SibDin

I hosted SibDin for the first time this month. The theme was things that are round. I even made lovely invitations and mailed them out to people! Everyone was great about participating in the theme by wearing polka dots.

I made hamburgers, we had round tostitos, watermelon and cantaloupe balls, grapes, and pies that the Hansens made.

Jon, Sarah, and I had birthdays this month, so people sang for us.

Yum-a-lum! I'm glad I only host it once every few months, though; that was a lot of work!

In need of an update

I decided my blog was just that. So, here I go.

Today I'm grateful for fasting, for letters (even if writing letters does take a lot of time), for great visiting teachers, for a quick nap (even if it was accidentally in the middle of the re-broadcast of the General Relief Society Meeting), for delicious brownies and lemon cupcakes, for fun times at ward prayer, and for roommate chats.

I'm also grateful that I can go to bed now.

...Plus another WHOLEday

Who said birthday joy only has to last for one day in a year?

I think NOT.

That's why I particularly enjoyed the day after my birthday.

First of all, it was a Friday. Who doesn't love those days?
Plus, when I woke up to go to class, I found this waiting for me downstairs:

My roommates made these delectables for me on my birthday, but forgot to leave them out for me (in the case of the cupcakes) and made it so late that I was already full for the day (in the cake situation). Yum-a-lum. (Plus, since two of my roommates went out of town for the Labor Day weekend, it meant more cake for me.)

For lunch I treated myself to Costa Vida. Rebecca and I have decided to make it a tradition for us to take the birthday girl to Costa Vida for dinner. We did it last year and in April for her birthday.

Since she's in Peru, I most obviously had to go by myself. I took it home to eat it, but it was still darn tasty!

Later in the day my friends Brita and Jenessa came to visit me! They were just the people I wanted to see!

I finished off the day by joining some siblings for the Story Telling Festival in Orem. Jon and Emily had saved us great seats, and the stories were hilarious! (I AM the Batman.)

Finally, we went to IHOP for some nasty water and a delicious little evening snack.

What a fabulous part TWO of my birthday!

BirthWHOLEday

I had a birthday a while ago -- did you hear?
Every time my birthday rolls around I feel like I've been my current age for much longer than one year. Does this happen to anyone else? I'm thinking it's because my peers and classmates are always so much older than me with my late birthday. I mean, I'm still a teenager? Not that I really mind being a teenager, but I feel like I should be nearing 20 and I still have a whole year left!

Well, let me tell you about my birthday this year. It was great! First thing in the morning, I rolled out of bed and drove to Kneader's to meet my sister Jennifer for breakfast. Unfortunately, they don't open until 7 (I told you it was first thing in the morning -- we tried meeting at 6:30). So, we headed over to McDonald's for breakfast instead.

What a delicious breakfast!

Then I went to Physics, my first piano lesson of the semester, and a meeting for work. I found it very appropriate that I clocked in for my first official job on my birthday. I really am growing up after all! hehe. We had delicious brownies at the meeting, by the way.

I went home for lunch, and my roommate Laurie and I talked for a bit once she came home. Then we started the movie "Sydney White," because who really wants to do homework on her birthday?! Nobody, I tell you.

After my Sign Language class I got to talk to my mom on the phone (senior missionaries sure have the perks). When I came home I found this on the wall:
At first I wasn't even sure who made it. I found out late my roommate Kara had made it for me while she was at work that day. What a great friend!

Very soon after I got home there was a knock on my door. I thought it was a date coming to pick up my roommate so I was slow in answering the door. However, when I opened it Spencer and Whitney were standing outside! What a pleasant surprise. They told me to come with them, I obeyed, and we went to Hogi Yogi for some delicious ice cream cookie sandwiches. That seems to be their tradition for birthday people, and hey -- I ain't complainin'! Did I mention they were rill yummy?

I talked to more siblings who called, and then my friend Chelsea dropped by. It was so fun talking with her! That girl makes me bust a gut -- seriously. She's so funny I can't help but smile. We actually got a picture together since I seem to be sadly lacking in pictures with her.

As I'm looking at this I realize that it looks like I'm much taller than Chelsea, when in fact it's the other way around. Her pants blend in with the couch so it's hard to see she's sitting on the arm of the couch. :)

Laurie and I had already decided to go to the dollar theater for entertainment, and Chelsea wanted to come with us since she hadn't seen "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" either. Laurie was rill nice and paid for me. It was kind of a violent movie for my taste, but it was interesting. Plus it was great fun to spend the night with two great people!

Splendid day, friends.

p.s. Why the title, you ask? I also got to open a few birthday cards from my aunt and my mom. Mom knows me well. Her card was one with a view of Michael from "The Office" on it. The card says:

You don't just want to wish someone a happy birthday because that phrase, my friend, only recognizes the DAY part of a birthday. It doesn't recognize the dark, predawn hours or the evening. The "NIGHT" parts of the day, as it were. Those parts add up to a WHOLE day, not just the "DAY" part. And they need to be recognized.

So have a Happy BIRTHWHOLEDAY! All 24 hours, not just the day part.

Hilarious and a great card to make my WHOLE day a great one.

A Great Beginning

Last night was the first game of the BYU football season. Number 20 ranked BYU played number 3 ranked OU in Arlington, Texas at the Dallas Cowboys' stadium.

Because I didn't have a TV and Jon and Emily didn't have cable, they came over and brought their extra TV for us to watch the game together. Jon, being from Oklahoma, was rooting for OU, but I think we all secretly were sure that BYU would lose.

The first half of play was full of flags and penalties. We were excited to see that BYU was actually keeping up with OU and that despite the few interceptions and turnovers, the score was pretty even. Then, in the second-to-last play of the first half, the OU Heisman winner quarterback got injured in a fair tackle. I felt really bad for OU, but once I saw the replacement QB I was a little more hopeful for BYU's chance of winning.

We ate dinner during the third quarter, so I was a little distracted. However, I didn't miss much because the third quarter was kinda boring.

When the fourth quarter rolled around BYU was behind. Emily and I kept rooting for our Cougars as we got closer and closer to the endzone. When we were 3rd and goal (I think), we got a penalty and had to back up 5 or 10 yards. However, that seemed to be the magical touch! Most of OU's players went to block Dennis Pitta, a popular receiver. However, Max Hall threw a beautiful pass to a different wide open player in the endzone. We got a touchdown and were in the lead!

Soon after, OU was getting closer and closer to field goal position. All of us watching were practically biting our nails in suspense. BYU's defense had some great blocks, and I think a penalty knocked OU back a few yards. OU had to decide between going for a 4th and 13 or a field goal longer than their kicker had ever made. They went for the field goal, but the kicker missed the goal!

After BYU got the ball back and held it for the last few seconds of the game, it was official that BYU had won the game, 14-13! YIPPEE!! Emily and I were overjoyed (and Jon was a great sport about it too, since it might help the Moutain West Conference get more notice). Emily stepped outside after the game, and this video is what we heard:


The celebrating and honking was audible for at least an hour after the game, but I heard about people staying up until 3 or 4 AM cheering about their Cougars. Later that night we went up to Sundance to ride the ski lift, and as we drove through Provo south of campus, we couldn't help but honk and cheer too! We even rolled down our windows, blasted the fight song, and had Jon honk to the "Ra"s at the end. What an awesome game! I hope the rest of the season is this exciting!