Yo Pod...

Happy Father’s Day to this guy…

I count myself blessed to have had William Mackey Hall as my father. He is one of my favorite people in the world. He is wonderful. I am definitely daddy’s little girl at heart.

A short list of the reasons I am grateful he is my father

• We have a similar sense of humor- we will laugh and laugh over a “stuck” open gas tank, or a missing plate of food.

• He has a way of making me feel so loved- I don’t know how he does it, but I never doubt he loves me. When he comes in town I know I am a priority in his life.

• He is my favorite dancing partner- we have been dancing since before I could walk. He will dance with me anywhere. One of my favorite memories was dancing in front of everyone at a high school jazz concert. They invited people to come up and dance to “unforgettable” and no one moved, no one besides Bill. He grabbed my hand and up we went. It was perfect.

• He is kind and friendly to everyone- growing up he would wave to everyone, as we would drive places. I would ask if he knew them, he would smile and say no and then wave at the next person.

• He is bald- it made for lots of funny jokes and perfect “dopey/snow white” kisses as a little girl

• He has awful fashion sense- I love more than anything his overalls and flannel shirts in the winter. His sneakers with black socks (he doesn’t do this anymore). And old t-shirts and hats.

• He thinks he is still 20- It is great, because I still think I am 7, but he does not seem like an old fogy

• He is active- He still loves biking and skiing. Stay active is important to him. Who else will take their daughter on a freezing cold bike ride Christmas Eve day in Chicago?

• He will take me skiing- because he loves it soo much he will take us skiing when he comes to town. He is the nicest.
• He loves the gospel and has taught me to love the gospel- its just the way he lives his life. It is part of everything he does.

• He is patient- he rarely gets mad, and will handle all of our imperfections.
• He will tell me when I am being ridiculous- I still remember the day he flat out told me I was being prideful. The worst part was he was completely right. I am so grateful that he would help me see when I am not being the person I should.

• He takes care of me- he will help me with my car and things I need help with around the house. He makes sure I have everything I need.
• He helps me be healthy- he will buy me new running shoes so I don’t get injured and has helped sponsor many a race

• He gives the best hugs- growing up with inside the coat hugs and bear hugs were the best
• He is a great grandpa- he will play with the little guys and chase them around the house.

• He tells amazing stories- both from his life (he was a crazy teenager) and bedtime stories.
• He teaches me- I know how Air Conditioning ducts, Christmas lights, and many other things work. He will take the time to explain anything.

• He has an answer to every question- even if he doesn’t know the answer he will think for a bit and then come up with a logical answer than makes complete sense
• He provides for our family- I have never had an opportunity taken away because of lack of money. I was able to do gymnastics, dance, soccer, band, etc. because of him.
• He is frugal- he has taught us that you get water if you go out to dinner, and that’s if you go out in the first place. But because of this we were able to go on vacations.

• He is not competitive, but secretly is- We will play games and he will just give people cards they want- but somehow seems to still win somehow. Karma.
• He is aware- if I am having a rough time he knows and is great at comforting me. There was once he called me about bike stuff, two minutes later he called back, “Ellie, is everything okay- you sounded like something was wrong” In truth it was that I had just woken up from a nap- but he knew something was different and cared.

• He is a worthy priesthood holder- I have been given countless father’s blessings, and have seen the difference in my life.
• He is always happy- he just has a sparkle in his eyes and is always jovial.
• He is selfless- he spent hours making ice skating rinks, balance beams, and helping us with homework.
• He writes in all caps- I have no idea why this brings me such joy- but HALL on everything we own just makes me smile

The list goes on and on. He really is wonderful- I wish every girl was able to have him as her father. I have seen myself looking for many of the qualities I have seen him in my future spouse. So boys…take note.

an eight year old little girl...

I start blog posts and never finish them. dear life- please stop being busy

My dear Arielle Oara Hall turned eight last month. It seems like just yesterday I was sitting in Panera with Keri talking about what they were going to name the baby on the way. Today she was baptized. It was beautiful and tender and I was so grateful to be able to be there for her baptism.

