Christmas 2010

Well Christmas was a lot like last year. We went to my families house for our Christmas eve feast, and then slept over. Of course at 6:30am on Christmas day I was woken up by Matt who insisted we open gifts then. I wonder if he will ever grow out of that stage. So it was a little early, but we all had a lot of fun opening gifts.




After trying to get a morning nap in (key word trying, its hard to sleep when your brother just got an electric guitar for Christmas...) we headed off to the Wildes new Christmas tradition. We all ate homemade pizzas for lunch, and had a white elephant gift exchange with ornaments. I thought it was a success and had a lot of fun with them.

Next was to my dads house, where we opened more gifts.


My dad gave me this lovely memory foam mat to go over our bed, and really makes a difference too! Brandon got a power drill which is very manly if you ask me. I gave my dad a three crock pot cooker, which I expect to see out when our green party comes around this next year. After a little gift exchange we had Christmas dinner with a few friends. That was one of the best parts of the day, not doing anything or going anywhere. I really enjoyed myself this year, and although its a lot of traveling I want to see all of my family. Thats what it is all about right?

I'm really looking forward to 2011. Let the golden year begin!

Temple Square

Last weekend my family came up to see the Temple Square Christmas lights. Which, we do every year of course.



It was very, very cold this year. Or at least it seemed that way. No matter how cold I am though, I can never get enough of looking at this...






Oh, how I love the holiday season.

Dear Mom,

There is something about the holiday season that makes me stop in my tracks, and try to catch my breath. Life is especially unbearable without you here during Christmas. Life is especially unbearable without you here with me today.

They say time heals everything, but I'm still waiting.

Merry Christmas Mom.

Love,

Rachel

Dear Mom,

Last night I had a strange dream about you, and wanted to write down as much as I can remember. It started out with Ron telling me we had to leave and pick you up from Florida.

Florida? Yeah, I don't know why it was there either.

Anyway we flew there to get you. Apparently you left the family to go find yourself, in hot sweaty Florida. And you wanted to come back home. We ended up picking you up and flying back to Utah. In the plane you sat behind me. I turned around and said.

"Oh Mom! I've missed you so very much!"

I kept going on and on about how much I missed you, and I cried a lot. I couldn't figure out why I was so emotional because in the dream you had not been gone very long. Of course now I understand why there was so much emotion. I was seeing you alive for the first time in a very long time.

I crawled into the back of the plane, in the seat next to you and held your hand.

"I can't wait for you to meet Brandon, and I mean really meet Brandon, and get to know him." I was so excited to take you back home where you belonged. We held hands and I watched you look at me and cry, as though there was something you were not telling me. But I felt like you didn't want to ruin the moment, and neither did I. So we sat and held hands until I woke up.

I really love the moments we have together in my dreams. I really believe this is the way we can really communicate, and I feel very blessed for these moments.

Thank you for letting me hold your hand.

With love and devotion,

Rachel

A Very Merry Weekend

After this last weekend, I think all I am seeing is red and green. I had a good time though. Friday night was the XANGO Christmas party where everyone got a kindle, and $300 bucks. To say the least I was very pleased, as was Brandon whom I gave the kindle to.


On Saturday it was the annual Yates Christmas party. For once in a very long time almost everyone was there (except two). You can understand how rare this is, especially when you see how big the group is.



I always enjoy seeing family I don't normally see throughout the year. I enjoyed the company, and pizza.

Sunday night was dinner with Brandon's family. We even made gingerbread houses. I found myself getting very frustrated, because I can be a perfectionist at times, but over all it was a lot of fun. Next year I will do better.




I think the kids had the most fun. Look at their masterpiece!


As for Brandon's and mine, well it speaks for itself...




Amelia's by far was the best looking. She made it look easy too. (I'll have my revenge next Christmas)



Happy holiday times indeed!

