Simply Adorable

I may be slightly biased, because I'm the adoring aunt, but I dare you to look me in the eyes, and tell me they are not the cutest boys you have ever seen?!

I think I'm a pretty lucky aunt to have these two for nephews, too bad one lives far far far away, and the other is about to move semi-far away too. I guess that just gives me one more reason to keep up with my traveling habits and continue to vacation it up.
Sweden, Tennessee, I'm not picky!

Snow day #4.5

Tomorrow begins snow day número cuatro.

I think this sums it up nicely:

...oh, boy!

Snow Day # 3.5

"Wimps" is how my Dad would like to reference us for not having gone to work since last Friday. I just laugh, because really, who would have ever thought the east coast would get slammed like this? As a native Utahan, and someone who has seen plenty of snow in my day, I've had one snow day in all my life, it was back in fourth grade, and we had to make it up over President's Day. But I remember wishing for something like this to happen. For it to snow so badly that I'd be trapped indoors for a week, but it never did, and remained only a wish. I guess it was a good thing, adding a week on to the end of school to make-up the snow days would have been miserable. However, the onset of a bad snowstorm never made us Utahan's worried, the way it worries Washingtonians. In all of my years of living in a nasty snowy climate, I never would have imagined those wished for snow days so many years ago, would actually happen when I'm a working woman. And the beauty of snow days at this stage in life, I don't have to make them up over holidays, or spring break. For one I don't even have a spring break (quite the unfortunate thing about having a job), and secondly, make-up snow days just don't exist in the working world, and that's a beautiful thing.

Since I've been "trapped" indoors since last Friday, I've had plenty of pondering time to myself. Most recently, I've been pondering this fact of reality, I'm an adult, and I need to start acting like I have adulthood status. I was reading this article in the Ensign the other day, and it was this phrase that got me thinking, "Because many see marriage as the primary marker of adulthood, single individuals can feel they lack the ability to graduate into full adult status." I laughed after reading that sentence, and quickly agreed that, as a single adult, I don't always feel like an adult, or act like one either. So, I decided to make a list of reasons why I'm an adult, aside from the age factor, which is unfortunately an automatic qualifier. Unfortunate because sometimes I just want to think I'm always going to be my Daddy's little girl, and never have to really grow up.

What other reasons qualify me as an adult?

Well...

• I have a full-time job
• I live away from home, and have for the last 6.5 years
• I make my own money, and can choose to do what I want with it
• I travel to Africa for work by myself in month long increments
  
• I own couches (that's an adult thing to say, right?)
• I bought my dream car
• I signed up for an extra curricular college course, because I wanted to
  
• I make my own doctor/dentist appointments
  
• I can eat cake or brownies for breakfast if I want, and won't get into trouble
  
• I drive myself to church, and go on my own without being hassled by parents (instead I have a sister to do that job)
• I clean up after myself
  
• I pay bills, lots of them

I'm sure there are a plethora of other things that hang over my head on a daily basis, reminding me that I'm actually an adult, who has responsibilities, and has to act adultish, but that will suffice for now. Listing anymore will only exhaust me on how demanding my life really is. From snow days, to making money, traveling to Africa for work, buying grandiose accessories, and living far away from home, it's a tough life I live!

From one adult to all of you, happy Wednesday.
If you're on the east coast, happy snow day...again!!!

If You Wish Hard Enough...

...It just might come true.

I wished for a snow day last week.

At least one more before winter finally disappears for a few months,
And on Friday, I got a partial one,
Which I would have been content with.

But dump over two feet of snow on us in 24 hours this weekend,
And a true snow day and work being cancelled tomorrow
Would be last weeks wish come true.


Getting paid to be a bum is quite
Undoubtedly the greatest arrangement one could ever ask for.



Even though the sun was out shining today,
Already melting the blizzard away,
Washingtonians think the east coast needs to be shut down for just one more day.
And to that I say, THANK YOU!

