Here is to a New Year & a look back.

Q: Over all was 2008 a good or bad year for you?
A: I have to say this year had a lot of hard times and amazing times. It was somewhere in the middle.

Q: What was the hardest thing you had to do this year?
A: I think two things come to mind. One was dealing with the breakup with Adam. The other was when Ron became so sick again. It was so hard to see my family crumble.

Q: What was a memory you want to remember from 2008?
A: I want to remember the first Sunday I went back to church. I want to remember the peace I felt sitting by myself in the chapel after so much heart break.

Q: What car did you drive?
A: Saturn Ion II 04

Q: Did you go to school?
A: Yeah, this year I started going to UCC.

Q: Who made your 2008 worth while?
I couldn't have made it without any of these people - Trent Gurney, KaraLee Tobler, My mom, Dad, Ron, Alyssa, Matthew, Jonathan, Jen Coy, Michael Wiltbank, Brittni Traynor, Angel Moran, and Jennie.

Q: Will you be looking for a new job in the new year?
A: I hope not. I really like my job even when things get hard or stressful.

Q: Will you be looking for a new relationship?
A: Again, I hope not. I'd like to give this new one a shot and see where it takes me.



Q: What will you do different in 2009?
A: Hopefully a lot of things. I want to stay true to who I am and what I love. I will not let people change who I am or where I want to go in life.

Q: What is a New Year resolution?
A: Every year I seem to say the same thing and it usually is about loosing weight or something physical. This time I want to work at not being afraid. I let my fears get the best of me most of the time. I want to work on being happy with myself inside and out. This is pretty vague, but I figure if I am happy with myself I will be able to make others happier. Ugh, cheesy.

Q: What will you not be doing in 2009?
A: Having children. ha ha.

Q: Trips you want to have?
A: I want to go back to South Carolina this year.

Q: Something you cannot wait for in the next year?
A: Summer fun, and a Democrat being in office.

Q: What about yourself will you be changing?
A: Thats hard to say. Many things can and will happen in a year.

Q: How much did you change from last year until now?
A: A lot, lets leave it at that.

Q: What are your wishes for 2009?
A: To shine on.

Diva Glasses

Brandon gave me these silly glasses for Christmas. Then I proceeded to tackle and force the people around me to wear them and love it! Enjoy.

Christmas Week

I had such a great Christmas break! I loved being around the people who I love dearly. I spent this year at my moms house. Christmas eve my mom always makes the appetizer dinner. With just a bunch of junk food. I get sick from it probably every year but it is always worth it. Christmas morning I was woken up at 5:30 AM (Yeah, you heard me right) to open gifts. Apparently my younger brother Matthew could not even handle himself! So as you can see in some of these pictures we look half dead and it is very dark in the room.

This was taken at my house where I was opening the gifts my dad gave me. I love Ed Hardy

See...Matthew is the only one really awake at this time.

Oh, I should mention somewhere in this madness I acquired a new boy toy. His name is Brandon and he is neat.



We met up with Michael and Jon over the weekend to eat food and watch Valkyre. Which EVERYONE should see by the way.



Of course Trent came up. I actually spent most of my time with him. A random story that happened over the weekend Trent and I went to pick up Brandon to go out. After picking him up while switching lanes I ended up hitting ice and spun almost smashing the car and the people inside into some cars and mailbox. By some miracle of God we avoided all of it and backed into someones driveway. I count my lucky stars thinking about it.



You know what this means? 2009 is right around the corner. This last week was a great end to a very interesting year.

Finally!

I can put these pictures up. For my mom and dads Christmas gift I took the kids to get our pictures taken. Here are just some of my favorites.

Conquering the demon pile of clothes

I will admit it, the last couple of weeks I have slacked off with my busy schedule in keeping my room clean. It actually doesn't take much to make my room dirty. It is such a small space anything that is slightly out of place looks wrong. I have started this nasty habit of cleaning my clothes, placing them on the side of my bed, wearing them, washing them, and putting them back on the bed. Somehow I always miss the step of folding them and putting them in the drawers.

Last night I was sick of it though! Sick of not being able to find what I want to wear. Sick of sharing my bed with piles of clothes! So I decided suck it up and show them who is boss!