Decking the Halls

It's about time I get to posting about something interesting (or at least cool pictures to look at). The weekend of Thanksgiving we had Trent and Brittni over to help us turn our condo into the Christmas spirit.

We did a great job, if I do say so myself.





Our first Christmas tree turned out classic!



Brandon's mom gave us this ornament


And of course I put up my favorite ornament of all time


Speaking of which, I put up my moms tree as well.



New stockings is a must.


I'm also completely in love with my new nativity scene, even if a cat has already broke off the angel's arm (don't even get me started on that).

Over all I had a great time - even the animals did.



Christmas is coming, and I think we are ready.

All I Want For Christmas...

I've been a very good girl this year.

Dear Mom,

I'm not feeling so good these days. Neither is Alyssa, well she has the flu or something, but I just feel mentally sick. It's amazing the limits you are pushed to in your life, and the simplest thing happens and I just crack. But everyone cracks, you've told me that. I also was told many times by you in my life that eventually (sooner rather then later) I have to get up and try again. So I'll do that, just not today - and probably not tomorrow either.

Marriage is tricky, and I'm learning more then ever that the first year will make or break you. The emotional/physical/financial roller coaster isn't fun anymore. I'm really hoping life lets me get off the ride before I end up puking on everyone close to me. Is it too much to ask for just a warm sunny drive on the coast line instead? (Ha! If only us "Marie" women could only be so lucky!)

Is it rude of me to ask that you work something on your side to make things better? Maybe thats cheating, but I'd like a little help in getting myself in the right direction. Going around in loops seems to be getting me no where. So, work some magic up there would ya? I mean that in the nicest way possible of course.

Good grief I miss you. Hope its warmer where you are!

With love,

Rachel

Nervous Energy

So the time has come which I have dreaded for several months now.

The time where I have to try and figure something out with my work about school. I started the program I am in now, because everything was at night, and I could keep my day job. But, a law has now been in place that any animal put under anesthesia must have an x amount of people monitoring the animal for an x amount of time to make sure nothing bad happens. Because no one is staffed to watch the shelter animals at my school at night, any class you take with anesthesia in it must be taken during the day.

So, sure enough next quarter I am taking an anesthesia class, and a surgery class. Both during the day. Monday and Wednesdays from 10:40am - 3:40pm. Which is now conflicting with work. And of course I am in panic attack mode.

Hopefully my work will work with me into figuring out some type of schedule so that I can still work here, and go to school the days I need to. Although I usually always think the worst - that it will come down to me having to choose to do one or the other. Work or school?

Lets hope I don't have to make that choice, lets hope by the grace of God I'll get to do both still.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Thankful Friday

I spaced Thursday, so today will be my Thankful day of the week.

Today I am thankful for having the means to have a place to stay, food to eat, a car to drive, and TV to watch. Lately I've seem to get wrapped up in all of the things that I feel are negatively affecting my life. I let it consume me from day to day in worries. Sometimes I forget that really I am so lucky for the things I do have. So in this next week of Thanksgiving joy, I'm taking this time to remember whats really important.

Crazy Cat Lady

I blog a lot about Reggie, but he isn't my only animal these days. I have married in to two step kitties.


Leonard at first is very shy, but as I've moved in he has embraced me and Reggie into the place. Him and Reg have a mutual understanding that if neither look at each other directly in the eye, then there is no harm done. When I come home after a long day at work after I have petted Reggie, Leonard always patiently waits his turn to come and cuddle with me on the couch. And thats what our relationship is, cuddling on the couch together.


Loki is an entirely different story. I think he forgets who wanted to save him from the pound in the first place. He has always been my cat. I picked him out, and we have a love hate relationship. He isn't taking us living there so well. He constantly picks fights with Reggie, and causes problems. His latest annoying habit... trying to climb in the shower with me every morning. I also have very adorable bruises and scratches over my body which were sort of my fault but still!


I still love him to pieces, even when he looks like this...


