Branch Christmas Party!!!

So we had our branch Christmas party last night, and it was awesome! It was a formal affair...mostly. There was a spectrum of "formal" which is just fine by me. Everybody looked lovely. Everybody, that is, except my "friends" who showed up with the facial hair I hate most: mustaches. Ew. Jason and Cameron have been sporting beards/gotees ever since they found out how I feel about mustaches, so I pretty much knew that the facial hair would be reduced to a mustache sometime...I just didn't know when. Honestly, I was banking on it over our upcoming trip to Colorado. (Funny, I had just been having a conversation with Brooke about it the night before.) Anyway...the first person I saw when I entered the Rose Shop was Cameron, wearing a big smile and a handlebar mustache. Oi...I really can't tell you what my reaction was exactly; I'm pretty sure it involved rolling my eyes and walking away...there's a 50/50 chance that there was a smile on my face; I'll have to ask Cameron. Anyway, once I saw Cameron and his nasty facial hair, I was planning on Jason showing up with less than a beard as well. And I was right to assume such. He had a mustache and mutton chops. Geez. Later on, Jayson showed up with a mustache (which I was not planning on). Scott showed up with a mustache as well. I was surrounded by mustaches all night!

So as obnoxious as my friends are, I laughed at it. I figured the joke was over.

Oh, how wrong I was.

After the fellas had finished eating, they showed up with bananas. That's right. They pealed and ate them right there in front of me. Cameron even mushed it into his mustache all over his face, just for the nasty affect of my least favorite food stuck in my least favorite form of facial hair. Ew. A lot.

Besides all this, though, the evening was lovely. Jamie sang us a tune and President Baird read a poem in his...uh...special attire. Then we had a white elephant gift exchange, watched the Nativity (Luke 2), and gave a personal gift to Christ. It was lovely note to end on.

Here are some pix of the night's events...

Me and my cute roommates, all decked out.


Jason, Gina, Cameron...and their mustaches.
This was before the banana prank.

Kattie enjoying her prime rib dinner.
Yum-o!

Here is the banana attack.
Jayson, Scott, me, Cameron and Jason.

Cameron with banana mushed all over his face.
He and Jason think they are so funny.

It's kind of funny; at some point, I closed my eyes and plugged my ears for I don't know how long. When I opened my eyes, I saw about a dozen of my friends from the branch snapping pictures, which is something I was not expecting.

Our wonderful branch presidency:
Bro. Buell, Pres. Baird, Bro. Kocsis, and Bro. Stevenson.
I love these men!

Linda and Melinda.

Jennifer, Tish and KaTrina

Patrick and Jamie

President Baird (aka PB) reading us an original poem:
" 'Twas One Week Until Christmas"
by Clement Clarke Moore, adapted by Gina Orgill for Pres. Mike Baird

More of the wonderful people in the branch:
Sam, Chelsie, Kelsey, Sheila, Hayley, Mark

And now I give you: BROCK HIGHAM!!!
This fella moved to AZ to get educated, and nobody knew
he'd be back for our party. What a great surprise!

***************************************
'Twas One Before Until Christmas
by Clement Clarke Moore, adapted by Gina Orgill for Pres. Mike Baird

