just invite us to your parties and we'll work it out

it was rainy and gray when i woke up this morning, which did nothing to help the bad mood that's been hanging over me since yesterday. i just feel blah and blerg and meh, meh, meh. which might explain why the thing that made me happiest today was this video about a couple breaking up because he wanted kids and she didn't.





don't misunderstand, i'm not happy that they're breaking up. it sounds awful. as they say themselves, "breaking up's a mess." they seem like really nice people who really like each other and i am sorry it didn't work out. really.

but something about the me of today really appreciated that they were so mature and straightforward about it and just put it out there for what it was. sometimes i think the best thing to do is recognize that a really crappy thing is happening without sugar-coating it or laying blame or trying to talk yourself into (or out of) something that you don't want or believe.

s-word happens, you know? and recognizing it and then moving on when we're ready is usually the best medicine. and a bow tie and a catchy tune help it go down a little easier.

so, i'll just say that today was yucky. a lot of yesterday was yucky. but tomorrow could very well be lovely and wonderful and i am going to do what i can to make it that way. sound like a deal?

the twelve dates of christmas: dates four and five

AWD has been struck with a flu bug that's going around, so we've been laying low this week and taking things easy. which means lots of christmas movie watching! hurrah!

i made an unrealistically long list of christmas movies i want to watch this year and we crossed two of them off the list for christmas dates four and five.

first was the classic, it's christmas, charlie brown. the scene where linus steps out on stage and recites the christmas story from the book of luke has to be one of my favorite christmas movie scenes of all time. and i have a new determination to talk more like charlie brown characters, so don't be surprised if you hear a lot more, "oh, brother" from me.

we also started what i hope will be a new tradition of watching a christmas story. i didn't grow up with that movie like a lot of people did, but i am definitely an adult convert. i can never stop laughing when randy blurts out from under the sink, "dad's gonna kill ralphie!" the whole thing is so absurd and delightful. and i have a new determination to talk more like the parker family, so don't be surprised if you hear a lot more "on the double!" from me.

is it bad if i am sort of hoping AWD will stay a little sick so we can fit in a muppet christmas carol before the week is over?

the twelve dates of christmas: date three

for our third date of christmas we decided to just do something every-day and normal.

so we went to the white house to see the holiday decorations.

yep. we went to the white house to see the holiday decorations. because that's how we do.

we have our kinda-sorta-cousin-in-law, chase, to thank; he works in the white house correspondence office and scored some tickets and was so nice and generous to invite us along. it was AWD's first time at the white house, which made it even more exciting. and honestly, no matter what my aunt joyce says, going to the white house never gets old. i just love walking through those rooms and thinking of all the things that have happened in them. and the whole thing is even more magical when everything is decorated for christmas.

the theme of this year's decorations was "joy to all," and i think it was an apt theme indeed.

sometimes d.c. is just the place where we live and hang out and it all seems pretty run-of-the-mill. and then something like this happens and i think, "man, i live here! here." and it feels really lucky and special. i like those moments. and it has to be said: thanks, obama!

the twelve dates of christmas: date two

our second christmas date was an evening out at my office holiday party. last year's office holiday party was in october, and it was a carnival for children who had a parent (or two) who had been killed on a deployment, and as part of the carnival festivities AWD and i agreed to dress up like clowns and hand out balloons.

this is a true story.

so, i think you can appreciate AWD's apprehension about my office holiday parties.

but, this year we got to dress up in fancy holiday clothes instead, and go to a swanky venue and eat delicious food and see lots of work people in a non-work context, which is always awesome. as we were leaving i said, "that was a lot of fun," and AWD said, "i thought so, too," and that, my friends, is the mark of a good party. to be sure.

oh, the humanity

this video has been making the rounds on blogs much more popular and widely read than mine, so you might have seen it already. but, i thought i'd post it anyway, just in case you missed it. or in case you wanted to watch it again. and again. and again.

which, on a day like yesterday when i had to get two fillings, is exactly what i did.

(i am going to try and embed the video, but i see it's been taken down from a lot of places because of a coca-cola copyright (lame) so if the embed below doesn't work, click the link above. you won't be sorry.)

the twelve dates of christmas: date one

we are bringing back the twelve dates of christmas (hurrah!) and we decided to get an earlier start this year so we aren't going to a million christmas concerts one right after the other. not that the twelve dates of christmas is a quota or anything (and not that there's something wrong with going to a million christmas concerts), but it seemed like it would be nice to not be rushed this time around. because being rushed is not what the twelve dates of christmas is all about.

for our first date of christmas, AWD and i took advantage of being in salt lake at this time of year and went to see the lights on temple square. (i guess technically this was a double date with my mom and my aunt emily. which was just fine with us).

we also wandered over to the back of the joseph smith memorial building, where they had several nativity scenes set up from different parts of the world. i had never seen that display before, and it was really lovely. it made me want to collect nativity scenes of my own. maybe some day. 

the lights had just been turned on the day before, so the place was a total mob scene but i am so glad we took advantage of being there at such a magical time of year. i love the lights on temple square. and i love going on dates with my husband (and my mom). so, win win (win) there.

the family circle

we had a hands-down, down-right wonderful thanksgiving. my only regret is that i didn't take a picture of the assembled loved ones. but sometimes you are just too busy enjoying yourself to think about that. we had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, in-laws and friends. it was divine. and it took off the last sting of sadness i felt over missing out on seeing everyone this past summer. like i said, hands-down, down-right wonderful.

i am also sorry i didn't take a picture of my two lemon meringue pies, which came out near perfectly despite my forgetting them in the oven. and, i tackled the hellewell family roll recipe with great success as well. turns out it's pretty hard to make something with a whole pound of butter taste bad.

and i might add that all these-- and many other-- successes were managed in a kitchen with two hand mixer bases and six or seven mixing beaters, none of which matched and none of which fit in either of the bases, neither of which worked. just so you get an idea of what we were up against. makes it even more amazing, huh?

a trip to salt lake is always too short, but we squeezed in lots of family time, a trip to temple square to see the lights, a taco from barbacoa and pizza from stoneground and even some patio furniture re-upholstering. i am so so thankful we were able to go, and even more thankful for the time spent with my beloved family. i cherish my time with them more and more.

so, i am calling thanksgiving a big win. up next: christmas cheer!