orthopaedic shoe stores

Laying on a typical springy, squeaky, and uncomfortable bed that a futon tends to consist of in our Las Vegas condo and realizing how absolutely exhausted I am. Vegas was supposed to be a vacation. A time to get away from all the stress of school work and to relax a little before finals week totally destroys my soul. Dramatic? Nah. But instead my body aches from being so tired.

Guys. Shopping is hard work. I don't care what anyone says.

For the past couple of days I have been on the hunt for mission clothing. 

I have probably been into every hideous, orthopaedic shoe store there is, and unfortunately...there are a lot.

I have tried on more skirts that barely hit above the knee than I ever hoped to try on.

I'm sure my hair will be pure static for the rest of my life from ripping on and off shirts all day.

And I am tired.

Worn out.

Pooped.

Beat.

WASTED. Appropriate for Vegas, Yeah?!

I don't want to shop any more.

Give me 10 white shirts, a couple pairs of dress pants, and some ties.

I will take that any day.

But tomorrow, unfortunately, it will start all over again. Is this skirt the right length? Will it go with at least 10 different shirts? Can I run, hop, skip, and jump out of a moving bus if needed in it?

Yeah.

The struggle is real.

And I'm now going to go to bed with the fear that I will dream about Chinese men in orthopaedic shoe stores.

UGH. Shudder. 

Bentley Bonding

Friday night consisted of Mason swooning, puzzles, and spending time with my favourite Utah family. Because Mason was Traci's designated puzzle partner, she insisted I come and do a puzzle with her before the Holiday season, and I was so exited and honoured to do so. I'm grateful to have had these months to get to know this incredible family. It was just this past January that I met them for the first time. I was terrified and praying my little heart out that they would like me as I walked through the front door. A lot has changed in the past 11 months. My fear has changed to pure excitement, and I have gotten to know this family better than I ever anticipated.  It is bitter sweet knowing that I will only see this amazing family once more before I leave for the next 18 months. Goodbyes are creeping up on me already. Scary.

Ode to November

It seems like the months have progressed faster and faster. I thought September flew by, and then I thought October went by even faster, but November has exceeded the speed of the past two months by far! The fact that we have next week off for Thanksgiving break really helps.

VEGAS I'M READY FOR YOU!

....can we have a week break off school every month? I think that is a great idea.

I cannot believe November is almost over, I cannot believe I will be done this semester in a few short weeks, and I cannot believe I will be leaving on my mission in just a couple of months. The concept of time freaks me out more than anything, so let's not dwell on timelines.

I'm getting to the point in the semester where I can see the end of my checklist:

Take my last midterm in this class—check. 

Take my last quiz in that class—check. 

Write my last research paper in this class—check. 

Finish up my last assignments in that class—check. 

I cannot tell you how good it feels to check the final things off and see the end in sight.

I'm too excited to be done.

So here are a couple of things that sum up November:

Eating anything and everything with spinach, mushrooms, and balsamic dressing = I die in heaven.

While on the subject of food. Celery and Peanut butter is also my go to. I'm still 5 years old, it's ok.

School. Ugh. But my personal favourite of the month—taking an online midterm until 2 AM. Never again.

significant dates. November 1, 8, and 16th......so good.

The cold, brisk weather. My ideal.

Christmas prep. 33 days people!

Letters from my one and only.

Mission Paper Messes. Looks like I will be flying to Vancouver in December to beg the Portuguese consulate to let me into their country....I solemnly swear that I am not a terrorist.

Shopping online. Someone please help me with my mission wardrobe. I got nothing.

My peeve for the month..."easy close" packaging that literally takes me 5 minutes to properly close. Am I the only one?

I just want to give a personal shout out to the month of November for being so stellar. I was expecting a less than excellent performance, but it far exceeded my expectations. Cheers to you November. Thanks for finally showing me some mercy.

 

home(s)

Since I'm not a huge fan of the whole halloween thing, I decided to use that weekend as an excuse to go home. Let's be honest. I was missing my mom, and my puppy dog, and the comfort of my home pretty bad. So I skipped all my classes for the rest of the week, and at 5:00 on Wednesday morning I started out on the 12 hour drive home. I had never driven all 12 hours by myself. Usually my brother takes that responsibility, and I trade on when needed. Luckily, because of the early morning start, it didn't feel too long or too painful. I rolled into my sweet little familiar town at about 4:00 that afternoon.
My mom spoiled me and made a complete dinner just for me. Literally...just for me! Best.Day.Ever.
I didn't get to spend much time at home though, because the other reason I decided to come home was because my parents & aunts & uncles were going down to Montana to move into our new family cabin. On Thursday I got back into the car and drove to the cabin. It was perfect. The most ideal cabin with tall trees and a beautiful lake. I love Montana almost as much as I love Canada.
It was worth every penny, every mile, every headache, and every bad radio station to get to spend the weekend with my parents at home and at our (now) second home.