RIP Kahuna

We had to put the big guy down this week. He was a little over 14 years old and had a big tumor.

I will miss you Kahuna!

Christmas Morning!

I'm not sure if you know how much I love Christmas...BUT probably just as much as I did when I was like three years old. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

I love the smells, the music, singing, treats, presents, gifting, decorations, shopping, going home, movies etc! However I hate that Christmas morning is soooo short!

My mom made us homemade cinnamon rolls, which by the way are ten thousand times better than Cinnabon or whatever it's called (and I have a tendency to get suckered into those at airports because they smell so freaking good). She also made this breakfast casserole with potatoes, sausage, eggs...etc...Yummy! So the day started out pretty well :)

Adam bringing his load of presents downstairs...despite his face I think he was in a good mood. Haha.

Mom and I

My dad might just like taking pictures more than me...scary I know.

My mom collects Nutcrackers. I love them. This started because I would always have people giving me them when I danced in the Nutcracker so she started collecting, buying, getting as gifts...all kinds. There are a bunch from ballet, a dentist and a boy scout for my dad, a russian one for my grandparents, a drummer for Adam, a little scottish one from my aunt, one that is carrying a baby nutcracker...etc etc. I think there is even one that looks like Santa, and more around the house.

Before presents, Adam insisted on the hunt for the pickle. Have you ever heard of this tradition? We started doing this years ago. Adam always wins because he always pushes us out of the way or cheats somehow...I think Taylor finally won last year...but Adam won again this year. I got an elbow in the face and pushed...lol. The winner gets twenty dollars, so I guess he really needs the money? JK

It is a very old German tradition, where you hide a pickle shaped Christmas ornament somewhere in the Christmas tree. The first to find it gets a special gift (ours is money). There are a couple different versions of the story behind it. But the importance is to savor the time with your family or loved ones and enjoy the beauty of the tree and ornaments while you are looking for the pickle, instead of the presents under the tree. (Obviously Adam doesn't observe that part).

Next...time for presents!

Tay and I

Adam and I's one normal picture together a year...

Justin Beiber's in the making

don't mind all the animal print surrounding me...

angry elf?

Poor, sad Tika snuck into the present room a few days ago and in one sitting ate all 6 of the packaged bones that my mom got for her Christmas present. Somehow this short, tiny dog got up onto the shelf, unwrapped the bones, and literally ate them all within about 20 minutes...so she didn't get a Christmas Present this morning...

Family Photo

my mom made me take my shoes off for this one because she said I was too tall...now I feel like a midget...overall I think it turned out pretty good for our family seeing as someone is usally holding up a bunny ears or sneezing or blinking...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hope yours was as fabulous as mine!

So thankful for my family and that I got to be at home!

Christmas Eve

Today was pretty chill. Taylor and I mostly hung out and relaxed. We wrapped presents and chowed on Cafe Rio for his "birthday lunch" since I won't be here for his birthday in about ten days. As you can see, Tika helped me online shop :)

We wrapped presents for my dad (he is so funny about not being able to wrap presents), ate a great dinner, watched "Its a Wonderful Life" while drinking my mom's hot cranberry drink, and read the Nativity Story.

Pretty soon I will be off to bed! Can't wait for Christmas tomorrow!

puppy love

Can I PLEASE have one?

Look at those cute little paws...and the ears...ahhh

Me from A to Z

I saw this on another blog and wanted to do it on mine because it seemed fun!

Jake and I

{A} Age – 25, except I don't really feel like it...

{B} Bed - Currently Queen size; I am in the process of searching for a cute bed frame and a comforter. The one I was going to buy sold out, and if you know me, I have been trying to decide on one for about two years. I just need to get one.

{C} Chores you hate – ummm taking out the trash. I make Jake do it when he comes over now. Other than that I kind of like to clean because I have OCD moments where I just like to do it sometimes.
{D} Dogs – Wish I had one. I have mine at home in California, but I want one here so bad! One day. Or a miniature pig...I LOVE THOSE!

