Christmas 2012 in Southern Utah

I spent Christmas this year in Moab with my two sisters. 

I loved the bright white snow on the red, red rocks.

Although I pretty much felt like this the entire break (I got hit with viral bronchitis and sinusitis one after the other) and also only wanted to wear these clothes:

 ....my sisters were saints and still put up with me. Bless their hearts, seriously.

Despite the circumstances, I still really enjoyed spending time with my adorable nieces, L & H, and my adorable (but in a grown-up way) sisters.

The break was spent doing lots of fun things, like painting Liesel's nails:

(This is the face she made when I told her to smile for the camera):

I love Angela and Brian's family. Here they are on Christmas Eve. Not quite as picturesque, but probably more true to life. ;)

 Liesel seemed to love (opening gifts) eating the lucky charms out of her stocking on Christmas morning!

We also braved the snowstorm and went on a hike in Moab. !! Although I complained a little (who wants to go hiking when they are sick?), it was beautiful and I loved wearing my stretchy pants and (sister's) puffy out in public.

Here we are at the top of the hike overlooking all of Moab. Although this picture raises all sorts of questions (Why is the bridge of my glasses in the middle of my forehead? My does Anglea look 40 years old? Why is Catherine such a hottie? Why do I look 12?) it's one of those pictures you can't really skip over. 

I love snow. (photo cred: Cathy!)

 Liesel loved her first sledding experience.

However, she did not feel the same about her first snowball fight.

Cathy-poo and I on the hike to Corona Arch!

*Note: random guy is Catherine's "friend" (just in case you thought we picked up a stranger) ;)

Night hike with da sistahs!!

Nice pose, Ang

oh the irony

So one time, Christmas 2012, my sister Catherine flew out to Utah to visit for Christmas.


A few weeks before her arrival, we had a conversation about Christmas and I told her I had just gone to my ward's Christmas party. I had taken lots of fun photobooth pictures with my friends (see previous post!), complete with Santa and elf hats, delighted in a magic show, and socialized. She expressed the concern about how Christmas festivities never provide service activities and how all she wanted was service.

 

 About a week later, I texted Catherine and asked her what she wanted for Christmas. She responded with one word: "Service."

Well, fast forward a few weeks and Catherine has arrived. I am on my death bed with (presumably) viral bronchitis (*note: ALL second grade teacher at my school were sick all Christmas break, cool). I ended up feeling so crappy the few days she was here, that all she could really do was....

SERVE.

Just what she wanted! I couldn't help but laugh at the pathetic irony of it all. Here is a picture of Catherine vacuumming my whole house:

 And of the chicken soup she made me (so tenderhearted!):

 (which we promptly dumped down the toilet - apparently you can't put whole wheat mac & cheese noodles in chicken noodle soup)

 and resumed taking pictures with mustache coasters that I bought for her birthday 

I guess Catherine got her Christmas wish afterall (bless her hide!)

Christmas in SLC

Meet my roommate Sarah. I love her.

Meet some other wardie friends. Love them.

as of late

I love Christmas. It is one of my favorite times of the year - and I love how much I think about Christ and service, helping others and gratitude. This year I will not be in North Carolina for Christmas, but I will be spending it with two of my bestest friends, who also happen to be my sisters, which I am super excited about. Catherine flies in tomorrow. It still has not hit me that Catherine will be HERE visiting me. I'm not going to a lie, I have missed family a lot these past few months as I have transitioned to living in Salt Lake City. There are things I love, love, love about where I live. But one of them is not being far from family, North Carolina, and my wonderful parents. 

Today I made nuskifels (sp?) and it reminded me of home. I also went caroling to Grandpa Hatch and he compared me to my mom and dad - biggest compliment I have ever received. I've been thinking a lot about my parents. They have been some of my biggest supporters during these difficult four months teaching. I have called my dad many-a-time at 7:30 am crying, not knowing how I would make it through another day at work. He always picked up. And I have called my mom many a time, crying about how the things I have struggled with. I am so, so, so grateful for them. 

I digress. One of the things I do love about the Big. Bad. S.L.C. is all of the fun things to do here. 

These are some things I've been up to lately, outside of trying to stay sane at work:

 playing bannanagrams at the train station

having old friends visit

taking the trax

eating Korean food (new fav: bolgogi) 

kimchi, anyone?