As we sat waiting for it to begin, I looked at her in her dressed in white. She was grinning from ear to ear. I just sat there thinking she was still the four year old girl I remember. When did she grow up? How is she old enough to realize what she is doing? Is she really ready to be accountable for her sins? My thoughts were put at ease as my father stood and talked about baptism. It is at this time that we BEGIN to be accountable for our sins. It is not like yesterday was a free for all, and now you are expected to be perfect. We are all progressing, and with the knowledge we have we become more and more accountable. I looked at my niece and her excitement and was so proud of her. After being baptized she came back in dressed in her beautiful white dress. She was radiant. pure.

We went back to Matt and Keri's for some lunch and family time. I had a one of those wonderful father daughter talks. They seem to be far and few between since I have moved away from home. He had something in his talk that I had never heard, that I instantly fell in love with. He told Ari that she might not feel any different after she was baptized. He recounted the day he had married my mom. He had gone up to her later and asked if she felt any different. She responded that she felt same. She then told him the change didn't come when she made the covenant, but when she fell in love. He told Ari that she might not feel any different because the change had come when she fell in love with the gospel. So my dad and I talked. We talked about change, love, dating. He gave me his advice, to which he put the disclaimer "you must do what is right for you- take this for what it's worth"

Another moment came when I went downstairs to grab the fruit for lunch. I hadn't seen Ari, so I peaked my head in her room. "Ari, are you down here?" a muffled "yes" came from under a blanket. We went on to talk about what was wrong. She wanted to wear what she was wearing but her other grandma told her to put on play clothes rather than the pajama like clothes she was wearing and she didn't want to. We talked. We talked about how important it really was for her to change, why her grandma might have asked her to change, why she didn't want to change. Once the situation at hand was diffused- our conversation switched to the exciting events of the day. We sat there on her bed talking about what it meant to her to be baptized. We talked about the sacrament. It was one of those special moments, one that I loved and will remember for ever and always. She followed me upstairs with the promise of being my buddy during lunch.

The rest of the day was filled with naps and a trip up to heber. We had the priviledge of visiting my mom's cousins who are serving missions at the Heber Valley Camp. It was the coolest camp...ever. complete with challenge courses, volleyball courts, cabins, nice bathrooms, a lake front with paddle boats and canoes, they had the whole shabang. Family Reunion 2013. it's going to be epic. (ps I am missing Family Reunion 2012 because of EFY, to say I am sad would be an understatement. thank goodness for technology that allows us to keep in contact)

my paddle boat buddy. not smart in a dress.

such a good little canoe-er

the extended family

forget not to be happy now

Life today was wonderful. I am so grateful for my family and to have them so close. I am so blessed.

life without family?

Hall Family- Circa 2011

 I dont know how people survive being away from family. I have been so blessed to have family nearby for my whole college experience. Over the summer there was a moment where everyone was thinking of moving away. Matt and Keri to Micronesia and Becca to... somewhere besides provo. To say I was praying they would stay was an understatement. I didn't know what I would do without them. I am so grateful to have family so close. (Unfortunately, Becca and Jeff did end up moving to St. Louis in December).

Today I woke up feeling sad, lonely, and overwhelmed. I had just moved apartments and even though I was in the same apartment complex I was wishing I hadn't made the change. Mainly because I have realized I hate change- even though it always ends up better in the end- I always have a brief moment at the beginning where I don't want the change. I was feeling like everything that I had wanted, and thought was good in my life, was in fact not what I wanted. I wanted to rewind my life and stay stagnant. no bueno. So for the first time in a very long time I called my mom in hopes of advice. (I tend to be pretty independent, so I will call and update, but no so much a "what should I do" call). Voicemail. So I called Keri. 15 minutes later I was sitting talking with Keri as she fed me french toast. She hugged me, told me everything would be okay, and offered to help. I was so extremely grateful to have her there.

It ended up being a tender mercy that I was there because their basement flooded and I was able to help suck up water with their carpet cleaner. It was surprisingly therapeutic to drag the vacuum like cleaner across the carpet. We had to empty it 8 times, and we were still pulling up water. The joys of having a home, and leaving a hose on all night pointed towards house. Poor Matt and Keri can't catch a break. Helping them helped me to get outside of myself and stop thinking about my problems. Oh how I love service- and how I love family!

