Car rides.

We've spent a lot of time in the car since we came home to Texas. A few days before Christmas we drove to Sugar Land to visit old friends and go to Steven & Katie's wedding reception with my family. On Christmas day, after the morning festivities, all 8 of us got in the suburban to drive to Austin to spend time with my grandparents and Slade's family. On the 26th, we drove across town to visit my dad's side of the family. Later that day, we drove back to Boerne. We've also driven in and out of San Antonio a few times, including yesterday when we got stuck on the highway for 2 and a 1/2 hours behind a terrible accident.

Needless to say, we've been in the car a lot.

And tomorrow... JD and I are headed out with my cousin Haley to drive back to Utah. Yay car rides.

ONE.

Thank you sweet girls for learning with me, laughing with me, praying with me, studying with me, researching with me, processing with me, and being my friends. It was such a good last semester :)

Now. . . onto our internships!

Starting in ONE week. EEKS!

Opposites attract?

I've always thought it's strange when people use the phrase, "opposites attract." In some cases, I guess this could be the case... like if you're introverted and you want to be with someone who's a little more outgoing, or if you have no musical ability and you want to be with someone who can play the guitar, or something like that... but I'd say, more often, people want to be with people who are like them. And my psychology book backs me up. Here's what I'm studying right now:

"Why are people attracted to others who have similar attitudes, values, and lifestyles? Consensual validation is one reason. Our own attitudes and values are supported when someone else's attitudes and values are similar to ours- their attitudes and values validate ours."

"The force of similarity also operates at a physical level. We usually seek out someone at our own level of attractiveness in physical characteristics as well as social attributes we addressed previously. Research validates matching hypothesis, which states that, although we may prefer a more attractive person in the abstract, in the real world we end up choosing someone who is close to our own level of attractiveness."

Interesting stuff, huh!

Of course, I don't think you have to be exactly the same to make a marriage work. It's alright if you have different hobbies, or if you come from different states, or if you like different foods. But I think it's pretty important for you to be on the same page in terms of family ideals, ideas about how to manage and spend money, spiritual beliefs, and certain priorities.

He loves that snow and I'm loving the uncharacteristically warm Utah weather right now. . . we still get along. :)

More red and green lovin'

Jeremy and Stef.
Red lipstick!

Lovely roommates,

Rockin party.

Is it really the weekend before finals?

Because I'm sure not acting like it.

I woke up on Friday morning feeling like death. I went to work bright and early at 5:45 and worked til 2:30. I was supposed to study while I was there, but I felt so poorly that I had to use all my energy just to stand up. By the time I got off, I was so exhausted all I wanted to do was sleep. And that's exactly what I did... until 7 pm when my husband decided he should probably wake me. Then he took me out to get soup at Zupa's. Sleep and soup must be a real remedy because I felt loads better. Brad & Abby game over for game night and I didn't study one lick.

On Saturday morning, I got up early to work on my research and study a bit. I went to a review at 11 & then came home to cram with JD. We did a little laundry on the side.

Later in the evening, we stopped by at Cory & Jenessa's Christmas party. They did such a great job hosting and Cory's apartment was so bright & cheery. Love that holiday spirit!

(Note: I made that lime green button down in sewing. Whoo hoo!)

Today after church, I had a few meetings, but I spent the rest of the day doing holiday crafts. I didn't even nap! Haha, JD was a little overwhelmed with all the commotion of fabric, felt, toole, buttons, beads, glue, and [fire!] happening at the kitchen table. He made a make-shift table for us to eat dinner on.

Most of the stuff I was working on today was for other people (cough, little sisters), but here's a little project I did for us. I've been wanting to do it forever and finally found some fabric I love when I went shopping on Saturday.

Before: After:

Oh man, gotta love that pop of color! They don't look perfect because I wasn't really sure how to do them... but they sure do make my heart smile.

