a very merry christmas.

christmas was wonderful.

it was spent with family & friends and i don't know how it could have been any better.

we acted out the nativity story on christmas eve. 

it was fun to have a real baby jesus this year (actually two baby jesus'... so we had two mary's as well)

a big smile from brielle

& a cute pose from elise

christmas morning in our pajamas

dustin & i at his parents house

i feel so blessed this holiday season.

i hope you all had a very merry christmas as well!

carolyn, the birthday girl.

carolyn (a.k.a. carolina, caroliners, carrie, carol, caroline, carolyn marie, or karen)

i'm glad that you sat behind me in 7th grade science class.

jr. high & high school wouldn't have been the same without you.

i laugh so much when i'm around you.

& i couldn't be happier to have you living in utah again.

i luff you dearly.

now go party it up you little 21-year-old, you! 

i have lovely friends.

it was our eighth annual friend christmas party. this year it was an ugly christmas sweater theme. unfortunately alyssa & alicia had to leave after dinner but carolyn, celia, savannah, & i ended up partying til 4am. and you know what happens when we are up in the middle of the night.... something like this christmas music video.

from our heart to yours. enjoy.

there's so much to be thankful for.

I love this song by Josh Groban. I haven't listened to him much but I heard this song on the radio the other day and I love each and every word. It has such a wonderful meaning. And who can deny that he has an amazing voice. Anyway... just thought I'd share this beautiful song. It has reminded me of all the good things I should be remembering during this holiday season. (listen to the link as well.. its so much more powerful to hear him sing it.)

"Thankful"

Somedays we forget

To look around us

Somedays we can't see

The joy that surrounds us

So caught up inside ourselves

We take when we should give.

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be.

And on this day we hope for

What we still can't see.

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Look beyond ourselves

There's so much sorrow

It's way too late to say

I'll cry tomorrow

Each of us must find our truth

It's so long overdue

So for tonight we pray for 

What we know can be

And every day we hope for

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though we all can still do more

There's so much to be thankful for.

Even with our differences 

There is a place we're all connected

Each of us can find each other's light

So for tonight we pray for

What we know can be

And on this day we hope for 

What we still can't see

It's up to us to be the change

And even though this world needs so much more

There's so much to be thankful for 


merry christmas eve!

little notes.

dear snow, 

you made me so happy when i looked out the window this morning. & i'm dreaming of a white christmas so please keep coming. 

dear best friends, 

i can't wait for our eighth annual christmas party tomorrow evening. i love how long we have been friends & that we are all here to celebrate.

dear elise&brielle,

i'm so excited you will be here for your very first christmas. i've heard you are sitting up by yourselves now & i can't wait to see your cute little faces. 

dear boyfriend, 

i reeeeeally wish you would tell me what you got me for christmas. five days is just too long to wait. 

dear chamomile tea,

how i love a hot, steaming cup of you in the mornings. you ease my sore throat & make me feel all warm inside.

and most importantly....

dear sickness,

please go away. this is absolutely the worst time for you to be here. please just leave & never come back.

xoxo 

lulu

sunday inspiration.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,

talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of

God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people

permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

new york city christmas.

today as i was listening to this song on the radio, i decided that one day i am going to go to new york for christmas/new years.

yes, i have already been there (and i loved it) but how magical would it be to see nyc during christmas time?

ice skating in central park? sounds so lovely.

(pretty sure that is always where people fall in love in the movies... i must go!)

someday i'll fulfill my dream & have a 

merry new york christmas

pictures from google images & this blog

all i can do is keep breathing.

this was absolutely the longest week ever. 

           and it still isn't over, oh dear. 

tonight is lovely though. i took a bubble bath with the lights out and listened to pandora on my phone. (amazing. i should do this more often.)

now i'm in bed & going to sleep at precisely ten-thirty p.m. (i don't remember the last time i went to bed this early) and i will not wake up until precisely nine a.m. (yes, that is over ten hours of sleep.) 

i will then utilize the universities oh-so-kind "study day" and then welcome the weekend with open arms because everything will be okay again.

inhale. exhale.

i am almost to the end. just a few (or several) more things to check off my end-of-the-semester-to-do-list. 

missing these two.

hoping kristi & ben decide to leave sunny arizona & come to utah for a {hopefully} white christmas.

i am missing these pretty blue-eyed babies TOO MUCH.

christmas festivities.

 dustin & i at the festival of trees.

there were plenty of cute/creative gingerbread houses too.

 and you can't really tell but santa is surfing and the blue trees curled over him are the waves. creative, eh?

reason #36 of why i love my brother.

when i walked into the kitchen this morning to eat breakfast, i found devin sitting at the kitchen table with his laptop, books, and papers surrounding him. then i noticed a sign he had written & taped to his chest that read:

"devin doesn't exist today as a person, but only as a mind focused on finals. please only disturb his body for the necessity of food. thank you for your cooperation."

he makes me laugh. if only i could find this same motivation to focus on finals.
hopefully i will before next week.

p.s. this is my last week of actual classes!

love notes.

dear carolyn, i miss you. pretty sure this is the longest we have been apart since seventh grade and i don't like it. i'm so happy you love me more than boston. see you oh so soon.

dear alicia, congrats on your job at sundance. it would be lovely if you could sneak some discount passes out for me. i miss hitting the slopes with you. thankyou in advance.

dear december, keep the snow coming. and please don't go by too fast. it seems as if the past months have been flying by & i'd really love if you stuck around awhile longer.

love love love, 

lulu