Don't Go Without Me

Let's start with Thanksgiving break. It was great! Did absolutely nothing but eat, shop, watch movies, eat, watch nieces and nephews, shop, and then more eating. Being home is such a wonderful feeling. There's a feeling of acceptance from family members that is hard to find in others. Definitely possible, not as easily found though. There's just something comforting in having a sister say "that's so Crista" in regards to music or fashion. Or being able to have them laugh at your ridiculous puns and jokes. Not necessarily because they're funny, but because it's just who you are. Or something like that.

I don't really know what love feels like but I know that I want so badly for everybody in my family to be happy and for everything to work out for them and for them to not feel pain or sadness, and I think that's love right? And maybe that's love for me. Or at least part of it.

Also, accepting your family for what it is. Because it's probably one of the hardest things that I am still trying to work on. We are far from perfect for reasons that I still don't understand but we try in our own ways. Maybe not the way that you would want them to try, but trying nonetheless. And that's just family I guess. (:

Everybody does it. 

Christmas is coming fast and I can't wait. And I can already feel the relief of a fresh start come January. It's hard now as finals seem to be consuming all thoughts but January always brings with it renewal and a revamping of my life. I love it.

Basically I'm obsessed with this song: Cset La Mort by the Civil Wars. And I have been for a while. I listen to it daily. Hourly even when I'm home. It's so beautiful. And dark, but more beautiful than dark. Just listen to the lyrics. Take what you will from them. I took what I needed.

Also, I'm on Pinterest, and I want to share stuff from there to here but there is just not enough time in the day to explain the significance of each pin so you can just check them out and gather what you will if desired. I think I pin pretty great stuff. But doesn't everybody? Well, I think I pin exceptionally great stuff then.

I'm on the home stretch. And the things that are getting me by til then?

• the Civil Wars
• Les Miserables clips
• naps
• rice crackers
• the thought of playing with the nieces and nephew
• knowing that Christmas and family await me at home
• New Girl, Parks and Rec, Office, Modern Family, and Once Upon A Time episodes
• Study Blue online flashcards
• peppermint milkshakes
• and Pinterest

And that's all I've got peoples. It's bed time. 

So Much Beauty.

I can't even tell you how much I am simply enjoying the snow today. Right now. I would be in bed right now were it not for the snow. It might also be the fact that I had a headache today so I took two Excedrin when I got home and because of the caffeine, sleep has not come easy. I'm alright with that tonight. I keep looking outside and getting goosebumps and then I start wanting to cry tears of joy for the beauty and tears of sadness for the wish to be out enjoying it with my family and nieces and nephew. It also brings back bittersweet memories of last years adventures. I sure do miss a lot of people.
The snow brings with it feelings of peace and calm to the world and I can't wait to go to bed with the thought of waking up tomorrow, putting on my warm clothes and taking a walk in the fresh snow, and then coming home and making some tea with loads of honey and cinnamon. Honey and cinnamon have been my go to cure-all for everything lately. I eat it by the drops and I have yet to receive the dreaded cold that this beautiful season brings. It's good stuff. I highly recommend it to anyone feeling a bit under the weather. Especially local honey. Yum.
Due to my insomniatic state at the moment, snowflakes and origami cranes were crafted from old magazines whilst watching Charlie St. Cloud (what an emotional roller-coaster of a movie, yet so beautiful and rewarding). I have decided this is one of the only ways to spend a Friday night on your own after a nearly all day work load. Also, I hate to admit it, but I started my Christmas music as well (I guess I'm one of those people.) How could you not with a blanket of snow covering everything and street lights glowing down the streets, illuminating the falling snowflakes? I just couldn't resist. Only the best kind of Christmas music though. The Believe by Josh Groban and When Christmas Comes to Town by Matthew Hall kind from The Polar Express. And also Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland from Meet Me In St. Louis. These are some of the few songs that catch the Christmas spirit without being loud and gaudy. Don't get me wrong, I love those ones too, there's limited time on them though. One can only handle "Jingle Bells" so many times.