‘twas a week until Christmas and all through the branch
Carols were playing, which made Chris want to dance.
The Harshbargers prepared such a wonderful meal—
No bananas were used, which for Gina was a big deal!
The children were nestled ‘round the tables on chairs
Awaiting PB’s poem read in his long underwear.
Sister Baird, looking lovely, and I—dressed like this—
Snuck under the mistletoe for a sweet Christmas kiss!
When out in the parking lot arose such a clatter
We sprang from our seats to see what was the matter.
Someone was attempting to steal the skis
Of Cameron and Jason—they took him down with great ease.
Katie and Sheila attended to his wounds
Because they’re so smart, and that’s what they do…
The moon cast dark shadows and Missy got scared
So Briant led her back inside ‘cause he cared.
When what to our wondering eyes had appeared
But dessert on the tables, and each of us cheered.
With presents beside them—white elephant gifts;
Brianne got excited, and our spirits did lift.
More rapid than eagles the packages were unwrapped
The happy jubilation awoke Brooke from her nap.
Now Jamie and Patrick, plus Hayley and Mark
Snuck off to smooch under the mistletoe in the dark.
Then Linda sang us a beautiful tune—
It sounded so lovely that Matthew did swoon.
Then all twinkling and cute Jennifer, too, sang
In the hearts of David and Kandyce, melodies rang.
As our hands clapped together, we all cheered for more;
Brother Stevenson sounds just like Bing Crosby for sure!
We were dressed to impress; we looked good, it’s no doubt…
“This party is rockin’!” KaTrina did shout.
It all came together with planning and care
The fellows looked handsome and the maidens were fair.
Shalene had sewn pretty jackets for girls
To make dresses modest and look good with their pearls.
Megan and Kayla, so cute on their own,
Lent their services too—pretty hair do’s were shown.
Our eyes-how they sparkled like the lights on a tree;
We’re so glad for new friends from the Virlow branch, don’t you see?!
The 1^st branch is spectacular—we make each other smile…
In planning activities, Kattie goes the extra mile.
Jess posts the bulletins. Matt Svedin ain’t no geek.
And coming up soon Melinda marries Ryan Weeks!
Kelly likes to bake, and she’s good at it too!
Speaking of cooking—Tracie makes a good stew.
A wink of the eye from Billy can really make us worry;
But we’ll just call on Tish; she calms him down in a hurry.
We don’t need to say how we love one another;
It’s obvious in the way we treat all as sisters and brothers.
Lisa and Callie are both organized and so darn cute;
The Kocsises travel to Colorado with boots.
The Buells are noted for all of their fame;
They’re constantly going to all sorts of games.
The poem was ending, and PB did state:
“You all are amazing, and I think you should date!
Hold to the rod and be faithful and true.
Happy Christmas to each and every one of you!”

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

So me and my roommate Brookey decorated the front room to look like Christmas time a few weeks ago...I just finally took some pictures and uploaded them onto my computer. Here they are: it makes our apartment seem so much more homey and inviting!

This is the entire room, all sparkley.

And here we have our little Christmas tree...
Isn't it loverly?

And this is, like, the only decoration that is mine.
But I love my one Christmas item!

the $4 war...

So...last month me and my buddies went to Moab to frolic and play. Cameron drove his Amigo, so I owed him gas money. After much pestering on my part, he finally caved and told me the amount (roughly $41). I decided to write it for a few dollars over, since he drove quite a bit over the summer but would never accept money for it. Just $4. So when I gave him the check, he noticed immediately and reached for his wallet to give me $4 in cash, at which point I ran out to my car and locked him out. He followed, but before I could pull out he put the money under my windshield wipers and took off. I chased him for not very long (he's really fast!) and decided, since he thought the race was still on, that I would just put his money in his backpack. Before I left, I warned my roommates NOT to take any money from him, that it was dirty money. So I went home and relaxed. A few days later I came home from work to find the money and a note on my pillow. I realize it's only $4, but it's the principle of the thing...I gave him the money and he needs to keep it! So I found a dumb little piggy bank and switched the bills for change: $2 in nickels and $2 in pennies. Then I left it in a bag with a snooty note and giggled to myself. That was nearly 2 weeks ago. Cameron is a patient man, I suppose. He lulled me into this false sense of security that I had won the war. DANG IT! Well last night as I was pulling back the covers on my bed, I saw that $4 change spread all over my bed under my sheets. I was shocked, to say the least. I immediately blamed Brooke for "selling me down the river" to help Cameron's cause and I wrote her a note saying as much. (She was sleeping when I found my little treasure trove). So...this morning when I got up, Brooke was laughing and told me that Cameron did his own dirty work this time; he dropped by last night while I was visiting teaching to get a movie from Brooke. I suppose he noticed I was gone and had a little party in my room. (He even left the piggy bank!) Geez! This is a little bit annoying, I must say. However, the war is so not over! Not until he gives up! I have a few ideas...but if you have any ideas, please feel free to send them my way.

