Christmas!

I got to go home for Christmas this year where my whole family was finally together for the first time in 5 1/2 years. Before are just a few pictures that I was able to capture while there.

My brother Andrew and our niece Avery

My brother and sister and niece and nephew

Catherine, Jalen and I

My Mom and Dad

Hailey

Andrew and Avery

Jalen

Most of my family

The rest of my family in this one

My immediate family

I hope that you had an amazing holiday, and that you were able to spend it with those you love.

I love family!

How lucky was I? My youngest sister Michelle just recently stopped by on her way back to Oregon. I had not seen her since October so it was a great little reunion! :)  I love my family. Even if they hardly talk to me... LOL  I can't wait until August because I am going to go back for a weekend visit.

Yes, I know... it's about time I updated my blog! I promise, there is more to come!

This is my beautiful little niece Hailey!

My baby sister Michelle and I. The oldest and youngest. She looks like my mom's side and I.. my fathers. Yes, we are related!

This is me and my sister with her cute little family!

The Orr family!

My pretty little princess 

Hailey and my fish :)

Like a little chia pet...

This was how Hailey was when she first got here....so so silly!

Home is where the heart is....

 So I got to go home as you know, and well.... it has taken just a little longer than expected to put up my pictures...... yes I know, I am a slacker. Well I hope you enjoy em at least.... more to follow hopefully shortly!

Avery and Jalen made mudpies!

My niece and nephew are the cutest!

My brother and I 

My future sister-in-law and I

My sister Meggie and I

The Rest just make me smile.... :)

My lynchy-pinners! (Lynch)

HOMEWARD BOUND!!!

I am so so so so so so (did I mention so?) excited because I am going home! I just decided about  5 hours ago! See what happens when homesickness strikes? And my mom and sister are the only ones who know!!!

A Conference Weekend Perk....

Well one thing to look forward to, is the seeing of mission friends for sure during Conference Weekend. The funniest thing about it all is that I live within 45 minutes to SOOOO many yet I never see them. In the last 3-4 months prior to the reunion I had seen..... Andrew, Brent, Alissa, Ryan, Lesa, Janelle, Sarah R, Meagan, Abby and the Stewards. And if I just left someone out I feel bad! I was a little nervous about going because I feel so often that I don't have "mission friends" other than who I already see from the mission. The biggest thing I am told is how far I am from people yet they go past Salt Lake City all the time to see others just north or south of me. I live right off the freeway..... if someone really wanted to see me is it that hard??? Maybe what makes me different is that I try to.... Well enough about that.... point is, is that I felt truly loved from others for the first time in a long time. It was hard because the mission was one of the first times in my life where I really felt loved and accepted and it was nice to feel that again!

Here are some pictures from this past weekend...  

Sarah Meagan and I after poison Saturday night (awful pic but M is in this one) :)

My cute lil Ryan friend and I 

Sarah, Amelia and I

Sarah and I.... the oldies but goodies of the mish :)

Rachel to the second power....

Family picture... the posterity of Martin

My little brothers!!!!!! I love these guys!!!

(Well, I know I promised to put pictures up of last weekends adventure.... will soon)

Just a little preview.. the festival of colors!

Yesterday I had the opportunity of going to the Hare Krishna at the Hindu temple in Spanish Fork. It was a really fascinating experience. I really love learning about different cultures and customs. These are just a few pictures of the aftermath, my fingernails are still stained pink with pink all around my nails as well, but it was fun. Here is a link to the temple. And here is a link to the article from the Salt Lake Tribune. There is a video in the tribune article that you can watch... notice the cloud of powdered smoke however... try going from the middle of that to the outside edge where you can breathe. I thought I would suffocate when I could no longer hold my breath and was laughing at the craziness of getting out. I can still smell it when I look down or up and am taking a deep breath. Funny, I know. More pictures to come...

Three things I miss in life....

Can I just say that I miss my FAVORITE kids! I haven't seen them in five months and still have at least two more to go until I do. I love them SO much. I have been really homesick lately. Kind of sucks and I have no idea why! I took this picture while I was home back in October. All I have are my pictures! :(

Park City!

So.... I had never been to Park City before and finally had a chance. I mean, I live probably a half hour away... what stopped me??? I mean I had been just outside of it in the outlets and the lake but for some reason I had just never visited. I think my favorite part of it all was that after realizing how expensive everything was, it became no big deal and was part of the phrase... "its part of the Park City experience." I mean, I don't think I had ever spend $4.30 for two small pieces of chocolate! Here are just a few pics of that day. I love the buildings here!

Cody and I dolled up and ready to go....

View of Park City

How often can you say you've been next to a bear?

On the Main Street

I promised to add this picture from the blog before!

Glamorous!

Well, as most people know... I am addicted to MAC makeup. I swear I can't live without it. Expensive or not... it has become some sort of obsession. What makes it even better is that three of my girlfriends here love it as well. One as much as I do. When we go to the MAC counter just to look at the colors I feel like a kid on Christmas morning.... it is just a shame that I can't take it all home with me. I don't even know if  I would know what to do if I had that much. As of now.... I have come to acquiring a total of (drum roll please....) 3 Paintpots, 6 pigments, and 26 shadows. So basically 32 eyeshadows and three bases there...

My favorite thing however is to have fun and try different things and looks out. I love putting makeup on people and when I am done I feel like I have accomplished a piece of art. 

I decided to share some recent pictures of some of my "creations"..... there has been more exciting looks but this is just what has happened with a camera nearby.

This is what my hand looks like after having gone to the MAC counter... this was looking at all of Cody's colors...

This is Monde's look on Saturday

This is my friend Heather 

Here is Cody's after we were done experimenting on my hand ( my leg was just as bad...lol)

Here is one of me... my favorite is MIA... will put it up with my Park City pics. :)

So... another one of the things I like to do is to take pictures. I have so much fun doing so.  I decided that I wanted to do so on Saturday while the weather was "currently" nice still (darn storm that came through....no I am not bitter...).  So Monde and I had a little photo shoot and this was what we came up with. Thanks Cody for taking my pictures!

She is so stinkin pretty!

Love this girl! 

It was like the only patch of green there was in this little area...

This is one of my faves!

I love my eyes on this one.... and Monde.... well she always looks great!