Monday, November 17, 2008

Birthmonth?!

Well as Katelyn would say, it isn't so much about your birthday as it is your birthmonth :) Well I am definitely living that up this time!
The day before my birthday we had a huge family get together while my grandparents were in town...it was fun to have everyone together...
Then of course on my birthday I spent the day at work and in class, but I received way too many treats! We had cookie dough ice cream cake from Cold Stone at work, and the girls in my class bought me coffee and cookies during our break and one of the guys brought me fries and chocolate cake!! Way too much sugar :)

The weekend my family was here was a blast, we spent Friday celebrating my birthday and then Saturday doing all of the NNU homecoming activities. My parents completely cleaned and stocked my house while I was working Friday morning...wow! So nice! Then they picked me up from work at one and the girls went for pedicures (while the boys washed my car! ;)...

Carmen met us at the salon...and that evening her and Ken came over for ice cream and games! We played Cranium, which was quite entertaining :)

For dinner, whenever Dad & Kurt come to town, Roadhouse is on the list :) I have no problem with that! The Birthday dinner...Dad & I shared Prime Rib...yum!

Then this week all of my girl cousins (and both aunts in Boise) went to dinner for my birthday (we do a dinner together for each of our birthdays...a fun way to catch up with everyone!)
Okay, so I think that about covers family parties...now onto the friends :)
Well James & I have the same birthday, and Ben's is 3 days later so the three of us thought it would be fun to celebrate together, and we along with Steph, Jess & Erika went to dinner Sunday night. We went to Sa-Wad-Dee (Thai) and then watched Robin Hood! :)
But the real party, was Wednesday (2 days after our birthday)...
James thought he was coming to NNU for a party for me...and I thought I was headed to the girls apt. to give James his birthday present...it was after my class that night, so I was just stopping by...but as I opened the door everyone yelled Surprise! haha. The girls had decorated their apartment and made individual cakes for everyone! It was so much fun! All of my favorite people in one place together :) (And I'll admit it was kind of nice to share the attention...lol)

I don't think I've ever had a surprise party before...and I definitely did not suspect anything!!

We even had candles!! If you'll notice...his are all blown out...mine, not so much!


Laughing at me...since it took me five times to blow out all my candles! :) yes, all 5 of them!


James with his froggy...one of his lovely gifts from Jess & I...we got a lot of entertainment out of this guy! :)
But then the real excitement started...Erika brought out a lighter holding the fire in her hand, which was pretty fun to watch...but not near as much fun as trying it!! :)


Here goes...



Here the camera caught the beginning of the flame...


And full fledged!! It was crazy, so much fun! Only once did I actually have to shake the fire out because my hand was starting to burn (hurt)...otherwise it was just warm...seriously, you should try it, it is so much fun! Just make a completely closed fist (or if your like me you have to use 2 hands!) with just a hole at the top...pour the lighter fluid into your hand, for awhile :) You can hear it...then take the lighter out and place it back towards (or in) the top of the hole...and light it...and if you open your hand slowly it will sit there for awhile...so cool!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Day 2

So the second night started with dinner, catered by Panda Express, at Duck Park. It was raining and so we all crammed into the shelters to eat...making sure the table of food was covered proved interesting :) But then while the 'event' was playing a HUGE game of Twister we decided to roam the park...and took lots of pics....

Climbing trees...with a little help... :)

Our group picture :)

We never made it in the trees...we just kept watch from the ground!
Then from the park we went to the Corn Maize in Meridian, which this year was in the shape of Obama and McCain's heads...well don't really know how that was, because by the time we got there it was DARK, and last year it took us about 2 hours to figure our way out of that thing! Plus by that time it was raining again and we weren't sure we wanted in the mud and rain in the dark for that long :) Instead we opted for the Field of Screams...not nearly as scary as the Haunted World maze we did a couple years ago, but still fun. By the time we were done there we were soaked!! (Pictures in previous posts) On from there we headed to Boondocks! 3 hours of unlimited games plus 20 tokens...it was fun!!
It quit raining for awhile and so we started with mini-golf, which always turns into...who can get the ball in the hole in the most creative way?! Clubs...not necessary! Lots of fun!