I won't push my luck thinking work will be cancelled
Three days in a row,
But we are expecting another snow storm on Tuesday and Wednesday.
You can be sure if that were to happen,
I'd have permagrin on my face all week long.

Church was cancelled today due to the blizzard,
So we went 19th century style
And had sacrament meeting at someone's house,
Walking through the madness to get there.
I don't love snow, or cold weather for that matter,
But walking through February's winter wonderland
Was simply fabulous.



Happy Snow day!

{thanks for some of the pictures, Lauren}

Partial is Better Than Nothing

Right now it looks like this outside:



Two days ago I asked for a snow day when it looked like this...



...But I didn't get it.
However, today, when it looks like this outside...

...I'm getting my snow day,
Kind of.
Go figure!

The east coast is funny that way.
Sometimes they just have to think a storm is coming
In order for them to grant us lovely privileges.
Lovely privileges like working from home.
And being dismissed four hours early.
All thanks to a nasty storm that is about to break out mid-morning today,
And last through tomorrow night.

So, when my boss tells the office to telecommute if possible today.
You better be sure I jumped all over that bandwagon.
You don't have to tell me twice to work from home,
In my bed, while still in my pj's.
A bit of responsibility mixed with laziness, now that's my kind of work.

So, for the last hour, I've been "working" from my bed.
I wish my bed could be my office every morning.
But alas, I'm only granted this privileged once in a blue moon...
Or once every day the east coast has to freak out that we're going to get
"Pounded" by a nasty snow storm.
Bring on the storm, bring on working from home,
Bring on a partial snow day, and work being done at 1!!!
Happy weekend to us all.

The Heart of Winter

Canceled flight, massive snow and ice storm, a rebooked flight not once, but twice, Will Rogers airport basically closed for two days, and a city nearly incapacitated by the weather, yet none of that was going to stop me from making it to Oklahoma City last weekend. So, to Oklahoma City I went, even if I had to endure a few slight hiccups along the way. I've adopted this motto from a friend of mine, "the more miserable, the more memorable," and memorable it was, thanks to the miserable weather that decided to throw a twist into my weekend.

In order to make my weekend possible, I flew into Dallas, where he was waiting for me.

After a night spent in Dallas, and a scrumptious brunch in the morning, we left just in time to make it safely back to Oklahoma City (we saw over 16 slide offs on the freeway), where we were nearly snowed in all weekend long. I welcome being forced to be lazy, miserable weather and all.

Although I've never been a fan of the cold, or snow for that matter, Phil says I have to endure 6 more weeks of this...

As long as winter promises to give me just one more snow day, I'll be ok with it.

Unfortunately, today was not one of those days.

Rain Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day

After much anticipation for my long awaited trip to Oklahoma City, (eight days to be exact), I find out that OKC is under extreme weather watch due to ice storms sweeping through the state. Flight cancellations and all...awesome!Perhaps I won't be going to OKC tonight. Not so awesome.

Routines

Two weekends ago I was enjoying hanging out with this fine looking man:

This weekend I got to babysit this little guy,

Who can gladly fall asleep in my arms anytime he'd like:

This coming weekend I get to see him again.
4 more days to be exact.
Weekends never come fast enough, or last long enough either.

The following weekend will be spent fussing over him some more:

As luck would have it, the next weekend I'll be with him once again.
Surprised?

And to continue on with this lovely routine,

I'll spend the week after that babysitting him again for a few days.

I'm glad I have such an adorable distraction every other weekend:

Now the real question is, to keep this routine going,
Do we think I could convince him to come spend another weekend with me again...

... Before we head here for a week?

Whoever said dating long distance is hard, was sorely mistaken.
In fact, it kind of sucks, but at least we have good excuses to travel.
You can't go wrong there!
Thank goodness at least one of us has a full-time job.
I'll leave the books to him.

Looks like I have a new routine in place, and I think I'm ok with that.

