On The 1st Day of Christmas...

That's right people, just 12 more days until Christmas! Things are finally falling into place and calming down as the big day approaches. Grandma and Grandpa Vienop were here visiting over the weekend and I had Thur-Sun off. A nice break for a change.
Thursday night was my sisters holiday choir performance. It was pretty good. For some reason it seems like my high school choir was SO awesome that no high school choir I've heard has sounded as good since. And I don't remember feeling as young in high school as my sister and her classmates looked. Bobbe and Michael came with me and as we sat there, Bobbe and I critiqued the performers, lol. Afterwards we went out for Margaritas and Katie joined the 3 of us. It was really nice hanging out with everyone again.
Friday morning I took my Psychology final and met up with dad to go have lunch with Grandma and Grandpa. We went to SteakNShake. Mmm. That place is good, I had never been before! It's kind of like Burgerville back home. After that we went to pick out our Christmas tree. Let me tell you, our tree is like Charlie Brown's Christmas trees Uncle or something, lol. Katlyn didn't want a fat tree this year so dad and I picked out the tallest, skinniest one we could find (which isn't saying much...) and after the guy trimmed the bottom so it would fit in a stand, that tree was tiny!
Friday night we all went to dinner at the Aquarium in the Opry Mills Mall. I had Thai Tuna, very tasty! Then Grandma and Grandpa took my family to see the Rockettes. It was such a good show. Daniel and Katlyn quickly noticed that at least 75% of the audience had white hair... I remember when I was younger going to shows or events with the youth group and thinking the same things they were.. Are there any hot members of the opposite sex here? Glad I don't have to worry about that now. Anyway, like I was saying, the show was really good. The music was great and the different acts were fabulous! I think my favorite act was were the Rockettes dressed up like toy soldiers and marched around!
Saturday Grandma and Grandpa and Michael came over and we played 31 and watched Surviving Christmas. Then we went and saw the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. I was impressed. I have read all 7 of the Narnia books at least twice and listened to them on tape... I'm always sceptical of books being turned into movies, but this movie stayed true to the book and wasn't too cartoonish. In fact, I think the same people who made Lord of The Rings are the ones making the Narnia movies. The movie is a little long but if I hadn't known that going into the movie I wouldn't have noticed it at all! Great movie... must see!
Sunday dad led the church service and did an excellent job. Go dad! The music was really good and the message was too. Then we all went back home and decorated the tiny tree, lol. It's cute. Then we played some more 31 and went over to Pastor Chris' for dinner. His wife, Judy, is such an excellent cook! After dinner we came back home and exchanged presents with Grandma and Grandpa. I got a beautiful blue/green scarf. gloves and hat set! Then Michael came over and we sang Christmas songs. I also lipsynced a to Santa Baby and danced around the living room... so embarrassing...
Very good weekend! Now I have one more test (biology) to take tomorrow and then school is done for the month. Taylor gets here on Saturday. And most of Christmas shopping is done (in my head at least, I just have to wait for the money to come so I can buy what I'm going to get people, lol.)
Merry Christmas!

Ready, Set, Go Christmas!

It's not even December yet and my holiday season is off to a great start!


On Thursday after our Thanksgiving meal with my family, Michael and I went back to his place and he set up his Christmas tree. I'm afraid I wasn't much help, and neither were the kittens, lol.











Friday morning my family got up and went Christmas shopping for a couple hours. Our first stop was Target. We spent a good amount of time there and I got a few items. We then headed home but got side tracked at Bed Bath & Beyond because the parking lot wasn't as full as some of the other store parking lots. We also visited the shoe store where I became mildly depressed because all the shoes I liked did not come in a size big enough to fit my feet! Stupid shoe stores who don't cater to women with bigger than size 9 feet! (I'm a size 10!).
Saturday morning I woke Michael up early (around 10am) and we headed out toward the Opry Mills Mall. He wanted to take me to Ice Land but the line was so long, we decided to walk around the hotel and mall instead. Hopefully we will be able to get into ice land sometime this week, it looks really cool!
I had been to the Opry Mills Hotel once before, last May, with my family and it is really nice. Right now it is all decorated for Christmas as you can see in the pictures I posted on here. There are little christmas lights above the tables and then there are white lights hanging above those. I bet the night desplay of lights is spectacular! They have Santa's e-mail and a place where the little kids can sit on Santa's lap and have their picture taken, I took a picture of Michaels butt, lol.