61 reasons I love Catherine Ann Daines Hall

 When you are a mother, you are never really alone 

in your thoughts.  A mother always has to think twice, 

once for herself and once for her child.  

~Sophia Lore

Happy birthday to my wonderful mother. She is the big 6-1. So obviously I had to list 61 reasons I love her...

1. She raised me.
2. She cooks me yummy food.
3. She loves me unconditionally.
4. She cares about all of her children... a lot!
5. She will let me vent to her- and then give great insight.
6. She is full of wisdom.
7. She has a strong testimony.
8. She loves to play games, and is competitive when necessary.
9. She plays with my hair when I'm sick.
10. She allows me to make mistakes.
11. She doesn't laugh during movies (which makes me feel better when I dont)
12. She is kind to everyone around her.
13. She is forgiving- there are many times I have knocked on my parents bedroom door to apologize after being a punk kid.
14. She is rational, and understanding. When I crashed the car one morning leaving for seminary they simply said "It's okay, go to seminary, we will take car of the car later"
15. She is a great road trip buddy.
16. She tries her hardest, but is human, which is nice to know I don't have to be perfect.
17. She is a social butterfly.
18. She acts younger than she is. She likes to play with the young couples in the ward.
19. She gets excited to hear about my dates
20. She reminds us she loves us often.
21. She will take me to get pedicures- best mother daughter boding ever
22. She is very generous
23. She is a planner- christmas break is always very organized
24. She was the best substitute teacher when I was a little kid
25. She is a beach bum
26. She is hysterical- but for real
27. She tells great stories
28. She is a great example to me
29. She loves my father a lot
30. She listens to books on tape while she cleans. I feel at home when I hear stories of Mrs Polifax.
31. She makes the house beautiful for whenever we come home
32. She makes our house magical at Christmas
33. She is frugal, and good with money
34. She taught emotional regulation- to a point
35. She cries. and has passed that on to me.
36. She worries because she cares
37. She lets us have bon fires even though she hates the pile of wood
38. She lets my dad ski and bike even though he has broken himself many times
39. She is a great teacher
40. She is an example to me of fulfilling church callings
41. She encourages me to go on adventures and live my life
42. She went on a date the week my dad proposed... i think she is the funniest
43. She sends me sweet cards for the holidays
44. She owns at Dr. Mario
45. She will stay up until the wee hours of the morning talking with us and playing games
46. She serves those around her
47. She taught me self reliance
48. She takes care of me when I am sick
49. She encourages us to be healthy and will buy us new running shoes
50. She is the cutest
51. She has beautiful handwriting.
52. She will buy us tickets to come home for the holidays
53. She stays in touch with people (to the best of her ability)
54. She would call people for me when I was too scared
55. She drove me everywhere when I was younger
56. She came to all my soccer games, dance recitals, choir concerts, musicals, etc
57. She is active in the community
58. She would get me chocolate and rent a movie after I had to get shots
59. She always helps out with things at school
60. She helped me with my quilt- especially the not fun parts. basting is the devil
61. Because she is righteous I get to be with her FOREVER!

Does he have a seeing eye dog?

Dear time,
Please slow down. You are going too quickly.
Sincerely,
Ellie

I feel like my life is flying by in the blink of an eye. I felt like just yesterday was Monday and it is already Friday. Where is the time going? Have you noticed in your life that when things are going well time goes faster but as trials come (or you are in a boring class) time seems to stop. Why is that?

Today was another grand day. With my few extra minutes in the day I ran over to Matt and Keri's to help Keri while she tiled. I am proud to say I learned how to back butter. Sounds intense, right? All you do is spread the tiling gook (or adhesive) on the back of the tile. Keri was a speedy mcspeederson doing it and I was as slow as a turtle being terrified I would mess something up. Soon Ethan woke up and my efforts were quickly turned to making sure he didn't destroy the house. However, the little munchkin is perfect (well almost) and sat on the carpet outside the bathroom just holding the next tile keri would need in his lap (which was the size of him) and then trying his very hardest to hand it to her. Ethan's help didn't stop there- he ran with me to Lowe's to pick up some more tile adhesive for Keri. Embarrassing moment time. We were at Lowes, Ethan chillin in the cart, me pushing the cart having no clue where to find said material. I asked a nice looking worker dude for help finding it- he quickly led the way and life was grand. We found it and he asked if I needed help. It wasn't a huge bag so I politely said, "I think i've got it." After all I have been going to the gym. I was wrong. It might have been small but oh brother was it dense. I went to pick it up and immediately dropped in because of the other things in my hand. I set the things down and then struggled to get the bag into the cart. Moral of the story. accept service.

