It's over

Christmas is done. Now I just have to deal with cleaning up. I hate packing everything back into boxes. It takes so much work. Especially the artificial tree hauling that thing back up into the attic takes so much work and I feel it literally could become the death of me.

I am leaving for school in a week. It is crazy how fast it is going to come. I really like school. It causes me too much anxiety though, I am the kind of person who refuses to fail at anything, which makes assignments and classes difficult. Maybe I should just relax these last two semesters and settle for B's. That would make life easier. I have this natural impulse to be the best and when I recognize some one is better it makes me angry. It shouldn't be like that. I should be excited for them, that they have been given far more talent in that particular area. But I want to be on top, which causes me to make overly worked projects that don't seem to work.

I need a job at school. I will probably go back to my janitor job. I just wish it was at a more reasonable hour then 4 in the morning. I enjoy cleaning so that isn't the issue... it's just the dread feeling of living months on end with no energy.

All of this I think has contributed to the fact I can't get a boyfriend. I just don't have the energy or time to look for one. And if i got one could I even care for him? I have to go to bed at a early hour. I am in classes all day from 9 to 9, except now I have almost all of Tuesday and Thursdays off! Wahoo. Plus the tension, oh my heck, the tension that surrounds my life at school.

I don't want to be crazy anxiety girl.

Firsts

Tomorrow I will experience a first. A white Christmas. Yes. I have never seen snow on Christmas before. I thought I would on my mission, but sadly not even in Norway did God grant me that honor. But finally my prayers and dreams were heard.

Unless there is a freak warm spell, which isn't going to happen.

Settlers from Catan

On my mission I was introduced to a little danish game called the Settlers from Catan. We played this almost every night during my last three transfers. It's a fun strategy game that can bring out the worst in people, and sometimes the best, but is now a classic in the Miles home. Sunday night is Settlers night. Dad won is very first game this past Sunday, but my victory crown was returned on Monday.

The game is pretty simple. The board changes every time you play. The hexagons in the center are called Resources. There are 5 resources, ore, brick, wheat, wood, and sheep. There is also one desert that no one gets any resources from, it is where the robber begins. Each has a number placed on top of it. When the dice is rolled if your number comes up, you are allowed to take the resource, if you have a settlement or a city built on it. Everyone starts with two Houses, and two roads.

As you play the game you trade in your resources to buy stuff and expand. The first person to 10 points wins.

The game gets dangerous when the robber starts moving. If you roll a 7 you get to take the little bugger and put it on a number... thus when the number is rolled they get no resource card. And you steal a card.

So, that is the Miles family favorite game. Competitive, Brutal, and Enjoyable. Just like a Miles.

Winter Wonderland

Quick update on my cat. Because you know I love it. Here are little Sofie and Romeo eating. Everytime you walk into the kitchen they come running. Like you are in there to feed them. It is getting kind of annoying. Then if you do feed them they lick the gravy and run.

I made a Norwegian snowman. He's saying Merry Christmas. It melted the next day. I was really bored waiting for Jenessa to come home from work so I shoveled the driveway and then made this out of the excess snow. It was really ackward making it alone, especially given how old I am so I put my hood on. Out of shame.

Jenessa came home from work and we had a little trouble getting the car up the driveway. I had to push. We made it up and felt pretty dang proud of ourselves.

With all this cold weather we have had I thought I would try and enjoy it. I really hate snow. I hate how it closes everything down. So I thought I would savor the time and go sledding with my buddy Cameron. He liked the Norwegian mittens. Speaking of those some kid saw me wearing them at work and was all loud yelling, "Look at her funny gloves." His dad was like "shh..." It made me laugh.

Cameron and I! We had a blast going down the hills.

UPS

I started at UPS this week. I am working with a guy named Steve. He is super. We have a good time everyday. I run and deliver packages to people and businesses. The other day I saw the missionaries and wasn't going to wave... shame, I know. But Steve did! So I waved too. He is alright in my book now. :) I wear the ugliest outfit on the planet. It is like two times my size and the zipper on the pants is like 12 inches long. It goes up to my chest. It totally reminds me of the Mom's jeans skit on SNL. I fold it over just for my own sanity. People love me in Brown. Everyone is so friendly to me. If only as a missionary I got that kind of response. People feel open to talk with me and chat about anything. It is crazy how an outfit can change perseptions.

I went to the temple last night with my friend Kathleen. We did rock, paper, scissors to see who would drive. Luckily the lot fell on her because Jenessa had Missionary prep and I would have driven off with out her having a car. It was a good temple trip. We decided to go earlier and skip baptisms with the other members of the ward. 8 o'clock baptisms meant I would be up past midnight.

I am so excited for Christmas. My Dad put up the lights this weekend. It was magical.

In the car the other day I was driving a tired Ashlyn (3) to get a happy meal... telling her she couldn't be grumpy if I got her one.... well as we were driving down the street she kept looking around and was like,

"Oh how beautiful!"
"What's beautiful?"
"The diamonds."
"What Diamonds?"
"On the houses! Look at all the diamonds!"

She meant the Christmas lights. It was so cute. Then I was talking to her later and I asked what she wanted for Christmas... "lights on her house." What a cutie.

Christmas

I was pretending to be all anti-Christmas spirit this year. Then I put up the tree. Can I tell you, I love Christmas? My sister said that these past two years that I've been away they woke up at ten to open presents... not even a reasonable time like 6. I wanted to cry. It turns out I was the one who forced everyone out of bed. Who made sure to blow dry their hair as loud as possible to awake every last one of them out of slumber. How dare I be anti-Christmas.

We decorated the inside of the house. We puts some garland on the stair case... I sewed pine cones to it and wrapped them in cranberry garland left over from Cherie's wedding. It looks fantastic.

I finished my shopping today. I got Jenessa all tussled over the fact I didn't know my way around the mall. I have only gone there like twice since I got back from my mission. It was embarrassing.

I'll post pictures of our yuletide decorations later.