Gingerbread Train

Last week was pretty chill. Things are slowing down over here. My job is almost done, and it's finals week for everyone in school right now.

I want to start off with a spiritual thought, so skip down to the next * if you're over this sort of thing. This semester I've learned a lot about myself and I've overcome some tough challenges. I'm just really grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. Christ has atoned for my mistakes. Christ can heal a broken heart. I love this Christmas season where we have the opportunity to more fully think of the Savior and all he's done for us, along with the ultimate love our Heavenly Father has for us. He sent his only Begotten Son to die for YOU and for ME and for everyone who has ever lived in the history of forever.

Along with the gift of Christ, God has given us the gift of the Holy Ghost and scriptures to help us in our journeys here on earth. Sometimes in our personal lives, the gospel is really the only thing that makes sense. I'm thankful that in those times of anguish, when I turn to the scriptures with a prayer in my hearts to take the pain away, I find comfort in the words of the prophets -- every time.

*Now, onto the happenings of last week. My roommate and I put Christmas lights up in our room. We bought six strands of lights, and we LOVE it!

yes we have two posters of JB in our room =]

and a Harry Potter poster

 Tuesday in our school newspaper, there was an article that started a huge controversy about skinny jeans. Earlier this semester, the testing center had signs up that said if your jeans "show the shape of your leg" then they aren't fit for the testing center. Umm...news flash: all girl jeans show the shape of the leg. Then one of the workers there (a student) wouldn't let a girl take a test because her jeans were "too tight." Now, bless this girl's poor little heart, she wasn't exactly a size two. She was quoted in the newspaper as being totally humiliated by the worker's rudeness basically telling her she was too fat for her jeans. She told him if she went home and changed, the testing center would be closed by the time she got back. He said, "That's not my problem."

I posted something on facebook about it and people BLEW IT UP! It was the most entertaining three hours of my life. People of differing opinions were arguing with each other, including quotes from the Honor Code and even a few scriptures. It was great! My roommate and I were having way too much fun. But it was awesome getting 100 comments in three hours! Record!!

Just to clarify: skinny jeans are not banned from BYU-I or the testing center. The idiot testing center jerk-face was reported and they're taking care of the ridiculous sign in the testing center. Good times!

Last week I read Stephen Colbert's book "I Am America (and so can you!)" and it was really funny. My roommate walked in on me reading it and this is what she saw:

Stephen Colbert's head where mine should be! It freaked her out a little, but it was funny.

Thursday night Lauren and I made a gingerbread train we bought at Walmart. We had so much fun with this.

just starting out

Lauren's fell apart, but mine stayed put!

frosting!

...more frosting

funny story: we clicked the camera to take a shot and we were both smiling. The camera takes three seconds to take the picture. In the three seconds, Lauren's train collapsed, so the camera caught both of us screaming because it fell down! You had to be there, but this was really funny.

concentrating...

the train when it all worked

sad face...poor train

After that we went to our friend Bryson's apartment to celebrate his recent engagement. He proposed to his girlfriend after taking her to Taco Bell and offering to watch a movie at her place so she wouldn't suspect anything and would be totally surprised. When they got to her place, there were 500 candles lit (I'm glad they didn't burn down the building...can you imagine the newspaper headline? "Apartment complex burns down in lieu of marriage proposal") and he, you know, did his thing from there. We had sparkling cider in cute fake glasses, and Travis (Bryson's roommate, also our friend) toasted to the newly engaged couple!

Friday was my work dinner at The Sandpiper Restaurant in Idaho Falls. This place is NICE. It has a great location right across the river from the temple. Almost every entree was over $20 I took a cute guy friend to go with me, and the company paid for everything. He and I decided if we would've been there by ourselves, everything would've been close to $100! We went all out! Virgin margaritas, appetizers, a $25 entree each, and delicious dessert! He got halibut, I got tuna, he got creme brulee, and I got the berry cobbler. It was so good I could've cried.

Saturday my friends and I went to Idaho Falls to do some Christmas shopping. I bought a new hat that I love! I bought some things for Keaton. I bought him tons of candy and I made him this:

Sorry it's sideways. But that is his glitter Santa hat! He'll just throw it away, but it will be fun for a little bit!

That night we watched Mitzi's edited copy of The Blair Witch Project. We all thought it was dumb, but it's no big deal. We watched some of Crazy, Stupid Love while I cut out snowflakes and hung them around the apartment.

Sunday our ward had a Christmas program for Sacrament which was cool. That afternoon we had a special meeting to create two new stakes and to set new stake and ward boundaries. The first 45 minutes was all the business of calling new people and sustaining them, but the last hour and 15 minutes we heard some very good testimonies and council from the new presidents and three 70 members. President Clark bore a very powerful testimony, and then we received very good council from the other two 70 dudes. It was great!

That night was the last Sunday night for all of our friends to be together. We made doughnuts, scones, potatoes, (we are kind of obsessed with eating potatoes and ketchup) and went around the circle saying nice things about each other. We felt the love big time!

I have been blessed with a great roommate this semester. Lauren Endicott is a wonderful person! She was our relief society president, and let me tell you, this girl has a head on her shoulders! In my times of trial, she was right there to tell me to "stop being dumb" and to help me see the logical side of things vs. the emotional side of things. I truly believe people come into our lives for a reason, and she has been a tremendous blessing in my life! Hooray for the relationships in our lives that are as easy as breathing.