Did you ever wonder what $4 in change looks like?

How about $4 in change scattered inside your bed?


Here's a closer look...


And here's the culprit, Cameron.
He looks like such a nice man, doesn't he?
But in reality, he's evil...

Here we come a caroling...

So tonight for FHE, we went caroling on a hay ride. It was great fun, I must say, as well as super freaking cold. For real. Riding on the back of a truck with the ferociously cold wind whipping 'round us made me wonder if I'd ever be warm again! -But we had a good time, I think. Then it was back to the church for hot chocolate and pizza (provided by the Buells...yum-o!).

Here are some pix of tonight's events...

This was my side of the truck...
Sister Kocsis, Kelly, Jayson, Tracie, Jennifer
Gina, Cameron, Brooke

More of our carolers...

And even more...

And more still...
(there were about 40 of us in all!)

Thawing out!
Gina, Brooke, Lisa

Caroling is a tradition for the Idaho Falls 1st Branch. We did it last year (and nearly froze then too!) It really is a terrific time, even if we did nearly freeze to deaths. Oh how I heart Christmas!

Singlehood...

So...one of my friends recently had a rough few minutes dealing with life without a boyfriend. It was short-lived, but rather intense. The next day I wrote a poem about life as a single gal, dedicated to this dear friend of mine. (Cheers!)

SINGLEHOOD
by Gina O.
Guys are dumb--they really are--such anguish and frustration
Is what they bring into our lives, and--so it seems--damnation.
That was a stretch--damnation, I mean--I know we need each other;
But FINDING Mr. Right is tough when my guy friends become like brothers.
It is a CURSE, so it seems...it typically plays out the same...
Meet guy, like him, then he moves on--it's such an ugly game!
I look around at my best friends; somehow they're single too!
Amazing, great and beautiful--the guys must not have a clue!
Those friends of ours who married one go on about the boy
With whom they fell in love; how nice for them to have found a man who brings them joy.
"Hanging out" is an epidemic that plagues the whole wide world...
Whatever happened to, "Let's go out" with just one guy and girl?!
The part that feels the worst when you're so incredibly single
Is wondering, "What's wrong with me? I try to mix and mingle!"
I feel like I do my part; I wear makeup and I'm employed...
And I've done it all for me...not for some silly boy.
Happy and single--the words coexist in my life, it's true...
I'd LOVE a husband and some kids, but not until I'm wooed...
Because I'd hate to be settled for, and I don't want to settle...
I'll count the blessings I enjoy till my knight comes (with diamonds and metal!)
"It just takes one." That's what they say, and somehow I believe them...
Although this world is infested with "frogs"--I'll find my prince, my gem.
So--here's to us: the single and lovely, the fun gals without a date...
God loves us lots--just hang on--we're worth more cows than eight!

I hope that all my single gal pals out there enjoy this. It was actually a lot of fun to write. -I'm not bitter to be without a male counterpart; I've done alright without one so far. :) But this poem definitely has a lot of truth to it!

these are a few of my favorite things...

So Emily tagged me to post 15 of my favorite things in life right now. I'm thinking she means products, because that's what she posted. So here goes...(in no particular order):

1-Eucerin Creme daily moisturizer. What with the weather turning cold and the likes, my skin likes to get extra chappy. That's no good, mm-kay? So this product helps to de-chap my kuckles and cuticles. Dy-na-mite!

2-Mary Kay Satin Lips lip balm. It is exactly what it says...it turns your lips to satin. As you can tell by the product above, I've got some dry skin. Mary Kay Satin Lips helps my lips stay hydrated all the livelong day!

3-Artec Kiwi Color Reflector Root Elevator. Since I'm growing my hair out, and my hair is ultra FINE, I need some help giving my hair any sort of body. This stuff works nicely without making me look like I am trying to win a pageant or something...

4-My iPod. Although technology isn't always my friend (because it's smarter than me, I admit), the iPod is a real winner! Download iTunes for free, upload music, sync to your iPod...easy as 1, 2, 3...which is exactly what I need. Now I can jam out to my favorite tunes on the go, baby!

