Birthday Trip to Chicago

My parents gave me my birthday present a couple weeks early this year...

A trip to Chicago to see my sister Alanna and her family!

Since I was jobless, bored, and going stir-crazy, it was perfect timing.

It was so much fun going roller skating, to gymnastics, bowling, to the city, and just hanging around playing, cuddling, and spending time with the kids.

Chicago treated me well with deep dish pizza, my favorite Mexican restaurant El Puente, Ghirardelli hot chocolate, a snow storm, and a midwest thunderstorm.

Needless to say, it was a well-rounded trip :)

 

I love those two silly kids so much.

Thanks a million for the birthday present, Mom and Dad!

Snow in January

This morning I woke up to this:

I could not be happier that I finally got the snow I'd been longing for. 

So, I soaked it all up.

I put on my Christmas sweater and some Christmas socks

I took some photos of the beautiful snow

I listened to a few Christmas songs and made some hot chocolate

And settled in to watch a movie and make a Valentine's Day craft

It was a good, good day.

P.S. We still have to figure out how to hang that without the tacky pins sticking out :)

Christmas with the Walters

My sister and her family were in Roatan, Honduras up until Christmas, so my parents and I went up on New Years Day to have our Christmas with them :)

Grandpa playing with Sophie :)

Looking at the family calendar

Opening up her My Little Pony that I got for her :)

Sophie opening up her little brother's present for him, he was sleeping

It was a fun quick trip!

It's nice that my parents moved to Utah, so now we're just an easy drive away :)

Happy New Year!

 For New Years Eve I was finally able to go to another Inkley family bash! They're always so much fun, and my aunt Linda definitely lived up to my expectations with a TON of confetti :)

My dad and my aunt Linda

Grandma and Grandpa :)

Isn't she just beautiful?!

By the way, she has that funny thing on her head because we were playing this game...

That's my Uncle Dale in the middle making the funny face :)

That confetti took forever to get out of my hair!

It was so much fun to play games with all of the family.

We definitely made some memories, especially memories of Grandma ;)

Great start to a new year!

Lessons I've Learned Thus Far in 2012...

1. I am so so so so so unproductive when I have a day full of free time

2. You would think that I would finally get around to finishing Anna Karenina or get a head start on homework (I'm taking a two credit class online this Winter...), but instead, I prefer to sit around and watch Friends, The Big Bang Theory, The Office, and countless other things all day.

3. I don't do well just lounging around for more than one day. Just for the record, what I mentioned in #2 has only happened one day, and I was going insane by the end of the day. I wound up on the floor complaining to my mom that I was bored out of my mind and I need a job, or 25 credits of classes or something!

4. I hate job hunting. Especially when I'm only home until April and no one wants to hire me.

5. It's incredibly freeing to not have to do your makeup, hair, or get dressed in anything other than sweats. Unfortunately, after two days of this I itch to get dressed up and go out in public, looking half-decent.

Exhibit A: Melissa going insane

So it's apparent that I do much better when I'm busy, sleepless, and stressed.

Who would've guessed?!

So maybe today I'll get around to blogging about New Years Eve and Christmas in Rexburg with Jen and Eric.

Or maybe I'll get some homework done, go to the gym, and get some applications in at a few more temp. agencies

Wish me luck, because right now I'd rather watch another episode of The Office.

Help!