"When Christmas Comes to Town"

This is a verse from the song "When Christmas Comes to Town" from The Polar Express soundtrack. I really like it, and it's (for obvious reasons) even better with the music.

The best time of the year

When everyone comes home

With all this Christmas cheer

It's hard to be alone

Putting up the Christmas tree

With friends who come around

It's so much fun

When Christmas comes to town

Christmas already?

Is anyone else taken aback by the fact that Christmas is in exactly one week?! I certainly am! Maybe it's the fact that I feel completely unprepared for it. Or perhaps that I was too focused on my exams to realize how quickly the 25th was coming up. Maybe I'm just more excited to go home this year, and Saturday (when I go home) is a 'bigger' day in my mind. I don't know, but it's weird to think that Christmas is so close.

Is everyone ready for it?

I'm not. :(

Fabulous Friends!

Today I received a wonderful gift from my visiting teachers! They are some great girls, and here are pictures of what they gave me:

My pathetic vase doesn't quite live up to how pretty the flower is, but it'll do. I love getting flowers even if they die quickly; it shows that someone really cares if they go to enough work to get you a flower! And though they don't read this blog, thanks Jess and Chelsea!

Jamba Junk

I decided to 'splurge' and get a Jamba Juice today. Unbeknownst to me, they must have named my particular choice "Chunky Strawberry" because it makes the eater of such snack want to throw up chunks.

Moral of the story: if ever you want to spend a lot of money for a smoothie you could most likely make at home (or if you're just mooching from my meal plan), I don't recommend the Chunky Strawberry. I had to throw some of it away, because I couldn't even bring myself to eat the rest of that expensive but nasty smoothie. What is the world coming to?! :)

Today

Today, for some reason unbeknownst to me, my sister smelled sorta horse-like, but not quite tuna. I've tried to run, but I can't get away from her smell.

Christmas Movie Memories

Here are a few random memories and truths about my favorite Christmas movies:

• I love Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, though I think I've seen the second one more. These two movies really get me in the Christmas mood, though they're not really completely holiday movies. The music is amazing (I'm listening right now to John Williams' amazingness), and I feel all warm and cozy inside when I think about watching these movies.
• One of my favorite pieces from the Home Alone soundtrack is "Somewhere in My Memory," for a few reasons. First of all, we sang this song when I was in All-Star Choir in either fifth or sixth grade. We performed it (and the one about "We need a little Christmas, right this very minute") at a special Christmas concert with the Midland/Odessa Symphony and Chorale. Now, both songs are very near and dear to my heart because of how much I loved performing them at that concert. Next, it's just a really cool piece. But one of the best reasons I love this piece is that it brings back so many memories of Dad. I found the piano book to Home Alone at our house (I think it's Emily's.. did you know you had that, Emily?) the year Dad was sick in bed. I clearly remember playing out of the book because at the time our pianos were in the living room while the music room was getting re-floored. It was just a fun piece to play, and though he didn't specifically ever say it, I liked to imagine that music coming from the living room made Dad's stay in bed not so glum. Hence, I tried to play the piano a lot for him to listen, and this was one of the books that I frequented. However, I really started to love the piece when I paid careful attention to the words. One of the stanzas to the song reads:
  

"Somewhere in my mem'ry,

Christmas joys all around me,

living in my mem'ry,

all of the music,

all of the magic,

all of the fam'ly home here with me."

Does that not get to anyone else? I pretty much can be moved to tears remembering all the years of Christmas traditions we have in our family. I am so blessed to have been raised in a family that spent the holidays together to share love, laughter, and memories! Another reason this piece reminds me of Dad is again the All-Star Choir concert. Dad loved those concerts because, as he always said, they were "short and sweet with great music." I remember specifically Dad loving that Christmas concert the year we performed this piece.

• I've never seen The Christmas Story all the way through. I think every time I've sat down to watch it, I've only gotten to the part where the kid gets his tongue stuck on the pole. I even have the book, but haven't gotten past that same part!
• I think the little girl in the newer version of Miracle on 34th Street is adorable. That's a cute movie.
• I'm glad that I don't have a TV here at college, because in years past it has been easy for me to get hooked on watching those cheesy Hallmark and Lifetime Channel Christmas movies.
• I hate those claymation Christmas movies that seem to always show a thousand times on TV.
• I actually really like the movie The Santa Clause, but the second (and I assume the third, though I'm not quite sure I've ever seen it) one is really dumb.
• My friends here are appalled that I have never seen The Muppet Christmas Movie (or any Muppet movie, for that matter).
• I think Holiday Affair (with that actor from JAG) gets on my nerves because of how the mom calls her son "Mr. Ennis." (And, I found out from looking that up just now that the movie is a remake of one from 1949...) Otherwise, I think it could be a semi-cute movie.
• I can't remember the name of it, but I have to bring up that movie with the actress from "Touched by an Angel" and the terrible child actress who plays Zoe.
• I've only seen The Polar Express once, but I was pretty pleased with it. I have the soundtrack to it, and it's pretty fun, too. I remember the Parker librarian reading that book to us when I was in elementary school.

What memories, likes/dislikes, comments do you have to add to my list about Christmas movies?

Cold

It's cold outside. I have a cold. No bueno.

Some Recent Fun

I've been a tad slow on updating this. Sorry, peeps.


This first picture was taken after Rebecca's Marching Band Concert on the 11th. Doesn't she look cute?This was taken at the BYU Men's B-ball season opener on the 14th. I think we played Long Beach State, and I know that we won the game. Go Cougars! The girl to the left of me is Alyssa and the girl to the right of me is Stephanie.

This is the SibDin group for November when we ate at Rick and Tan's house. I'm pretty sure most of you know everyone in this picture. For those of you who aren't my family who read this blog, sorry, but I'm not going to name everyone off. We just have too big of a family! Plus also, we miss ya'll out-of-Utah babes rill bad at these functions.

This picture was taken in the Cannon Center just this past Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving). I treated Mom and Rebecca to lunch that day, and we decided to document the fact. Normally the Cannon would be a lot more full of people!

So, that's my life of late. Hope you all enjoy!