5-My camera. It's not the best digital camera in the world (some version of Kodak EasyShare), but it fits my needs. I rarely leave home without it.

6-Mission brand Sundried Tomato Basil tortillas. Yum-o! Makes a tasty wrap, or else superb with fajitas or tacos. Seriously: yum-o!

7-Scentsy Wickless candles and candle warmers. Honestly, this is a product I can really get behind! The candle warmers are cute (they have several to choose from). The candles come in little bars you can break into smaller pieces. They smell dynamite, and the smell works almost as soon as you turn on the warmer. And, oh yes, the thing that warms the candle is actually a light bulb. These bad boys are ultra safe...even if you dunk your hand into the wax, it doesn't burn you. They've been okayed for school districts all over the place. If I were a sales person, this would be the product I would sell! I heart Scentsy!

8-Gap OM perfume. They don't sell this dynamite scent at just any Gap Store, much to my chagrin. But it smells real good. The fellas seem to like it, too. (They like it better on the person than in the bottle...I've had a few interesting conversations about that, actually).

9-Tis the season for Cherry Cordials. Except I can't really stand the maraschino cherries at all, so I like to buy the Cherry Cordial Kisses. All the same great flavor without having to eat your way around the nasty cherry. :)

10-Wow...fifteen products is a lot! Umm...the Office DVDs? Sure, we'll go with that. I don't own season 3 yet, but I will one day in the near future. I heart that show!

11-Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration CD. I really love Celtic music, and this CD is excellent! My favorite songs on there include: Christmas Pipes, O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, and The Wexford Carol. But they're all pretty excellent. Oh, and you can safely assume that this CD has already been uploaded to my iPod.

12-I love Crock Pots. For real. The slow cooker is a genius invention! You can make so many tasty meals in these bad boys with little actual work! Ellen Degeneres has said "That's not cooking, that's magic." I totally agree...this is some magic I can get behind! I love 'em!

13-I'm a big fan of hot cereal too. I fell in love with porridge on my trip to the UK (that'd be oatmeal here). Go, Quaker Oats. And also Cream of Wheat. Mix it up with some brown sugar and consume with a glass of cold milk, and I'm one happy girl!

14-Maurice's slacks. I love that store, and this is the place where I get my slacks. They have various brands, but I think most of mine are actually Maurice's brand. They are super cute, I get lots of compliments on them, and they're quite comfortable too. The triple threat...or something. :)

15-My Columbia Wool Socks. Don't worry, they're not itchy and gross like you're thinking, like with wool sweaters. These bad boys keep my tootsies nice and warm, and they're super!

There, I did it. And I didn't even have to borrow from the Sound of Music...like "raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens" (and this is good, because I hate cats, and I don't like to lie!) Anyway, I'm going to tag Bridget and Elise. Good luck, ladies. 15 is a lot!

Thanksgiving...

Well this weekend sure was a good one! I'm pretty sure it had something to do with getting the heck away from regular life on Tuesday afternoon. (It's not that I don't absolutely love my every day life, but it was just getting to the point where I needed to go home and spend quality time with the fam). I ended up losing my voice for most of my trip home...Wednesday I sounded quite manly, and Thursday my voice was just above a whisper. -ANYHOO...I had myself a great time! I got to hang out with the fam and just kick back and relax. And, oh yeah, the Thanksgiving feast was dy-na-mite! Kudos to my momma for all that tasty grub!

I didn't get to see Aaron, Amy and the boys until Saturday, but it was worth the wait. Honestly do you think little boys can even get any more handsome than this?! I'm quite certain they don't! (If you're going to disagree with me, then don't answer that question).

Here are some pictures as proof of their handsomeness.

Jackson-up close and personal, eh?


Sethington

Giggle-pants Seth.
I wish I could remember what he was laughing at...


Seth has started taking his first steps...
here are a few I caught on film.
That's his momma, Amy, beside him.

And here's Jackson taking a bath.
I think he looks pretty cute with his goatee of bubbles!