356 Days Ago...

...I stood in front of the Capitol and watched a moment of history unfold, as our 44th president was sworn into office. The first black president for the United States. People were happy, people were excited, and people believe that "change" was on it's way. A year later, I don't think America is feeling that same way they felt 365 days ago. Am I surprised? Surprisingly, no!

...I had never left the Northern America region. Never flow across the Atlantic. And never been to another continent. Heck, I didn't even own a passport. 365 days later, six countries can be checked off my list...it's not much, but it's a start.

...I was wishing one of my siblings would have a baby so I could be an aunt. 365 days later I got not one, but two adorable nephews.

...I was thinking that I'm 23 years old and wanted my own bedroom. As much fun as it can be sharing a room with my older sister, it's much more fun to have a room to myself. So, 365 days later I have my own room, in a mansion, with five other girls. It may be the coldest room in the house, but at least it's my own.

...I was probably thinking I was in need of a vacation. I'm always in need of a vacation! 356 days later I've had more vacations, more adventures, and more good times than I ever could have imagined. I love making money!

...I was reflecting on my college days, and thinking that that I was just about to finish up my last semester of college, and couldn't wait to be done with homework forever! 365 days later, I'm beginning my first post-college graduate course. It's only one class, but it's a class nonetheless.

...I was driving an American made car with an obnoxious blinker. 365 days later, I proudly sport a 4Runner, my dream car (minus the fact that it doesn't have a sunroof). And yes, a worldly possession such as this makes me happy.

...I was still thinking that the boy from my computer lab days at BYU, who had a girlfriend, and lived far far away, was cute. 365 days later, I'm now his girlfriend, yet he still lives far far away. Go figure!

...I was longing to be at the beach. 365 days later, the longing is still there.

The past 365 days have been full of change, adventure, and excitement, but also full of disappointment, hardships, and a wake up call to reality. A lot can happen in 365 days. I can only imagine what the next 365 days will bring.

Shiba Inu Temperament

A phone conversation at work today went something like this:

Me: Hi, I'm trying to find an updated Post Call Forwarding list, the current one I have is from 2006
HelpDesk: We generally get our list off of the intranet, do you want me to direct you where to go?
Me: That would be great
HelpDesk: If you, {insert all of the links to get to said list}. Actually, why don't I just send you the link, that will be easier.

The email pops up in my inbox with this link:

HelpDesk: Ok, click on that link, then scroll down to the Post Call Forwarding link
Me: Um {pure confusion going on}...sorry, but where did you say you wanted me to go?
HelpDesk: Scroll down to the bottom where it says "Post Call Forwarding"
Me: Are you sure this is the right website? There's a picture of a dog...
HelpDesk: {After a long pause, laughter breaks out} Wow, my face just turned three shades darker.
Me: {Laughing hysterically on the other end...in fact, I'm still laughing}

It's good to know I'm not alone in wasting time while at work. Unless you consider reading, "Shiba Inu Temperament- The Good and the Bad", not wasting time?

Days of the Past

12 days into the new year

19 days post Christmas

48 days since Thanksgiving

And 50 days since I've been back in the country

Which means:

50 days of feeling perplexed

48 days since I fulfilled a dream

19 days ago Christmas didn't feel like Christmas

and 12 days of realizing this year will be unlike any other

Change is in store, and that's a good thing!

Love is all you need

I'm blogging again about work,

but not to tell you all that I'm headed back to Africa in the near future.

When I see things like this,

It makes me excited about what I do.

And makes me love organizations who are equally doing their part

To help out all of those who are infected with HIV/AIDS in Africa.

So, here's to you Starbucks,

For helping out a struggling Continent.

This video is slightly cheesy,

But, for your enjoyment,

Here are some renditions of,

"All You Need is Love"

Some are definitely more entertaining than others.

So, enjoy!

Where Am I?

