Ya know when you watch a chick flick?

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And all of a sudden you decide you should totally be in love?
Oh, and you miss every best friend you ever had?
Life's a little crazy to think about these days. (There might be another mid-quarter-life crisis on the brink... just as a warning. :p)
I swear every last person on the face of the planet is either engaged, or married, or in Europe, or sick, or just kinda gone. Those girls you were best friends with when you were little? So much has changed that it's just obviously not the same. (Duh. I'm brilliant, right?)
So. You maybe get a little teary.
And eat a piece of cake.
And go crazy with amazing Christmas, and then blog about it, because if you posted this stuff on Facebook everyone would think you were attention starved and dramatic, and somehow blogging makes that different? (Umm...)

So now I'm just gonna save the remainder of my dignity and stop rambling my thoughts and just show you the Christmas music. (Remind me not to stay home alone and watch chick flicks again, ok?)

Carol of the Bells for 12 cellos, by Steven Sharp Nelson....

Where are you Christmas; Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson

Nearer My God To Thee for 9 cellos, Steven Sharp Nelson

Bring Him Home (Les Miserables) Jon Schmidt, Steven Sharp Nelson

(And I totally couldn't resist) Pirates of the Carribean cover, solo by Jarod Radnich from 'The Piano Guys'

Winter Olympics, here we come!

Today Maycee, Anne Marie and I went ice skating at Ruby's inn... um, three dollars to rent skates? Please, I'm doing this on my lunch break every day this week. :)
First we kinda looked like this...

Flailing around everywhere... Actually it was more like clinging to the sides for dear life. But once we decided we were brave enough, it was so much fun! They had Christmas music playing, needless to say, we put on a pretty good show of 'dancing'. Especially to 'Sleigh Ride' and 'The Nutcracker'. (Mayce said it was "special". Take that however you will.) :p

Then these attractive men came in and swooped us up so fast we got whiplash! (Because ice skating is highly romantic.)

Ok so no attractive men were present. Not even close.
However the comment about romantic-ness is still true. In theory.

Besides the minor frost bite, and crazy grand schemes to cross off our newly added, "Ice skate in Central Park at New Year's" off of our bucket list, today was pretty much a success! :) I love ice skating!

I'm a blog slacker. Oops!

Here's the scoop. I'm back in Bryce, working. Originally I was scheduled for just three days this week, but that morphed into two five day weeks as soon as I got here with my three day packing. I now understand why women must always obnoxiously over-pack. One time out of fifty seven gadrillion, you actually need the extra stuff.
Anywho. Here's some poor quality phone pictures because I still have to wait for Christmas. (Darn it.)

We've been doing inventory- which is why I've been able to pick up
more hours- and I found these labels terribly helpful. I never would've guessed!

My sweet grandpa got up early the morning after I got there and cleaned off my car. Even though he ended up driving me to work anyway because he was concerned about my car making it up the canyon with the road conditions. :) I love being loved.

At work we had a Christmas party, complete with a gift exchange game. I think I was fairly successful... though I'm not sure how to fit the Santa head into my boots. :/

Grandma's calling saying that the Nutcracker is on... and I should most definitely go watch that, seeing how I never have.
But first... I just have to explain the food pictures.
Nearly the very second I walked in the door, grandma slipped her new apron over my head and handed me a recipe card with Pumpkin Dump cake on it. :) And the baking continued until after dinner. And I maybe took pictures to text to my family. Which isn't terrible or awful or jealousy inducing. ;)
Note to readers: Please disregard the small corner missing out of the Pumpkin Dump cake. My spoon has a mind of its own. :D

(Also, don't worry. In eleven (let's go with ten and not count today, yeah?) days I'll have pictures that are better than wimpy cell phone camera pictures!)
Happy Tuesday!

You'll be with me like a hand print on my heart,

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Yesterday I went to Marilyn Bulkley's funeral in Panguitch.
I worked with Marilyn at NHA this Summer, so it's been kind of weird, and kind of tough to hear that she passed away.
She was 59, and had to get her knee scoped. :) She'd hurt it after hiking Bryce Canyon multiple times a day, nearly every day during one Summer month- in the name of education. I hadn't realized she had taught elementary in Panguitch before coming to Bryce, but one of her daughters had Marilyn's past students- from both elementary, and from Bryce science camps- stand up, and it was incredible to see how many children's lives she'd influenced. Although, I think she influenced every person she ever came in contact with, she just had this infectious zest for life. We were almost always laughing with Marilyn. :)

