the lds church. today i got a letter from my friend austin who is serving in frankfurt, germany. he is one of those people who is just amazing. right before he left on his mission, he said, "world, you'd better be ready, we're about to bring you a whole lot of happiness because life has never been better than it is today." i loved that because it's so true. in his letter to me today, he drew me a picture that made me smile really big.

"hi ms. hughes! today is a beautiful day and yellow really is the happiest color!"

5. karen's music
when i went to canada, i learned to appreciate country music. we had three cds for our 12 drive there and our 12 hour drive back. and one of those cds only had one song on it. so...i learned to appreciate country music quickly. karen has been playing it while we're all packing, and it's making me happy. we're listening to crazy girl and i like it. the music video is funny. but i like the song.

5. I'M GOING HOME TOMORROW
this one is self explanatory. i get to see some of my family tomorrow, and my parents and brother on wednesday. i'm seriously bouncing up and down right now because i am so excited to go to los angeles for thanksgiving! my roommates and i are yelling and laughing and jumping and being happy! HOORAY!!

remember, in the words of austin van camp, today is a beautiful day and yellow really is the happiest color!

this corn is an angel

today was an awesome day. i got up, did some reading, went to church, and had a pre-thanksgiving dinner at my aunt's house with my roommates and my lovely friend brooke. today's list is composed of things surrounding this dinner, and a few other things.

1. my aunt maryn
she is so great. like i said before, she made us a full-on thanksgiving dinner today! i'm talking turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with those crunchy marshmallows on top, creamed corn...it was the real deal. she was so wonderful to do that for us! she also has the coolest house ever.

this is winchester. he lives at my aunt's house.

2. movie quotes
so it turned out that we didn't have any milk for the mashed potatoes, so instead, we used whipped cream. during dinner, jalyn said, "these potatoes are like eating clouds," to which i responded, "this corn is an angel." (dan in real life, anyone?) anyway, movie quotes. they're awesome.

oh baby. look at all that food.

3. jalyn quotes
today baby j (jalyn will either be referred to by her name or by her nickname from here on out) turned to me and said, "steph says that i relate everything to babies. i guess that's because i do." and do you know what? truer words have never been spoken.

4. see's candies
i'm a big fan of mrs. see. i routinely celebrate the fact that she opened up see's candies. i also think that my family should get discounts because we are such loyal customers. anyway. today we all got a chocolate turkey at our seat and a little chocolate truffle with a candy turkey on top. i'm grateful that my grandma coco decided that see's candies needed to be a family staple. it's a dang good one, too.

our precious chocolate turkeys. (side note: why is it turkEYS and not turkIES?)

5. left overs
we got sent home with 4 grocery bags full of left overs. i'm not talking like little left overs. i'm talking half a turkey left overs. i know what i'm having for dinner tomorrow.

6. future oportunities
on a slightly different note, i'm grateful for future opportunities. today in relief society, we were watching a mormon messages video on thanksgiving, where random people were interviewed on the streets of new york about what they were thankful for. one guy said something that really intrigued me. it was something to the effect of, "i'm grateful for future opportunities. there is always positive in the future." it's so true! so to the dude in that video, thanks for sharing something that made me think. i totally agree with you.



as a final note, i just want to share a quote from dieter f. uchtdorf, a general authority of the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. he said, 

"the happiest people are those who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder."

i was so excited when my mom sent me this quote! this is exactly the goal of my blog: to help me realize all the things that make me happy and that i am grateful for. i couldn't have said it any better myself :)

crunchy leaves and j dawgs, please

today i've got a lot of stuff to say thank you for.

1. crunchy fall leaves

i love leaves that you are perfect for stepping on. they are wonderful and it is so satisfying to feel them crunch beneath your feet.

2. j dawgs

today heather and i went to j dawgs for lunch. let me just say, i can't go to j dawgs without spilling on myself in some way or another. the first time i went, i discovered their special sauce smeared on my forehead when i got home. i honestly don't know how it happened. today when i got home, there was special sauce all over my pants and sweatshirt. but i don't care. it was so worth it.

seriously, though. how does a person get j dawgs sauce on their ankle??

3. target

heather and i also went to target today. i needed some new face wash...and i ended up getting a few other things... (i think socks with squirrels and hearts on them are completely necessary. don't judge me.) anyway, it's always fun to walk around and look at the fun things they have on sale.

my squirrel socks and a snowflake cup that matches the heart cup i got last year on valentine's day

4. prayer

i love being able to pray to a loving heavenly father who listens to me. i'm grateful that he answers my prayers, even if i don't understand what he is telling me. it's comforting to know that there is someone who listens to and genuinely wants to hear everything i have to say.