After his bath, Gramma tried to put Jackson down
and he'd lift his feet and wrap his legs around hers.
He thought this was a pretty fun game.

Goose has the ability to dwarf everyone around him.
Especially babycakes Sethington.

Oh, and here's one without the nephews:
Goose and our little mother.

My nephews are the cutest! And my family is the greatest! -I really ought to take pictures of EVERYONE when I go home next time...which will probably be pretty easy, as it'll be Christmas. Yeehaw!

did you know?

I was tagged by Elise, so here goes...

Six random facts about yours truly:

1-I grew up in a house full of boys (4 brothers), and I'm grateful for it! They say that your siblings help to shape you into the person you are and who you become, which totally makes sense. I sometimes think that they have ruined me (although they say they've primed me). I am, by no means, a girly girl. But in all honesty, I like myself and I love my brothers. In fact, when I grow up and find a guy who wants me bad enough to marry me, I hope we have mostly sons. Girls equal drama, and I'd rather not deal with it en-mass.

2-As much as I'm not a girly girl, I still don't quite get a lot of the logistics of sports. I enjoy watching live sports (LIVE meaning I'm sitting there in the arena, not watching it on the TV)--especially hockey! I even understand some basic rules and terminology. But if you start talking about statistics or technical terminology, etc., I am one lost girl.

3-I hate video games...except for Guitar Hero and that one karaoke game you can play on PS2. I could waste a lot of time in front of either of those games, especially if my brothers are there, wasting time alongside me. :)

4-I haven't been very many places--yet. But the few places I've been I've LOVED (namely Scotland and Vancouver BC). And I've totally caught the bug; I want to see the world and experience life abroad firsthand...as long as I can come back home to the good old USA. (I love America and couldn't give it up!) Places I want to see (in no specific order): *Sweden *Greece *Italy *Brazil *Germany *Austria *China *Portugal *Spain *Switzerland *Australia *Ireland *etc., etc.

5-I enjoy being teased. Blame it on the brothers, but I can actually thrive on it. People have pushed the limits a few times and gone a bit too far, but it's rare.

6-I wish carbs were proteins and vice versa. I'm trying to be health-conscious, but mostly I'm just aware that I'm eating lots more carbs than proteins. (Carbs are so much easier and oh-so tasty! Why can't the roles of carbs and proteins just switch?!)

I guess I'm supposed to tag people now...? I've never played this game before. I guess I'll tag Emily and Jules.

Moab commentary...

This past weekend, me and my buddies went to Moab to play. We went mountain biking, hiking, and jeeping. So much fun! We spent a fair amount of time in Arches NP and drove around in the Canyon Lands.

We (Lisa, Brooke, Jason, Cameron, and me) headed out on Thursday evening in Cameron's Amigo. Got to Moab right around 1:30am, where we met up with JANELL!!! Slept in a bit, then hit the road and had all sorts of fun Friday and Saturday.

Honestly, Friday wasn't one of my better days. I woke up feeling good and happy, but then I must've eaten something bad for breakfast because I felt ill and threw up before heading to Klondike Bluffs bike trail. And then I threw up once more on the trail. (My friends all stayed put while I walked off and vomited in a bush...I think it's because they care, although I was kinda embarrassed by it. Oh well...) We made our way to the top of the trail, then headed back down. Downhill is definitely more fun than uphill, but I (of course) went off the trail (it all looks the same to me) and had what Jason called a "blow out." My bike flew end-over-end and somehow my bike seat twisted 90 degrees. I, miraculously, fell off on my side, rather than over the handlebars and onto my noggin. So...I got up and picked up my bike, then realized I was shaking pretty bad. So I sat down for a bit while Jason fixed my bike seat. And then...I realized...I had torn my pants. Yep. Ripped them down the front. So I was exposing much more of me than I'd care to admit. Fortunately I was wearing white "biking shorts" under my ripped pants, so that could've been worse. (I have to say, I still cringe with embarrassment when I think about this part of the trip). Anyway...I got back on my bike and tried not to be too scared the rest of the way down the mountain. I made it. Yay hooray.