First step was folding. I HATE folding. Why does this always seem so hard?



I also get very side tracked with other things. One was Reggie of course. Lately he has been pulling this old black XanGo blanket I have on my bed to the floor so he can lay on it. I have spent many late nights fighting with him over the blanket. He always ends up winning because eventually I fall asleep and he sneaks it from my bed to sleep in. Last night I caved and let him keep it in his bed. Spoiled dog!



However after much screwing around time I finally finished the project and put all the clothes in my dresser. Success is sweet!

Final Score
Pile of clothes - three weeks on the bed.
Rachel - One night with the entire bed to herself.

I know, I will be a horrible house wife.

Christmas Weekend

After getting finals and work out of the way you know I had to cram as much Christmas junk I could.

First stop was XanGo's Holiday party on Friday. This year it was at the Grand America Hotel. Michael Wiltbank was willing to sit next to me the whole time, can you believe it?

We sat with Travis, Jen, Dan and their family. Oh yeah, I guess my dad was there with his friend Angel.





This year at that party was pretty good, good food, good company, good prises. The grand prise was a dinner for two anywhere in the world you wanted to go. ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! What is up with THAT? Gez! The hotel for four nights would have been paid, 2,000 bucks, and a plane trip to wherever it is your little heart desires. After that we headed up to our friends Frank and Bretts house. They have a beautiful house and always know how to throw a party.

Saturday was round two.



I went with KaraLee to her Christmas party for standard optical that was at the rice eccles stadium. It was BEAUTIFUL! You could see all of Salt Lake at night. And really, I can never pass up time with my best friend.

Her and I headed over to Brandon's place after to go see the lights at temple square. I am not sure it is possible to walk through that place especially during Christmas time and be upset. It is always so peaceful. You would think the weekend before Christmas it would be packed but it really was not that bad.

(I love this picture)

What did I tell ya? Beautiful. Another successful weekend.

It's Official

I am done with Christmas shopping! It's about time too. Trying to step foot out in the shopping wonderland around this time until Christmas is insane! In all of the rush I think people lose sight of what Christmas is all about. But, who doesn't say that these days?

I think I will really be able to enjoy the season once finals are over this week. Between the Christmas parties and tests I have to do, I could slit my wrists and do push ups.

Ah, the college life - it's a beautiful thing.

Happy Birthday Reggie

My very best friend turns four today. I can't believe almost four years ago I was trying to keep him from jumping out the car window while taking him home for the first time. I almost never cry but I can get teary eyed thinking about how he has changed my life. I begged my dad to let me get a dog (doesn't it always start out like that?). I just moved in with my dad and had no friends in Salt Lake. My dad caved knowing I would never let it go. I searched and searched. I wanted a Pembroke Welsh Corgi so bad I couldn't see straight. I also wanted to rescue a dog. I couldn't get myself to pay that much for a dog when so many need a home. Sure enough walking into the Humane society shelter there was Reggie.



I remember thinking how beautiful and full of energy he was. His family gave him up because they couldn't handle him, and I was up for the challenge. Him and I have been through a lot together and he has been a very hard dog to deal with, but worth every moment of course.

Reggie's Wrap Sheet

- Running away for three days and cutting open his entire muscle tissue on his side by getting caught on a wired fence.

- Getting caught my the dog police by escaping his kennel - four different times I had to bail him out.

- Climbing over 6 foot chain link fence, chewing through the wire, and digging himself out of anything we tried to block him in with to the backyard.

- Breaking through my moms wood fence twice. One was fixable the other I had to replace.

- Chewing up many pillows, beds, and adored stuffed animals.

(R.I.P. Jack)

Here are just a few of Reggie's favorite things to do...

Sit in my lap even if he weighs almost 50 lbs.

Chewing on rawhide for hours and hours and hours.

Watching the world

Playing dress up. (Ok - maybe this is more of my favorite thing to do)

Going hiking

Following me anywhere I go

Running (and a lot of it)

Playing with friends

Attacking anything that squirts water

And of course sleeping

Happy Birthday Reggie! I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.