I don't know if it's the fact that these are my last finals ever, or if it's because I feel like I know most of the material, or if I'm just lazy, but I really haven't been studying this weekend as much as I normally do this time of year. Eeks!

Boys.

Jake rode a bus down from Idaho to spend Thanksgiving week with us. We drove to California and stayed at my old roommate Jocelyn's house. Her family was very kind and welcoming to us, making us feel right at home when we couldn't be back in Texas with the fam.

I love these cute boys.

Ps. If you notice Jake being a head taller than JD, don't mention it to him. Haha JD knows he's 7 inches shorter, but he's got 7 years on Jake, so it all evens out.

Skinny jeans: the dilemma.

We had dinner at our friends' place a few weeks ago. We like them.

(Jamie & Jeff, Emily & Phil, and us)

This doesn't have much to do with the picture, besides that I'm wearing skinny jeans in the picture, but I always feel pretty fly when I wear black tops and skinny jeans. JD's not a fan of skinnies, so I have mixed feelings when I wear them... but I still wear them and I want more. It's a dilemma, people, really.

Yesterday.

Yesterday I went to my last class as an undergrad at BYU. The very idea of this statement being real gives me goosebumps. I hear classmates all around me hoop-ing and ha-ing about finally being done, or hooray-ing about being so close, or making statements like: "You're so lucky you don't have any semesters left," "I wish I was in your place," and "I'd give anything to be done."

I don't get this. I can't relate.

In the moments over the past week or two when I've been overwhelmed with preparation for finals and finishing the research project I've stressed about all semester, I've just tried to take it all in. I remember a certain day last week... one of those I-can't-stop-to-talk-or-say-hi-to-anyone-because-I-have-so-many-things-on-my-to-do-list-today-that-if-I-get-behind-5minutes-everything-might-fall-to-pieces days...when I was rushing across campus from jazz dance to religion, sweating and panting because I have to change super fast in that 10 minute break and climb the beastly set of stairs up from the lower end of campus, and I just stopped to breathe slowly and specifically thought to myself, "You're going to miss this."

And literally, I'm not joking,

I already do.

Cozy little Christmas.

JD and I set up our baby 3 ft Christmas tree on Monday for family night. In his family, there's a tradition that everyone sleeps in the living room together on the night they set up the tree. When we visited his fam last weekend, I walked into a big front room of blankets, mattresses, and pillows. Confused, I asked what was going on and then realized they'd put up all the red & green decor the night before. Silly me, how could I forget?

Staying true to tradition, JD and I lugged our mattress into our living room the night before last. We toasted to a happy season with sparkling cider and fell asleep snuggled up tight below the twinkling lights in our window and Christmas tree.

In my family, we always get an ornament on Christmas Eve and I now have quite the collection. Last year, my mom packed all my treasures up and sent them to me so I'd have them this year. It was fun to combine two of our favorite family traditions and we're sure looking forward to our cozy little Christmas.

(Also, we've been too lazy to put the house back in order and I've quite enjoyed the bed in the living room!)

I believe.

In 1842, Joseph Smith made this statement:

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."

It is exciting for me to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ reaching people all over the world. In the last 7 months, temples were dedicated in Gila Valley, Arizona; Vancouver, British Columbia; Cebu City in the Philippines; and Kyiv, Ukraine. Recently, the prophet announced new temples to be built in Lisbon, Portugal; Indianapolis, Indiana; Urdaneta, Philippines; Hartford, Connecticut; and Tijuana, Mexico in the coming months and years. This is exciting!

I know missionaries who have served all over the world to bring the sweet message of love and truth to others. My dad served in the Phillipines; my husband served in Mexico; my grandparents served in Africa; my cousins served in France and another is currently serving in Argentina; the first boy I ever kissed served in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia; my high school boyfriend served in Michigan; my religion professor went to Japan; one of my old roommates is in Argentina and countless others of my friends and classmates have given of their lives to help others find genuine happiness.

What an incredible witness to the words of Joseph Smith!