After the biking experience, we went back to the hotel to put our bikes away--and so I could change my pants. Then we went jeeping. 6 people in the Amigo is not its full capacity, but it was a bumpy ride and quite interesting. But fun! We saw Gemini Bridges...the whole of Arches and Canyon Lands is AMAZING. -Afterwards, we went back to shower, then we had dinner at Moab Brewery. Then soaked our sore selves in the hot tub. -Afterwards, I noticed my wallet was nowhere to be found, so I freaked out (mildly) and called the Brewery to see if it was there. They said NO, it wasn't, but Janell drove me there to check it out just in case. Turns out it, in fact, was there...under the table where I was sitting. Geez, what a stressful day Friday was!

Next day, we got up early-ish and had ourselves breakfast. (I steered clear of the bagels and cream cheese). Then we hiked to Delicate Arch (so beautiful!) and played around Arches NP for a bit. Then we headed to Canyon Lands and did some more off-roading. Went to Muscleman Arch. And Island in the Sky.

Then back to the hotel to play a fun game, True Colors. We played in the boys' room, and, truth be told, I'm pretty sure the game would've been much more fun if we would've turned off the freakin' television. (Everybody was enthralled with this show called Ninja Warrior. It has its merit, it's rather entertaining...but I got sick of it after about 30 minutes. Not Jason, though. And everyone else, for that matter. I'm sure it was my problem, eh? :)

Sunday we got up and went to Sacrament meeting at the Moab 4th ward, then went back to the hotel to pack up the Amigo and trailer with our bikes, etc., and then said our sad farewells to Janell. Then it was back to Idaho for the rest of us.

As...ah...interesting as Friday was, this weekend really was a winner, and I'm glad I have such awesome friends! (As Cameron said, it took me moving to Idaho and making friends with the great people up here to get me to see the MAJOR landmark of UT, the Delicate Arch. Geez...) So...thanks, my people of Idaho. I had a great time!

Moab...the pix

Biking Klondike Bluffs

Janell and Gina

On the trail, there were several little rocks in "rings."
These rings were surrounding dinosaur tracks.
This is my foot next to one of 'em.


Poor Brooke got squished by Lisa and Jason while jeeping
on our way up to Gemini Bridges.


Some commentary about my experience of my crash...
Brooke took this video when we were up at Gemini Bridges.

This is Gemini Bridges.
You can't tell very well from this picture, but there's a big gaping hole
which makes this two bridges instead of one.
Hence "Gemini Bridges"
The ride down from Gemini Bridges:
Brooke, Lisa and Jason stood up in the back of the Amigo.
It was cold, but they had a good time back there.

Hiking to the Delicate Arch

My first view of Delicate Arch!
Seeing THE arch from another arch...


Cameron brought up a few times this weekend how pathetic it is
that I'm from Utah and haven't seen the Delicate Arch before.
It is pathetic.
The situation has been remedied.

Lisa and Brooke perched up high near the D.A.

I scampered up the least threatening big rock up there
so I could gaze off into the distance.
Me and Lisa doing "the stance."

We went to see the North and South Windows.
I think it looks like a TMNT mask...

My friends in the North Window.

Mirror Arches

A view from Mirror Arches (I think?)
We frolicked in another arch after the Windows.
This is a view from a rock...wherever we were at this point.
The Windows are in the direction where my camera is pointed...

Don't you think this picture belongs in an ad to sell an Amigo?
Too bad they don't make them any more...

This is at Muscle Man...something.
You can't really tell how scary it was;
the drop was hundreds of feet, and it made me nervous!
This is the whole crew...

On our way up to Island in the sky.
We went top-down, and I nearly froze.
Brooke took this picture without my knowledge.
Obviously.
(You do what you gotta do to keep warm!)

Atop the Island in the Sky...
Looking down at the Canyon Lands.
STUNNING!

Janell and I were freezing!

Just after the sunset from the Island in the Sky...
(I didn't get my camera out till the sun had just dipped below the horizon.)


And as a bonus...
here's the "pants" story as told by the victim.
(PS Mom, do you think you could fix 'em?)