And that about finishes my post, I just couldn't hold in all the great feelings I had surrounding the snow. Poor snow getting so much hate from everybody though. Get over it people. Accept it, find joy in it, take advantage of it.
On that note, dress warm and stay happy. And drink tea or hot chocolate. I believe it does more that just warm the body, but also the soul. (:

"You can do it on your own, but you don't have to." Let others help you. It sucks, but it's great at the same time.

Happy weekend everybody! 

Being Normal.

This is Fraphne. A Scooby Doo combination of Fred and Daphne. I think I'm pretty funny sometimes. 

I don't know why I have to be making that face among all of the beautiful smiling faces but I guess that's just normal. This is my friend Mikes farewell. He's an odd child and I love these here people too much. 

And is this not the cutest green baby mustache you have ever seen?? Needless to say, I love my niece, and she loves her morning green smoothies. 

Everybody, listen to the Civil Wars. At first I only liked a few of their songs because I felt they were super folky, but then I guess I just came around and now I'm a firm believer. Which is good. Because they're great. Barton Hollow album. It's good.  

And that's it friends. Stay happy, everything will be alright in the end. I promise. It may not seem like anything at all will work. But then you have to remember that so many are happy with so much less than what you have. So be grateful for what you've been given and find joy in your journey. 

Okay, I'm done being annoying and preachy. 

America's Funniest Home Video!

Guys. Everybody, anybody. MY video, aired on America's Funniest Home Videos. The very video, sent from my phone, uploaded to AFV's website, aired on their opening episode for Season 23. How cool is that?! And just so you understand how excited I was about this, you have to know that I love AFV. It kind of goes hand in hand with the fact that I desperately love to laugh. And while I know that these videos are totally predictable and cliche, I still end up with tears in my eyes or abs of steel by the end of the night. Here's a picture just to note how much I love AFV. And Jackie Chan. Always Jackie Chan.

You bet your bottom dollar it was on my bucket list.

Enough of me, here's the link to Hulu, my video is about 8 minutes in. It's the one with all those stupid boys rolling on end tables:

Season 23 Episode 1

Wasn't it great. Not the funniest video, but it's mine, and those are my friends, and it's on America's Funniest Home Videos. So you can definitely say I'm pretty pleased with myself. Also, they owe me a t-shirt for this. How awesome would an AFV t-shirt be?? Pretty dang awesome I'd say. 

Anyway, that's my story for the day. Had to share my fame. (:

You rock. Happy Tuesday!

Wowzas.

How about that General Conference? Crazy right? It's kind of rocking my world to tell you the truth. A mission can either be an answer to all of my problems or simply a way that I'm trying to escape all of my problems. I sincerely wish to serve a mission and want to for all of the right reasons, but

Sundays at the Arch House

Sundays have become more steadily my favorite day. I feel now that I am older, I realize how much of a physically, spiritually, and mentally rejuvenating day it is. I try my best not to do homework (definitely doesn't always happen that way) and because of this, after church, my roommates and I basically cook and do whatever the weather permits. (:

Sjfkdjfdklsa.

College is hard. This has been my go to sentence this week. Whyyy? I keep telling myself, "you can do hard things," and then it comes time to do them and I'm like, "no I can't!" And then my boss tells me I'm promoted and that I can work 5 extra hours a week and part of me is like "yay, more money" and then another part of me is like "darn, less time and more responsibility." It's good though. And I definitely can't complain because it is a blessing needed and fun to be a part of something bigger at work, but at the same time I wonder, can I really handle this? Throughout my college academics, there have been multiple times when I simply felt like a failure. And I don't want to feel that way anymore. I'm finally getting into my major classes and I don't want to fail. It's one of my greatest fears. But it's one that I've been facing alone and it's hard. College is hard.

Okay, that's all I'm going to whine about today. Because