Would you have liked to be the group behind us? haha...there was lots of waiting involved :)



Ope, and here are all us girls...at the park again :) It really is a nice park...


Katie & my 'Hot date' picture :) Riding the dino in the arcade games! We had lots of fun winning tickets! James, Jess & I combined all of our tickets at the end and each ended up with some candy and a toy :) Jess & I got pez dispensers and James got a parachute man!
Then we all played Laser Tag together...which was hilarious, especially since James & I never figured out that you had to hold in the buttons on the side in order to make it shoot! Wow, that would have helped a lot!!!
The final event of TWIRP, is always, midnight movie at the theatre on Overland. The school rents out the theater and we have our choice of 3 movies, and 2 concessions...this year the choices were Wall-E, Hancock & Journey to the Center of the Earth...well we had all seen them before (Drive-In specials!) and so decided on Hancock.
We also watched 101 Dalmations afterwards...yup, it was like 3am when we started it :)
But hey, it was daylight savings night...so really that was only like 2!! We have been on a Disney kick lately :) We started with Beauty & the Beast the weekend we were in Twin and then watched Sleeping Beauty the day it came out, then Aladdin, now 101 Dalmations...and Robin Hood is next on the list!



Day 1

So last weekend was TWIRP...which if you know NNU at all you understand, but for those of you who don't have the privledge of participating in The Womas Is Required to Pay...it is a two day event put on by the school. It is girl ask guy, includes dinner both nights and then activities for the evening. There is always a theme, and Friday night is costumes, based on the theme. Saturday night everyone wears their TWIRP shirts! There are shirts included in the ticket prices, all of the guy shirts are one way and the girls another...and they go with the theme. In my four years at NNU the themes have been: 1. Rags to Riches 2. Disney 3. Noah's Ark and this year was 4. Board Games.
Well I'm not "technically" a student, and didn't plan on attending TWIRP this year, but Katie ended up with free tickets and the 2 of us went together...for free :) We went in a group with Jessie & James...and then a bigger group with Steph, Josh, Erika, Sean, James, Amanda, AnnJean, Brad, Courtney and Cameron. It was great! But the four of us spent the night before TWIRP making costumes...we went as a Settlement...from Settlers of Catan. Which is one of my favorite board games and it is how we met James the very first time.
How cute are we? haha...it was fun...and then the back of our shirts gave our resource names...which there is a lovely picture in the previous blog :)

Friday happened to be Halloween so a part of the planned evening was simply trick-or-treating...and while that was going on we decided to go to Dr. Allen's...a professor at NNU who has opened her home to students whenever needed. She has more 'toys' and games then we could ever find time to play, not mentioning the theatre room! So we played pool, ping pong, darts, air hockey, guitar hero and at James request even Jenga :)


Then that evening was as "harvest party" and cosmic bowling. Well the harvest party basically consisted of blow up toys and the true entertainment...a mechanical bull :) Wow...it was hilarious to watch people fall off!! We spent about an hour just watching people fly around!!



Monday, November 3, 2008

Two-Two

Today I am twenty two. Weird. My dad keeps suggesting that i need a tutu now that I have 'earned it'. Well I'm not so sure that anyone really wants to see me in a tutu, but I think this is the first birthday where I have felt like the last year has gone way too fast, and I am not ready to add another year to my age. I do NOT want to get older. Yeah, I know, I'm not old...but it sure seems like life is moving fast.
My family is coming to Nampa this weekend, and we will spend lots of time celebrating and having fun :) I'm excited! Today, however, I have spent my birthday at work and in 4 hours of class. Fun Fun!
And today is also my friend James' 24th birthday...so...Happy Birthday James!!

Have I mentioned...

I love pictures...

I love friends...

I love rain...
And...
I love FALL...



This weekend was a great combination of all...
More coming soon :)