5. dates with harold
no, no, no. harold is not my boyfriend. he isn't even a person. well he was. but what i really mean is the harold b. lee library. i'm grateful for the library. it's a quiet place where i can go study and get my homework done. right now it's all decorated for christmas and it makes me happy! so even though i feel lame saying, "i have a date with harold..." i'm grateful for it.

i found this in the section where i like to study. it made me thankful that i don't look like yzma.

6. faire la grasse matinée
a french phrase which here means, "to sleep in." today i may or may not have slept in until 11. i didn't intend to do that...i had plans to get up and be productive...but that didn't quite happen. oh well. "j'aime faire la grasse matinée."

7. jalyn and alec
today jalyn and alec made these cookies. i don't know what they're called but seriously i may or may not have eaten around 74 of them. they're chocolate with those christmas mint m&ms on top. yessss.

hello, beautiful cookies. i will eat you all.

8. laughter
i firmly believe that laughter is the best medicine. i did a lot of that tonight at the humor u performance. it was awesome! i don't understand how people get to be so funny, but it makes me happy!

well, goodnight world! until tomorrow.

sydney says thank you

this past week, i've been stressed. and when i say "stressed," i really mean "STRESSED!!!!!!!!!" but with a lot more exclamation points. sometimes college makes me feel like this (<--click here)

so today, after i spent 7 hours in the library (really, though, who does that on a friday?), i was walking home, being grumpy about the cold and my assignments and upcoming tests and the fact that i'm running out of hot chocolate mix again and on and on and on. 

then the thought suddenly occurred to me: "sydney, make a list of all the things you are grateful for." 

well, duh! why didn't i think of that forever ago? something i have realized over the years is that it is so much easier for me to be happy when i recognize and am grateful for all of the blessings in my life.

i've decided that blogging will be a fun way for me to say thank you for all the things i am grateful for. i'm going to try to post at least 5 things every day (repeats are allowed). the key word here, people, is try. i also may or may not include photos.

if you are reading my blog and you think of things you are grateful for, feel free to add a comment! i'd love to hear what you're grateful for, too :)

today i'm grateful for:

1. my family
my family is the most important thing in my life. i'm so grateful for parents who love me, a brother who texts me funny stories at 7 am, and for extended family that is absolutely crazy! i'm grateful that families can be together forever, and that i got the best of the best. i'm so excited to see them all next week for thanksgiving!

the fam-bam at the oakland, ca temple

2. my roommates
i love my roommates. i have been so blessed to be in an apartment where there is a family atmosphere. we have so much fun together and we get along so well.
 

3. chocolate chips and chunky peanut butter
seriously. best idea i've ever had. just scoop up some peanut butter, stick some chocolate chips in there, and you have the perfect snack. i've discovered that it is an excellent substitute for peanut butter m&ms and reese's.
 

4. technology
technology lets me talk to my family and friends whenever i want. the other night i got to facetime with my aunt and grandparents who live in los angeles while i'm here in provo! it was fun to see their faces. my grandpa kept saying, "i want to see the technology!" when it was his turn, he said, "well that doesn't look like technology, that looks like sydney!" he's so great.

me and the gramps facetiming it.

5. toothpaste
this may sound kinda silly (okay, really silly), but it is so true! i am thankful for toothpaste. i hate the feeling of fuzzy teeth (you know what i mean, right?) and being worried that my breath smells bad. toothpaste calms my fears. ha. but really, brushing my teeth makes me feel so much better about everything.


6. christmas music
today i've been listening to a little christmas music. i don't care that thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet. it makes me happy, therefore i listen to it. sometimes people make fun of me for it, but i say if it's happy, then why not?


7. weddings
tonight i went to my roommate karen's brother's wedding reception. it was really fun! it just makes me so happy


8. the first snowfall of the year
when we walked out of the reception tonight, it was snowing. at first i was grumpy that it was cold and snowy, but the more i watched it, the more and more excited i got! then i went to my friend annie's apartment and we played in the snow. it was perfect and fluffy and all kinds of happiness.

annie and i in the snow

9. love tap (<--click here!!)
please watch this video. you will die of cute and happiness. the end.


well, folks, i think this is good for a first post. so here's to a new blogging adventure and a happy holiday season!