There are also a lot of huge Christmas trees...














Today did not start out so great but it ended wonderfully as I am again reminded just how lucky I am to have Michael in my life. He is an amazing man and I don't ever want to forget it or take him for granted!
Now it is time to finish up my last couple weeks of school. I have two tests on Wednesday and one on Friday. In another class, I am supposed to write 100 things I learned from the class... as my final, lol. So far I have 26. Wish me luck! And happy holidays! Hope your holiday weekend was a eventful and fun as mine!

Happy THANKSgiving!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, so here is a list of things I am thankful for:
1) My family. That includes my immediate family as well as extended... Especially my grandparents for letting me live with the for the 8 months before I moved to Tennessee. Also, my mom and dad for taking me in again ;) It's really nice being able to hang out with my brother and sister.
2) My friends. So easily taken for granted! I miss my friends back home and I can't wait to see them all again when I go home in January. Thank you for all your love, support, time, memories, and more! Make new friends but keep the old ;) I'm thankful for the few people here in Tennessee I can call my friends.
3) My boyfriend. (He counts as a friend and a boyfriend ;) I am so blessed to have found Michael! He makes every day so much better. He is smart, funny, sexy, honest, supportive and caring and so much more! I look forward to our future ;)
4) My job. I know it's not the best job in the world, but it is easy and stress free, for the most part. My bills are getting paid, SLOWLY, and that's all that matters at this point.
5) My books. I love to read.
6) My music. Talk about the ultimate form of expression!
7) Safety. With the hurricane and the war in Iraq and thunder and lightening storms and tornado watches... I am thankful that my life is in God's hands.
What are you thankful for?

I'm Feeling You

I really like Michelle Branch... here's my fav song by her right now:

I'm Feeling You
Michelle Branch Featuring Santana

Sometimes, I imagine the world without you
But most times, I’m just so happy that I ever found you
It’s a complicated web, that you weave inside my head
So much pleasure with such pain
How we always, always stay the same

I’m feelin’ the way you cross my mind
And you save me in the nick of time
I’m ridin’ the highs, I’m diggin’ the lows
‘Cause at least I feel alive
I’ve never faced so many emotional days
But my life is good
I’m feelin’ you
I’m feelin’ you

You go, and then I can finally breathe in
‘Cause baby I know, in the end you’re never leavin’
Well we’re rarely ever sane, I drive you crazy and you do the same
But your fire fills my soul
And it warms me up like no one knows

'Cause I’m feelin’ the way you cross my mind
And you save me in the nick of time
I’m ridin’ the highs, I’m diggin’ the lows
‘Cause at least I feel alive
I’ve never faced so many emotional days
But my life is good
I’m feelin’ you
I’m feelin’ you

[guitar solo]

I’m feelin’ the way you cross my mind
And you save me in the nick of time
I’m ridin’ the highs, I’m diggin’ the lows
‘Cause at least I feel alive
I’ve never faced so many emotional days

I’m feelin’ the way you cross my mind
And you save me in the nick of time
I’m ridin’ the highs, I’m diggin’ the lows
‘Cause at least I feel alive
I’ve never faced so many emotional days
But my life is good
I’m feelin’ you
I’m feelin’ you
I’m feelin’ you
I’m feelin’ you

Oh I’m feelin’ the way that you cross my mind
And the way that you save me in the nick of time
Oh I’m feelin’ the way when you walk on by
I feel light, I feel love, I feel butterflies

I feel butterflies

A Really Cool Picture

Recent Stuff

I haven't written anything for a while. Like really written anything...

