The day I was born...

Exactly 20 years ago today, on November 25, 1991....

The top song was "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn

The top country song was "Shameless" by Garth Brooks

These magazine issues were on sale

The French matador Nimeño II died

The Italian soccer player Luca Tremolada was born

People around the world were (and do every year on my birthday) celebrating the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

This tike was born:

The best of Provo and Salt Lake

Last Friday night my roommates and I left our ward talent show early so we could brave the snowstorm and come up to Salt Lake for the night.  Before going home we stopped by The Sweet Tooth fairy Bakery and Dans grocery store to pick up some essentials to make pizza.

too bad my bangs are in the way

Tess 

Saturday morning we woke up and went to the Salt Lake temple to do baptisms before heading back to Provo.  It was Cara, Tess, and Rachel's first time doing baptisms in the Salt Lake temple.

Explanation on this picture:  Tess' boyfriend is 6' 7" and so we had to take a picture
underneath the sign because he wouldn't even fit under this.

Saturday night Tess and I went with our friends Melisa and Rebecca to Cafe Rio and then to the Riverwoods to see the Christmas lights (yes I know it is early, but it was definitely worth it)

Melisa, Rebecca, and I

Tess, Santa, and I with Becca creepin' in the back

Tess and I

Tess and I then ended the night by watching The Princess Bride.

Just when I thought our weekend couldn't get any busier, Sunday came along.  After church (which is at 8:30 in the morning) we had to make pizza for apt. 90.  We bet them a couple weeks ago that our apartment could beat theirs at Nerts (the card game) but sadly we got totally crushed by Eric and Jason, so on Sunday they came over for some homemade pizza; which was delicious if I say so myself.

Also that day, my friend Richard (F.H.E. dad) hosted a dinner taco party for some of his friends.  Those were also delicious.  After the taco party and ward prayer we finished off the weekend by watching Pocahontas with Evan and Mike P.

Do you see what we saw in the tortilla?  It took me about 5 minutes after everyone else to see it

Well I hope you had just as fun of a weekend as I did.  Thanks for actually reading down to the end!

Something on my thankful list

At the beginning of every Biology class a different students shares a spiritual thought.  Today a boy who has cerebral palsy stood up and shared this video:

At the end of this video he bore a spiritual testimony and said only two people have died for him: Jesus Christ and the American soldier.  He then ended by saying how sad he was because of how many seats will be empty on Thursday and how many unwrapped presents there will be on Christmas.  

It really hit home for me when he pointed out that seats will be empty this Thanksgiving because one seat will be empty for my family this year.  My cousin Troy is serving in the Army and although he is not in Afghanistan this Thanksgiving (he was a couple years ago) he is stationed in Germany right now.  I'm so grateful for his willingness and dedication to serve our country.  He is such a great example to me and I know we all miss him, especially this time of year!

What I love most about Thanksgiving

I stole this off my mom's blog from last November.  

My Dad is an artist; always has been.  He ties flies, paints a little, and makes things in his workshop (once he made 4-person canoe).  My Dad also made the best snowmen on the block, but he didn't just make snowmen.  He made igloos big enough so that all of us could stand up inside them (at the same time), giant snow dogs, snow forts, and all kinds of snow sculpture.  He once made a life-size plaster-of-Paris hand painted/sculpted Santa. It stood in our living room during the month of December.
He drew and painted large wooden cut-outs of Santa sitting in an arm chair with his orange soda in hand and eight reindeer hooked up to Santa's sleigh waiting for Santa to hop in and take off from our well-lit roof (as soon as he finished his drink, of course).  We even had Rudolf, the Red-nosed reindeer.  My Dad's not a large man but he has a BIG imagination.