 

visiting with more old friends

dying my hair darker

wearing my bangs down for once

going to the famous hot chocolate place owned by midgets who's last name is also Hatch

best dark chocolate drink I've ever had

 eating at one of the other five billion delicious restaurants, like Blue Iguana

 visiting my old boss and co-worker in p-town

 and hangin with jenelise, who I haven't seen in forever

 and going to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert with old friends and new one's

and being inspired by all the good people in the world

and seeing the Christmas lights

and trying not to be angry that my camera is dumb and never focuses (erg)

and realizing that people have bigger problems

and being grateful for the fact that my I will see two of my sisters

so soon...

Why no one with hair like me should ever get bangs

This is how bangs look when you place each strand in the right place.

This is what bangs look like five seconds later if you move at all.

This is what bangs look like in the morning.

This is what bangs look like when there is a slight breeze.

Conversations from the Classroom

Child 1: "Ms. Hatch. Beth and I decided that that wet spot on the ground is pee because we smelled it and it smells like pee."

Me: "Really? You decided? That's weird, because it's water."

Child 1: "Oh..."




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 Child 2: (whispered in my ear) "Ms. Hatch, you can let the rest of the class know that they can pet my unicorn when they are done."

Me: "What unicorn?"

Child 2: "The big fluffy one on my desk."

Me: "Huh?"

a really random list of latest happenings

I'm not going to apologize about how I've been terrible at blogging. . . so just forgive and forget ok?

Outside of spending most of my time working on my other (teacher) blog or grading papers or stressing about how much I have to do/how difficult everything is all the time, or why that boy has NOT called me back or pursued me (hello, I'm awesome, I think) I've fit in some pretty fun things lately. So here's a random list of things as of late.

1. One time I did a half marathon in Heber City, Utah. You'd think with such a cool website, the t-shirts would have been cool and vintage, too, right? NOPE. They weren't cool. Buuuut we did get a free ride on the Heber Creeper train to the start line (so cool) and the scenery was beautiful. It was the hilliest half marathon I have ever run, and I was very ill-prepared but I actually finished it running, which I was highly doubting around mile 8. Go me.

I also got to run it with my great friend Bethany. She is a first grade immersion teacher in Draper that I got to know at our first training in August. She served in my mission but I didn't really know her until recently. She's bomb.

Around mile 11, my childhood friend Jami Peets showed up to be my paparazzi and take pictures of me while running, which, can I just say, are moments that should have never been captured on film (um, unattractive much?) We enjoyed some nice Heber City burritos and tacos after.

2. After my half, I pretty much stopped running completely for three weeks and then my stress levels built up so insanely much that I decided this past week I should probably start exercising again or I might implode. Once I got up the canyon, my motivation returned...

running is seriously my sanity these days (unless it's a crapball running day like today)

Lest you think running is all I do...don't fret. I've also done lots of fun things with my roommate, Sarah, (who I think is awesome), and some other people in my ward. I am starting to feel like I'm making (girl) friends in the ward, which is soooo nice.

3. This past week we celebrated Halloween by watching Psycho (Hitchcock's) and dressing up for a Stake Halloween dance/party.  I was a lumberjack. Although the beard was itchy and really hot, I was pleased that my costume cost me $0.00 and only 15 minutes of time. People seemed pretty impressed with my beard, too. 

I have to admit, it only took one night of facial hair for me to be eternally grateful that I am a woman.

4. I spend about 90% of my time outside of work in black spandex and a my new REI softwarm hoodie. I have decided that I really could be content wearing these two items of clothing for the rest of my life.

5. A lot of times I wish I could be doing this.

instead of doing this

6. Today I went to Temple Square. I don't actually go downtown a lot because I hate driving. A lot. But today I went to the temple and I loved it. Minus the driving, I love living close enough to a big city to go explore/have fun.

7. Last week I went out to dinner with two of my mission friends. We ate Korean BBQ (OHMYGOSH so good). I loved laughing with them. They are such good people and we are all going through such similar things. I feel blessed to have people in my life/relationships that build me.



8. Utah has unofficially said good-bye to fall. We had the first snow of the year two weeks ago. And now all of these leaves are gone. :(

9. I still really really love peaches

 

10. Sometimes I miss my sisters.