Tis the season...

My favorite time of year has arrived - Christmas season! So far it has been busy with work and school but after this week I'll be finished with classes till January and work will only take away 16 hrs a week. My friends from college get home at some point this week and my friends that are here in school get out next Thursday. I can't wait to have cozy Christmasy nights with friends and family. Hot chocolate, a christmas movie perhaps, and being cozy inside while winter rages on outside. Here are a few pictures from the last few weeks.

Eloise cracks me up on a daily basis.

Kyle and I had one of those Christmasy nights last week, except no movie and we freezed a bit outside to take these pictures. We cooked dinner together, started doing a panda (!!!) puzzle, then set out with a big thermos of hot chocolate, parked somewhere we could enjoy the winter scenery, and drank the hot chocolate. We talked and then took these pictures. It was a really fun night.

And now, I'm off to study for finals...

Fall=Fun!

I've been slacking in the picture department lately, but for the most part life has consisted of work, school, and friends and family squeezed in between. However, I did manage to get a few pictures of some of the fall events that have become somewhat of a tradition for me.

I went to youth convention October 21st - 23rd. It was my 7th year going, but my 2nd year going as a chaperone. I went every year 7th - 12th grade, except my 8th grade year. It is always a lot of fun, but being a chaperone has made it more of a responsibility. It is still an awesome and fun weekend, the experience is just different when you are in charge of people. I had intentions of taking all kinds of pictures, but basically all I ended up taking were 50+ pictures of me and Jessica.

Here we are posing with our new Dino friend :)

We entertained ourselves on the trip there (about 5.5 hrs) by taking all kinds of pictures. She's 4 years younger than me, but one of my closest friends and I am so so blessed to have her in my life. <3

Another event that has become somewhat of a tradition in the fall is the fall play, put on by the high school. I've felt almost every year for the past 5+ years or so, and it is a lot of fun. It was this past week, Thursday-Saturday night. Kyle was in it and since it's his last year, I went every night. I didn't get sick of seeing the same thing three times, in fact I was bummed out when the end of the performance came Saturday. I feel like I'm graduating all over again, dealing with all of these nostalgic 'lasts' with Kyle.

His part was a French woodsmen, and after the performance Friday, we took this picture. :)

Homecoming fun!

This past week was homecoming week. Even though I don't go to the high school, I still got in on the fun. Friday night, after coronation and a parade, there was a homecoming football game. I went with one of my closest friends, Jessica, and participated in the whole 'wearing a guys football jersey' tradition. Girls will ask guys for their away game jerseys (reverse colors) so they can wear them at the game, while the guys play in the opposite jerseys. I wore Kyle's jersey(didn't even have to ask! :), and it was a lot of fun!

Here are Jess and I after the game. She is 4 years younger than me but way taller than me, hence her bending down in the picture :) It's so odd for me to be staying the same size while all my friends surpass me.

Kyle and I were supposed to take a picture before the game in our matching jerseys but didn't get the chance till after. The number 54 on the side of his jersey is in honor of a classmate of mine (when I attended the public school in Jr. High) who tragically passed away a week after his high school graduation last year. He played football and last fall they retired his jersey and printed the number on all of the home game jerseys.

:)

This picture makes me laugh :)

Jumping picture!

Me and Jess (she's Kyle's sister) attempting a jumping picture.

Kyle's nearly a foot taller than me and his jersey, when untucked, was like a nightgown on me. We got a kick out of it and had to take a picture.

And that was my weekend! Thanks to Kyle I've gotten in on some fun high school experiences I've otherwise missed out on, such as prom and this whole homecoming tradition. It's been really fun!

End of summer/Beginning of fall

Not too much to say, so I'll just give a little photo recap of the 6 or so weeks.

Nerdin' out with one of my best buds :)

Beautiful summer day, messing around with a friend's crazy sunglasses.

Jessica and I helping out at an outdoor event at our church.

Eloise and myself on my birthday.

A close friend got me this awesome, handmade (not by him, but who he bought it from) panda beanie.

I got so many panda things for my birthday, my panda shelf is just about on overload.

My 19 (!!) year old self in September.

A prairie dog bite & bridesmaid fun

Yes, this is my finger, and yes, a praire dog really did bite me. I'm too adventurous for my own good, apparently. I went to prairie dog town (a span of grass in the badlands where a bunch of prairie dogs live) and got overwhelmed by the 'cuteness' (aka viciousness, as I would later find out) of one particular prairie dog, and I scooped the little guy up. He wiggled and wiggled and eventually wiggled himself far enough to get a good grip on my finger and OUCH. Seering pain, screaming, and panic ensued. I spent a few hrs afterwards being overly dramatic about the fact I was surely about to get rabies and die. The thought wouldn't have crossed my mind, but everyone with me kept bringing it up. But here I am, over a month later, still alive and kickin' :)

(not sure why this text is underlined?!) I was in a wedding a few weeks ago. It was a beautiful sunset wedding located at a lake about 30 minutes from where I live. The ceremony was right by the water. I've always been a little skeptical of outdoor weddings, but this one was absolutely beautiful and so fun to be apart of!

I had to get my hair professionally done, and I loved it! I told the stylist it just needed to be up, with bangs back, and I ended up with this elegant, classic, and beautiful updo. It was so fun!

Here I am before heading out to the lake. Check out my ridiculous sunburn.

Here I am after the ceremony. You can see the beautiful lake in the background. I loved my bouquet; the colors were so pretty.