Dad's Holiday tradition started about 15 years ago.  He carved 6 Santas, one each for his 5 children and one for my Mom; each hand painted and unique. On Thanksgiving, Mom wrapped them up and we took turns choosing a package.  That was many Santas ago.  Each year on Thanksgiving day, my Mom passes out the wrapped packages and we choose the newest carving from my Dad. I'm sure that he is tired of carving 6 of the same figures each year, but we treasure them and anticipate them as much or more than the Thanksgiving meal.  I actually have friends who call after Thanksgiving Day to ask about the new carving .  Some years Santa comes equipped with a chair or a sled; a removable gift; wire eyeglasses; a basket with removable fruit; a separate hat rack with a removable hat; and a mug of hot chocolate with teeny-tiny marshmallows.  The details are amazing.

We cherish these folk-art carvings.  Some day they will be divided up amongst my children, but for now they reside on the living room mantel from Thanksgiving until New Year's each holiday season.

I wholeheartedly agree with my mom when she says we cherish grandpa's Santa carvings more than any other Christmas decoration (yes family, I love them even more than my ornaments).  I'm grateful that my grandpa has put so much time and effort into making these for my family.  If he ever reads this I want him to know that the carvings he has given me are among my most prized possessions and I will treasure them forever.  Whenever I see any of his carvings (which there are a couple displayed around my house year round) it is a reminder of how wonderful he and grandma are, and how much they love and care for their children and grandchildren.  My grandparents are seriously the two most selfless people I know; they would do ANYTHING for me.  I'll reiterate what my mom said about my grandpa- "he has a BIG imagination," and I'll add that "he has an even BIGGER heart."  Even though I don't see him or grandma on a regular basis I love it when I can go to Ogden for family dinners, give grandma a hug, and hear grandpa call me "Gabby Abby."

I am anxious to hopefully get another Santa in exactly two weeks, but more than that I'm excited to see my family on Thanksgiving.  This season I am thankful for and love my Franklin family!

Weird day at the library

This year my favorite place to study has been on the second floor in the map section.  Today I went to meet Rae Fish like I always do.  I sat down and looked at the kid across from me and low and behold, it's a boy who is always down there who I think is pretty cute so I was fine with sharing the table.  Two minutes after I sit down three boys behind us start talking in some language I couldn't understand.  Two of them were helping the third on some homework.  It would've been ok except not only were they loud, they were making us laugh because of what they were saying.  They were each saying "jjjjjjjjjjjjhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa.....jjjjjhhhhhaaaa....jjjjjjhhhhhhhunca."  So less than 3 minutes after sitting down, Rachel and I packed up and headed out (much to my dismay because of the cute boy sitting across from me).

We headed up to the 4th floor and started to put our stuff down on a table when we realized how close we were to the stairwell (where talking is allowed) and immediately looked at each other and at the same time we grabbed our stuff and started looking for seat #3.

We finally found a suitable place in the children's literature section.  After a while we had the table to ourselves, which is what everyone wants: space.  A little while after that something caught my eye and I looked up.  There was a 50 something year old man with an afro that was totally fake.  I leaned to Rachel and asked, "do you think that hair is real?"  I tried not to giggle because I didn't want to seem rude but then the man came, sat at our table with a childrens book, and laxidasically put his leg up on the table.  Rachel couldn't contain herself and had to leave because she was having a laughing fit.  I didn't want to stare, but then the man started to sing "Rise and Shout."  He was singing all opera-like and started gaining volume.  Soon enough everyone was looking at my table and then this was what happened next:

Man: "everybody join me, start singing.".......silence

.........silence..............

Man: "What you have no school spirit?  Rise and Shout the Cougars are out......"

.........silence...............

Boy at table next to me: "This is a quite floor."

Man, while standing up: "Well I guess I'll go to the University of Utah. They have more spirit."

After the man walked away.....

Boy at table next to me: "I bet that was a psych professor just doing some study."

Rachel came back after recovering from her laughing fit.....too bad she missed the singing.  Needless to say I didn't get much done today at the library....and I'm guessing Rachel didn't either since at the moment she is walking in our front door.  Now we are trying to study at home.