Which is more normal?
This:

Or this?I can't ever say I've eaten In-n-Out in 12 degree weather before,
Until last night anyway.
I'm not so sure what Utah's trying to become these days,
But I' think they've finally gone too far.

Soaring Through the Sky...

A lot of people hate Delta right about now, a lot of east coasters anyway. 

After the massive snow storm, Delta conveniently experienced delayed/cancelled flights, overbooked

 flights, or no flights at all. 

However, I some how bypassed all of the craziness and am happily sitting on the plane on my way home for the holiday's.

 And the best part of all, I get to watch this on my flight while writing this post. 

I love technology and I love BYU football!

But I'll be honest, I'll be pleasantly surprised if they actually win. 

Love, The Candrians

Thanks to my talented sister, here is another Candrian Family video.

Yes, be excited you get to view our lovely faces for the next 5 minutes. 

I like to think we're a rather enjoyable bunch. 

 

Winter Wonderland Part 2

Well, the DC weatherman predicted correctly, 

And those 8-12 inches of snow not only fell, but fell hard, and doubled in precipitation.

I may have not heeded the traffic advisories and stayed in doors yesterday,

But if you had a new car with four-wheel drive, you'd want to test it out in the snow too.

And test it out I did. 

I love making smart purchases. 

I wasn't too prideful in zooming past those small car people who were getting stuck in the snow though,

I'd just pull over to the side of the road, everyone would jump out, give a little push,

And we'd all be happily on our way once again.

Naturally, Washingtonians freaked out at yesterday's blizzard. 

Church was cancelled.

Flights were delayed.

Lines at the airport outrageous.

Abandoned vehicles adorned the roads.

And even after a beautifully sunny Sunday, 

With blue skies and not a cloud in sight,

Work, too, is cancelled for tomorrow.

Washington, I kind of love what snow does to you.

I'll gladly take being forced into a lazy state for one more day. 

Just don't interfere with my flight home on Tuesday, or things might get ugly. 

Winter Wonderland

They say a storm is making it's way to DC tonight, leaving the city covered in white.

I may be a bit skeptical about this storm. Washingtonians are a bit extreme when it comes to storms, they freak out just thinking it might snow. But secrets out, I hope the predicted 8-12 inches that will blanket the city tomorrow is true. It's just not Christmas time without feeling like "I'm walking in a winter wonderland."

Christmas Miracle

Have you ever had those moments when Friday night rolls around, you have options of festivities to choose from, and the only thing you want to do is crawl into bed, close your eyes, and go to sleep? Good, me too, and this weekend, that's all I wanted to do. Two weeks of constantly being tired is getting kind of old. So, crawling into bed, and finally getting a good nights rest, sounded like my ideal festivity. But, something told me I needed to go out and be social, even if it was against my will. So, I was good and complied.

An 11pm phone call rushed me home to the sight of this:

Thanks to our observant neighbors, we discovered our house was full of carbon dioxide. Awesome! Thanks to these studly firefighters, we learend that had we all stayed home last night, we wouldn't have woken up in the morning. Not so awesome!

Thank goodness for tender mercies and being alive! That's my kind of Christmas miracle. 

Dreams Do Come True

Jet lag,

Being back in the states for less than 24 hours,

An encouraging sister (and parents in their own way),

A need to get to Richmond, VA for Thanksgiving,

A childhood dream,

And the end result equals a big purchase.

What's a girl to do with all her money than make a childhood dream come true?

Good bye old!

Hello new!

My Thanksgiving/Christmas/Valentines/Easter/and Birthday present to myself!

I kept this big purchase from my parents until last weekend,

I wanted them to see my big purchase first hand.

My Mom's words, "Oh brother"

My Dad, he just wanted to drive it.

I think that means they approve.

One dream down, a few more in the works.

Froze

Recently everyday I feel just like this...

I decided long ago, that wherever I end up in life, sunny, warm, pleasant weather must always be present.
Bitter, cold, miserable, numbing weather, just doesn't do it for me.