{E} Essential start to your day – hot water. It wakes me up. Actually I listen to the Morning Zoo on the way to work too and it makes me laugh.
{F} Favorite color – Green.
{G} Gold or silver – Gold. Hands down.
{H} Height – 5'3 and a half. But I have been in the habit of wearing heels lately, so a lot of people have thought I'm taller :) I LOVE heels.

{I} Instruments you play – Used to play the piano and the flute, but now that I don't have them here I probably am not very good anymore.
{J} Job Title - Loan Processor at Flagship Financial, but I've been applying to nursing schools and finishing all my pre-reqs.
{K} Kids – None...but Kale (Jake's little boy) is around so he plays with me a lot until I have some :)

{L} Live – in Provo, Utah
{M} Mother’s name – Rosemary
{N} Nickname – KD...I used to have a lot more, but now people mostly just call me that.
{O} Overnight hospital stays – I've never had to stay overnight. I would have had to when I was living in Hawaii, but my mom wouldn't let me stay there, because it was too ghetto so she took me to the hotel and took care of me instead for a week.
{P} Pet Peeves – People who look like they should be on Jersey Shore, or think it would be cool to be on Jersey Shore, Moms who drop pacifiers on the floor then lick them off and stick them back in the babys mouth (like its clean now?), when moms put their kids on leashes, nail biting (which I do and I'm trying to stop!), spitting...I have more.
{Q} Quote from a film – That's hard, I could say anything from Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers, or any movie with Vince Vaughan in it, But I love this quote from Breakfast at Tiffanys -

"You mustn't give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get, until they're strong enough to run into the woods, or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree, and then to the sky" - Holly Golightly

{R} Right or left handed – Right
{S} Siblings – I'm the oldest of three and the only girl. Adam (22) Taylor(16)

{T} Time you wake up – Around 7:30 or 8, which no matter how many days in a row I wake up at that time, I still can't get used to it. I still think it's early. I'm a night person.
{U} Underwear- Hmmm personal are we? Depends...During the day or with jeans or something I probably wear a lacey thong from V Sec or Gap Body, but I sleep in boy shorts and wear those when I'm being comfy.
{V} Vegetable you hate- I actually like veggies. I even like brussels sprouts. Im sure there is something I don't like, but I can't really think of anything at the moment.
{W} What makes you run late - Usually trying to finish my hair because Jake is getting mad at me because I want to curl it, but mostly trying to decide what to wear. I always have good ideas of what I want, but them I try it on and I hate it. Then I just want to go shopping.

{X} X-rays you’ve had- my wrist, I broke it when I feel off a bunk bed two days before third grade started.
{Y} Yummy food you make- Ah I've been trying to learn to cook more, but I think my artichoke dip is pretty freaking good...and my cheesecake.
{Z} Zoo animal – Tigers, Giraffes, and Pengiuns...I always wanted a pet penguin because I figured if they lived at the zoo in a hot place they could live at my house. Plus the babies are so cute!

puppy love

I want!!!

cute overload

I want this.

My Dogs

My poor little Tika has been in the puppy hospital for the weekend because she was throwing up all her food and water and couldn't eat or drink anything. Apparently after a bunch of tests and being hooked up to an iv, they think she had pancreatitis...but they're hoping that's all it was. I would be so sad if it was something else! They think she is going to be ok, so I'm crossing my fingers! My Dad finally brought her home on Monday.

This is the little chunk herself, with me this last Christmas.

This is her and her half sister, Roxy. They were born at the same time and we took they home the same day. They had the same dad, but different mothers. We've had them since I was 14 I think?

Last Fourth of July, while my family was in Utah visiting, Roxy got scared by the fireworks and got out somehow. No one ever found her :(. We never found out what happened to her. Saddest day of my life! She was my puppy!

She was my little skinny girl! Miss her! (That's Tika peeking out in the background)

And this big boy is Kahuna. I'm pretty sure he is 15 now, because we got him when Taylor was about 1. He is the sweetest and most gentle dog ever. He has cancer on his legs :( but he still just prances around and hangs out all day and is still happy to be around. I'll be sad when he's gone.