HOME!

I took some pics of my apartment as I was packing last night. I have one of just the tree but you can see the presents under it so I can't post it. ;)

Along with being fun and festive, the lights were very helpful in brightening my very dark apartment. It will be hard to take them down and go back to darkness.

I got up this morning at 5:45 AM Cleveland time, got on my plane around 12, and made it to Utah around 7:30 Cleveland time. The long day was made longer by a nagging headache, but I flew Southwest and they completely won me over!

Southwest Pros:

I changed both my to and from dates for no fee, and it was cheaper so they gave me credits to put toward a future trip.

I didn't pay to check my bags.

They gave unlimited snacks and drinks.

One of those beverages offered is....HOT CHOCOLATE. (They could've only done that and I would've been won over)

So from now on I will try my darndest to only fly with them.

Now I'm sitting in the family room and realizing how I've gotten so used to living in a tiny space. Dad's kitchen is way bigger than my apartment. "Have you seen this refrigerator? It's GINORMOUS!" I kinda feel like I have everything Dad has in miniature. Sad.

I am so excited to be home. I love the feeling I get when I first see the valley and the mountains, and then when I pull onto my street.

Coming home is one of my favorite things in life. Maybe that's why I always leave, so that I can come back home.

I stumbled across this little gem and found it worth sharing:

"A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own even if she never wants
to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her
dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black
lace bra...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who
lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone
else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a
recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a feeling of control over her destiny...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
HOW TO QUIT A JOB,
BREAK UP WITH A LOVER,
AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't
take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year..."
— Pamela Redmond Satran

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

The second week in November when I got to work, I arrived to this:

This really is the BEST way to start off a day of work.

Working on a Christmas show just increases the fun.

Even better? Buying Christmas sweaters at the Salvation Army black friday sale and having a photo shoot with my fellow stage managers.

Me, Jen (the stage manager), and Melissa (the Production Assistant for the other theater who is working as a crew member for this show). We are having so much fun.

We asked our grouchy sound guy to take a few pictures for us. He was acting all annoyed, but then he came up with this pose. We were all laughing so hard by the end.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year. I hope everyone enjoys it and finds those simple ways to serve and show love.