I remember talking to her about a boy that I didn't think liked me back, while she smiled and listened quietly, adding reassurance here and there. A few days later I came back telling her how we had a date planned, and she had said something like, "Good! I was starting to think he was gay." :p
Another time, one of the front girls and I were walking down the hall, right as Shawn Duffy, Park Ranger (super hero/Mutant Ninja Turtles sound effects) walked out of a door. Apparently we're more terrifying than we realized because he hopped around and squealed like a little girl for a minute or two before continuing down the hallway. Kaylea and I were laughing so hard, and when Marilyn came over to get in on the fun, we couldn't even tell her the story! She giggled and grinned, and waited to figure out what we were so amused with. She always loved joining in on laughter. :)
After I bought Booth (my sexy blueberry car), I took the office ladies and SheRon for a ride. Marilyn had meetings, so I told her we'd have to go for round two sometime. True to the statement, we figured out an afternoon where she wasn't totally swamped, grabbed our purses and went for a 'road trip' to Ruby's for ice cream, which she insisted on buying for me. Ice cream in hand, we browsed through the little gift shops, giggling at the cute gifts, laughing at the funny ones, and giggling some more over the ugly/weird ones. That's when we found some pretty high class hats, and Marilyn told me you'd have to have a lot of confidence to wear the buffalo styled hats. I said we should find a hat and take a picture, she told me I had to be the buffalo, because 'she knew I could pull it off, with my confidence.' (I'm not sure what she was thinking there... :p)
On the ride back, she made a fuss over my car and asked me about boys I was dating, and life plans, and my purse. :) She had a knack for making everyone feel like her favorite, and like they were the best.
She was really into fashion too, she used to come out front to visit and she'd always, always, have some sort of fashion related compliment for each of us. My all time favorite one, though, was, "Oh! Let me see your butt!" (Said it a high pitched, excited lady sort of voice, while grabbing my belt loop to spin me,) "Those are such cute pockets!" Then she'd tell us about the cute pockets she found at her new favorite store, Bohme. (Which she always pronounced, Bow-me.) Marilyn made us feel like we were all practically runway models. (That's quite an accomplishment if you're wearing those *wonderful* polo shirts... ;p)
From Wicked:
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you...
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good...
You'll be with me like a hand print on my heart..."



I think that truly encompasses the person that Marilyn was. Seeing how many people were at her funeral and how many different kinds of people there were speaks so highly of her. I think she left a lot of hand prints, and I'm so grateful that I have one on my heart. :)  Marilyn is the definition of beauty. I love and miss her so much! 

Guess what? :)

Somebody is registered for Spring Semester at Snow!! 

Someone also found housing that they can afford (almost ha) 

And, someone is rather excited about it!

Also, someone doesn't have time to write about it now, because someone has to get ready for a funeral. (More on that later, too.) So someone is going to just drop off a handful of random pictures from the trip. 

Awkward Family Photos?

I've really missed this view. A lot!

All last year I wanted to stop and get a picture of this sign. But my Phone camera stinks so I'm gonna have to stop for round two sometime.

P.S...

Enough said.

Megan: "You need to post or something"

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Me: "I don't have anything to say!"
Meg: "I love my little sister Megan. She is so awesome!" (Said in a southern accent.) ;)
Megan, you are a wonderful little sister and I love you!

I've got some pictures (from my phone... still 24 more days until I have a NEW CAMERA!!!) (Woah, hold the phone. Did you guys realize there's only 24 days til Christmas??? Holy December! I officially miss having cable or TV of some sort because I sorta love those 24 days of Christmas cartoons and cheesy movies.)
Anywho, off of the soap box, the other day my friends Tabby and Shay went with me to Wal-Mart because my mother doesn't love me two trips of Wally World's worth. ;) (I don't blame her. Even though she totally missed out on quality, mutual WM hatred bonding. :D)
We happened to stumble upon the candy isle, without even trying... (weird shifty eye look)
And BAM! My future birthday present was born.

Sorry for the total lack of picture quality here. 24 more days. (Enter super excited squeal here.)

Also, the sisters and I (minus Erin who party pooped out of this or something) became real live super heroes. We have capes and everything!

In case you wanted a close up of the glory... also in case you wondered, I have dinosaur powers. So does Marissa. Megan has shooting stars, and Brianne has flowers. We're cool, it's ok, you don't have to say it.

In other news, I went to St. Geezy to stay in the Temple cottage with my grandparents. :) They've been volunteering in the Temple for the week and since I'm a loser with no life not in school or work like the rest of my fam, I got an invite! I went last night, and cute Grandpa Barton took us ladies to dinner. (Much to his dismay, we didn't pick Mickey D's. ;) ) For the record, I still hold firmly to my belief that Chuckarama is better than Golden Corral. (Although the chocolate fountain they just got is pretty persuasive.)

After dinner we took a walk around the temple to see the lights, and look at the Nativity. There were some of THE cutest little boys there with their dad (grandma: "It must be daddy's turn to tend.") and the youngest was sitting on the dad's shoulders staring at the temple. I don't know if tiny kids can feel that it's special, or if it's just a cool building lit up, but he didn't take his eyes off the temple the entire time they were there. Kinda ridiculously cute. :)

Then we went to the visitor's center, listened to the message at the Christus, looked at all the different nativities and tree's, walked around the lights some more, and went home to visit while grandpa watched boxing and basketball.
This morning I went back and did baptisms. It was so nice to have some time to just sit and think in the temple. I love it there! Last time I went I met a lady from Idaho who sat in the women's dressing room and visited while I did my hair and makeup. Cutest woman! I had said I hoped to see her again next time I came, and she just grinned and stage whispered that she was there on Thursdays. I forgot about that until I was walking in and I saw her Raven black hair and blue eyeshadow. :) She blew me a kiss on my way out, haha.

I may have gotten a little phone-camera happy when I walked around afterwards...

Now it's time for Birthday Celebrations for the old man. Popsicle. :) Happy (mumble mumble)th Birthday! :D