Friday. UPDATE!

I have good news for you all.....
I finally feel like I am getting back to my "normal" self.

After four months of chaos, (let's be honest) I finally feel like I am getting used to my location, JOB, the people here, co-workers, pace of life, everything. I still complain occasionally about being sick all the time (I work with 47 disease incubators, so that's to be expected), the cold temps (below zero? for serious?), and the fact that I still don't sleep very well, ever.

Things that have changed in 2013 so far:

1. I have actually started to LIKE my bangs. And I wear them down more now. What changed? I discovered a beautiful thing called hairspray.

2. I have started to feel like I like my job. I have been too swamped/overwhelmed for the past four months to feel this hardly ever. It has been exhausting. This past week I really felt like I was having fun with the kids. I actually laughed at them, instead of cried at them. They laughed at me. We danced together. And we spoke Chinese together. I tell myself in the morning that I'm going to hang out with my "48 little buddies," and then my job doesn't sound so intimidating. And there are some cool things about my job - I guess it's cool (?) that I feel completely pushed to the core every. day. and that I'm living up to my potential and doing my best. I have never felt like that so consistently with any job I've ever had, so that's good.

2. I have started to see the results of my efforts - the kids (almost all of them) are actually LEARNING Chinese. It's amazing. Granted, I still have to beg, bribe, and plead for them to actually speak Chinese with their friends, but I know they can. Still working on that one. They can write, they can speak, and they can read. They understand almost everything I say. It's awesome.

3. I have started to go down to Provo less. Which I've realized means I am starting to do more things in Salt Lake = good sign. Last weekend I went snowshoeing, and although I got sick from it, I would still say it was 100% worth it.

I also went snowboarding for the first time last weekend. There is a pretty good deal up at Brighton to go for only $20 for a 4-hr night of skiing/snowboarding.

4. I've also started doing Yoga. I know you care, but indulge me, okay. The rec center here in Cottonwood Heights is AWESOME - I could go on and on about how cheap and great it is. I went to my first class of Yoga last night and I think it will be my new strategy for stress relief and relaxation. Let the hippiness begin .....

To all the men who want their wives to have long, luscious hair

The Tradeoff:

*This post, if viewed by any males, will probably disqualify me as a potential dating partner. But heck, nothing is happening in that arena anyway, and they probably need a more realistic view of what it's like to live with women.

sistertime

 Luckily I there were a few days in SLC when I was not sick that Catherine and I got to hang out. Here we are at Temple Square looking at the lights!

 I also took her to SLC's most famous hot chocolate. The store is called "Hatch's Hot Chocolate" and is owned by a couple of "little people." Soooooooo good, hence the glazed look:

 Guess what else we did? We got to go skiing (my FIRST TIME! and Cath's 6th). Considering that I love 20 minutes from 3 of Utah's most famous ski resorts/mountains, I figured I better learn some time. Here we are after dieing through some scary-dangerous hills and loving the easy part that followed thereafter. By the end of the night, I felt like I got more of the hang of how to turn and what it feels like to shift your weight. I can't wait to go again.

 Sarah my roommate took us and (bless her heart) dealt with us at some very difficult points. *roommate brag moment: she does double black diamonds. Yeah, that's my roommate, what up!! I'm cool by default, right? (she's on the left)

 I loved it, apparently:

 Cath and I also went to see "Les Miserables," which I may or may not have cried through. So good.

 And we ate lots and lots of food, including Guru's famous sweet potato fries (mmmm)

 And watched the BYU men's volleyball game (those guys are hotties even if they are nineteen, eww, *no judgment policy)....

I loved having Catherine and her and already feel the void. Thanks to her for paying $850 to come see me and make my holiday wonderful! Family is the best!

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.