I'm not completely sold on cats just yet. I have no idea how anyone can manage more then two. I won't be a crazy cat lady any time soon. I am enjoying these boys in my life though.

I'm No Fool

Lets just say for the sake of time that growing up - I was a bad girl. I lied to my parents, drank, snuck out of the house whenever I could, listened to dirty rap, and was even known to shop lift a thing or two (but thats a story for another time).

The buzz all week around my high school was about my friends party that was happening that Saturday. Everyone I knew was going to be at this party. It was the classic his parents are out of town lets have a big house party situation. I went home and let my mom know my friend was having a small get together and I was invited.

"Do you have his parents phone number?" She asked.

You see, my mom made it a rule that if I were to ever go over to a friends house with out her there, she had to speak with the parents. This became particularly frustrating as I got older. No 17 year old looked cool when their mom called to talk to their mom as though we were still in fourth grade.

"Um, well I don't really have the number" I replied.

"You mean, you don't want me to talk to them. Wait a minute, this isn't the party I've been hearing from other parents right? Where a bunch of kids are going to a house party to get drunk and play ping pong!"

...did she seriously just say ping pong to me?

"Ummm...." I honestly wasn't sure what to say to that.

"Rachel, there is no way you are going to that party. Kids your age have no business doing things like that, I'm sure his parents would disapprove too if they knew what was going on."

"You don't even know him! These are my friends we are talking about! They all invited me, and I am going. Even if you don't like it!" (See, I told you I was a bad girl)

"I'm going to check your bedroom through out the night, and if you are not there when I go down, I will come and find you."

That was the last we talked about it. The weekend was getting closer, and I frequently tried to come up with a plan to get to that party. I've snuck out of the house before, I'm sure I could do it again. I wasn't going to drink while I was there. And as long as I was only gone for an hour and a half she wouldn't find me. So when 11:30 came around Saturday night, I opened up the family room window, and walked to my friends car that was parked several houses down from mine.

Let me tell you - the party was awesome! When I got there people were dancing all over the house, and greeting me as though we were all best friends. Even my secret crush at the time was there, and talking to me. My crush asked if I wanted to go outside to get some air in the backyard. I brought my best friend and a few others and we all had a good time laughing and exchanging silly stories. My crush even held my hand most of the time, and when he said he had to leave, he gave me a kiss on the cheek. I was seriously on cloud nine. When reality started to sink back in, I went into the kitchen to look at the clock. It was flashing 3:47 am.

Immediately I started to panic. Where in the hell had all the time go? I started to franticly search for my purse in the sea of people, when my friend came frantically running towards me.

"Dude, I think your mom is outside!!"

My heart sunk. She actually came I thought to myself. Sure enough when I turned the corner I saw her in the doorway. Once we locked eye contact, I new the party was over. She didn't say one word to me. Not at the party, on the drive home, or when we got home, which meant I was in for a serious punishment the next day.

And yes, I got punished. However I did survive. I remember thinking she was the worst mom in the entire world for embarrassing me like that. But, when I think about this story now I say to msyelf...

Mama didn't raise no fool!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for

Veterans

Who every day give every part of their mind, body, and soul to keep me and you free. Where would we be without these courageous men and women?

My Husband

I couldn't have made it, or be the person I am now if it wasn't for him. He constantly supports me, and is there when I feel like I won't make it. I feel so privileged to have him forever.

Music

Songs like this lift me up, and inspire me to be better. I love when you hear that song for the first time and your heart races. One of the best feelings in the world

New Ink

I said a while ago I was working on a new tattoo. Actually I have several in my mind, and slowly but surely they are becoming reality. The Yates tattoo came to be because of my new name, and what I was leaving behind. It really is in memory of the relationship my dad and I have. In fact, he actually tattooed the heart on me. I still can't believe I let him come within four feet of me with a needle.


Over all it turned out better then I could imagine.


I will always have a piece of my dad with me wherever I go.