Ode to Jessi Fay Pitcher

My Dear Jessi,
Here is a little letter to let you know how much I love you. Over the summer we thought of who this "jessica" girl could be and we made up all of these scenarios of who you were. Never in a million years did we think that you would have as much impact on our lives as you had. I speak for all of my roommates when I say that you have made all of us better people. You fit in perfect with our matching sunday outfits and shoes

I am so happy that I found another person who shares the passion and love that I do for BYU basketball

I've seen you at your classiest

 at your not so best...

dressed up

and dressed down

We love you through it all. 

I can't wait to hear about all of your experiences in Spain (and read your blog). I am super jealous/ excited about your trip especially because we have to endure a Provo winter without you. I keep telling myself that I lived 20 years without knowing you, I can go a few months. But the truth is that after knowing you it is going to be so hard. No one could fit more perfectly in our apt as you do. You appreciate our abrevs, otter impersonations, baking, 

watch "great" movies and TV shows, hosting parties, 

volleyball

mancing,

and  best of all taking totes urb photos:

I love you so much Jessi and I am going to miss you so much. I want you to know that you are one of the greatest things that has happened to me. We can relate with one another and we are pretty much the same person except I don't dress as well as you. LOVE YOU!!!

New Year, new me, one year older

Happy New Year and happy birthday to me :) I just turned 21 on New years eve (yeah buddy I can legally buy alcohol for the bourbon pecan pie).  Nice thing about a NYE bday is that everyone celebrates it. I am just that special. For my birthday we went to Color me Mine and painted pottery which was sooooo much fun! 

these are our beautiful creations. We did the usual dinner, movie, watch the ball drop and part-tay like there is no tomorrow. I am still analyzing what Lady Gaga was wearing.

Thanks to my family and friends who made my birthday so memorable. Now that I am a year older and one year wiser I made some new years resolutions that I am going to keep this year (but fo reals):

1. Read 3 books- any books I just need to start reading

2. Be Happy

3. Be Healthy: stop eating so many freakin sweets!!

4. Be more charitable

Also during the final days in Colorado we went to the aquarium which blew my mind. Also new life goal: become the mermaids that swim with the animals! 

So I love Colorado with all my heart but I missed Provo. I missed my roommates. I missed the dinner group. I missed my Jerusalem friends. I missed the tree house fellas. Just everyone and I am so happy to be back. Tomorrow when school starts I will probably take back what I just said. This semester is going to be rough. Well I need to go to bed so I can rest up for the first day of school!

One final thought: I want to sum up the highlights of 2011 which I think has been the best year of my life. 

1. JERUSALEM!!! which includes Galilee, Turkey, Jordan, pretty much every second of those 4 months, and meeting some of the greatest people/ making 80 new best friends

2. Jimmermania (still obsessed)

3. Moving into chandell 897 with my best friends (includes meeting Jessi)

4. meeting the dinner group boys and tree house guys

5. running a half marathon

6. climbing mount timp

7. and having an amazing family

I don't think it could get better than 2011 but I have a feeling 2012 is going to the best yet.

Fun with the Fam

First of all, congratulations to my parents for celebrating their 29th wedding anniversary! Isn't that amazing? Not that I thought they wouldn't make it but still its a feat. So to celebrate they wanted to celebrate by taking us all snowmobiling! It was so much fun, I am exhausted. I may have been the only one to get stuck three times but I like to claim that it was because I was choosing to take the path less trodden (and it failed every time). The scenery was impeccable, we were tucked away in the rocky mountains swerving through the trails (No one can compete with the Colorado scenery).  We all had a really good time- made the top 10 Buhler Adventures. Here are some of the photos from our photo shoot:

Good times had by all. 

Earlier this week we had another Buhler adventure: ice skating. We also found out that this is not something we are good at. I should have known considering my horrid skills at roller blading or roller skating. The little five year olds were lapping us, it was a blow to our pride. At least the skate rink was outside on the Evergreen lake surrounded by mountains so it was a  gorgeous scenery. Enjoy the photos that were taken with my new fish eye lens.

Enjoy the rest of your Christmas break!

Christmas Cheer

Shopping, baking, sleeping, reading, sleeping, shopping, more baking, and more reading. Christmas break has been so wonderful and relaxing. Christmas gifts? check. Procrastination? Nah, there is still three days left. And if you know me you know that I am not the biggest reader in the world especially if you compare me to my sister and best friends- Grace or Lindsey. And if I do start to read one I have a terrible habit of never finishing the books. But I started reading The Help and I love it and I am going to finish it!
Tuesday night after a full day of shopping I met up with one of my best friends from Loveland, Grace Bockelmann. We went to the pre-season Nuggets game versus the Phoenix Suns which the nuggets won. GO NUGS! I consider myself a Nuggets fan but I'm not going to lie I don't follow them. I really just love the Birdman and the Manimal. Grace and I got interviewed on TV and we answered a trivia question (which I answered correctly). Fun game. Fun times. love ya Gracie Poo.

The next day my other friend, Hannah Shockley and her mom came up and had lunch with us. Grace, Hannah, and I were like the three amigos growing up. We hung out ALL the time and those girls know more embarrassing things about me than anyone else. Reminiscing with them brought tears to my eyes because we were laughing so hard.

This morning we woke up to 2' feet of snow and it continued to snow all day.  Luckily my dad (aka the abominable snowman) LOVES his snow blower so he was out there all morning clearing out our driveway and me carved out a nice sledding pathway on the side of our house.

Today was "the baking day." My mom and I went semi-crazy making treats galore! So for Tasty Friday (?? I'm a few days off) this week here are the recipes for the baked goods we made:
Peppermint Cookies
Melted snowman cookies
 Candy Cane Brownies- for this recipe we just baked brownies and put the kiss in the middle, no heavy whipping cream, etc. Also use the cupcake wrappers.

Grinch Cookies

Reindeer Cookies

Eggnog Truffles

Another highlight of this break is spending time with my niece, Cecilia. Cutest thing ever. My dad taught her how to dip her cookies in milk so here are some pics of her in her many emotions.

Merry Christmas