Saturday my family and I celebrated Thanksgiving (early). My grandma and grandpa were visiting from Oregon and they left either yesterday or today. It was really great! Michael came over and celebrated with us. It was weird because at one point I was walking out to the mailbox and I remember thinking two things. 1) Will the mail even come since it's a holiday? 2) Shouldn't the neighbors be inside getting ready for Thanksgiving? Lol. Both of these thoughts were quickly ended when I remember that it was Saturday, the 12th of November, and not really Thanksgiving Day. It's still weird though because it seems like the end of this semester and Christmas should be even closer, but they're not. While everyone else is busy getting ready to go home for this holiday weekend, I have already had it. Can you tell I don't often celebrate holidays on the wrong days? Birthday's are no big deal, but obviously the commercial holidays are.
After dinner, I took a nap. Then Kristen and I went over to Michaels and then out dancing and to a couple bars. It was a blast! Michael had been gone for 5 days in Las Vegas so it was really nice being able to go out with him! I'll admit it, I missed Michael (and if you know me at all, you know I hate the words "I miss you" in a relationship... luckily he was physically far away and thus the "missed" status was appropriate...). I think Vegas soaked into his brain a bit much, at one of the bars Michael started giving me a lap dance and all the ladies in the bar were jealous, lol ;)
Other than all that, I have been busy with homework. Luckily my tests and papers haven't been scheduled all on the same day, but they are spaced out just enough to cause me to have to study in every free minute I get. Plus, I have been working a lot... some by choice, some because the manager who does our schedule at OB sucks.
I have begun Christmas shopping. And I made my Christmas list, or at least started that also.
Oh, and I bought my plane ticket to go home to Oregon in January. Don't know yet if Michael is coming with me or not... he's still trying to win a trip to the Bahamas for a chance to win $1,000,000.00 playing poker. He has until the 16th of December to win the trip. I'm really supportive of him winning, I think that would be awesome and that's one of his goals, but at the same time I'm selfishly hoping he doesn't win so he can come to Oregon with me. He got to show me Texas and where he's from and I met his best friend. Now I want to show him where I grew up and went to school and introduce him to my best friends (they are all interested to meet him ;) Another set of my grandparents will be here for a visit during the first week of December. Also, Michael's son Taylor is going to be visiting for two weeks right around Christmas. I'm excited to get to finally meet Taylor (I hope he likes me!).
So that's pretty much all that's going on. A little less than a month of classes left... registering for spring 2006 on Friday.
Today I finally had a day off of school and work and had nothing to do. It's been great! Lazy days are much needed in everyone's life!

Chinese Zodiac

My Chinese Zodiac sign is the rat...

"Though the Western rat is reviled as little more than a bottom-dwelling disease carrier, this animal is viewed much differently in the East. The Eastern rat is revered for its quick wits and its ability to accrue and hold on to items of value; rats are considered a symbol of good luck and wealth in both China and Japan. Clever and quick-witted, the Rat of the Chinese Zodiac is utterly disarming to boot. Possessed of excellent taste, this Sign flaunts its style at every turn. Its natural charm and sharp, funny demeanor make it an appealing friend for almost anyone. The Rat likes to know who is on its side and will treat its most loyal friends with an extra measure of protection and generosity."

"Behind that sweet smile, though, Rats are keen and unapologetic promoters of their own agendas. This Sign is motivated by its own interests, which often include money; greed can become a problem if the Rat isn't careful to keep its priorities straight. This Sign's natural powers of charm and persuasion can definitely come in handy! Although they are often hoarders, Rats can be very generous to those in their "pack," namely friends and family members who have proven their loyalty. Others might perceive them as quick-tempered and sharp-tongued, but never boorish. Verbal jousting is a great pleasure for the Rat, a Sign that everyone around will quickly learn either to love or to hate."

"Rats enjoy being on the outside looking in, as the outside affords a view into the inner workings of a system or situation. The Rat's keen mind always seeks out new knowledge, to be stored away for future use. This ever-curious Sign also welcomes challenges as a way to stay sharp. If boredom sets in the Rat is no fun at all, but that isn't likely; this Sign knows how to keep itself entertained."

"A valuable lesson for Rats is to learn to consider others above themselves, at least sometimes. If they can develop their sense of self and realize it leaves room for others in their life as well, Rats could find true happiness."

Some of this stuff is true, especially that I like to be on the outside looking in. An example of this would be at Christmas, I like to sit back and watch everyone open their presents and interact with eath other... silently taking it all in. Also, people have commented on my style. I'm not so sure about being greedy with money... If I have it, I tend to spend it, but I don't have it that often, lol.

If you want to find out your Chinese Zodiac, go to http://chinese.astrology.com/index.html?ice=ast,tabhoro,chi

Happy Halloween

Michael and I finallly carved pumpkins, aren't they cute?