So my moral/character thought of the day. Keri gave me her credit card to buy the adhesive. As I went to check out I felt like such a little sneak, after all my name was not keri. It was under 25 dollars so I didn't have to sign anything but he asked for a phone number. I felt awkward as I got out my phone to give him Keri's number. But it made me think of when parent's call in pretending to be their son/daughter to get information. Am I holding a double standard? I get super frustrate with these parents who are lying in order to get information, when a lot of times their child has asked them to call. Keri had asked me to use her credit card, but does that change the fact that I was not keri? As I've thought about it I keep making the excuses- It just made life easier, it is like she had given me cash, I was helping her out. But aren't those the same excuses the parent's calling in would say? Hmph.

After our adventure to Lowe's I rushed home to get ready for a blind date. One of the many joys of single-hood. It was perfect weather outside and having the wind blow through our apartment made life near perfect. What made it perfect was a friend coming over and catching up which I got ready. I would quickly finish doing my hair, or getting changed, and then we would just sit and talk- or go and look out over the balcony. I am in love with spring time and our balcony. It is one thing I will miss next year at the duplex.

The date was great. Dinner and frozen yogurt, a classic first date. But I was amazed at the lack of blind date stereotypeness. I have come to the point in my life where I am fine with blind dates. I take them as a grain of salt. It is an opportunity to meet someone new, have fun, and if you don't have fun you never have to see them again. Two things I have learned to avoid. Blind dates right after a serious relationship (they will never compare, and they dont really care about you), and getting set up by your single friends (why aren't they dating them if they are so great?). I am always shocked at the number of people who end up getting married off of a blind date. Meet Becca and Jeff. They were set up by two non-member friends. It is amazing to me. This could be because most blind dates feel like an interview. Where are you from? What is your major? How many kids are in your family? I think that is what made this blind date refreshing. It was not an interview. Good work.

The night ended with the typical doorstep scene. oh wait. not typical. I had forgotten my keys. Luckily a party was going on in the ward, so I walked him back to his car on my way to the party. No worries, my roommate was home, i just didn't think to knock. And my other roommate had left a key for me under the mat, however, I didn't check my phone while on the date.

The night ended talking about the mysteries of love and dating with a friend in the ward as we watched hitch. We talked about our "types." His came down to four things. I feel like it is impossible to make a list of your type- after all we are single because we haven't found them yet. There are the essentials- a strong testimony, loving, etc, but a lot of the rest are preferences. Does it really matter if he is tall or short? Dark hair or blonde? I have found my "list" has come from dating experience- you learn what you like and what you dont like...that is the point of dating after all. Becca once put it perfectly when she put it "Marriage is deciding if you can live with the bad." No one is going to be perfect, after all we are all human. But can you handle the things they are missing? Are the deal breakers?

Anyways enough of my rant on dating. the end.

loving the outdoors and Rachel Robinson

oh boy my little eyes are sleepy tonight. it could be from the paper I just finished- or the chalked full day. but i blog. why? tonight. tonight it is simply because I have to for a project (to be honest). but I am sure years down the road I will be grateful for this record of my life and thoughts. plus typing takes a lot less energy.

today was another wonderful day. I keep waiting for the bottom to fall out- life has just been too good. That being said- i would be okay if that didn't happen.

so what made today wonderful.

- student employee appreciation day at work meant that for staff meeting we got to eat cake and just talk. Im okay getting paid to do my two favorite things.

- curtis was amazing and covered my last half an hour so I could leave early

- I got to play with little Ethan today. We went on a walk and played at the park. he is the cutest. I miss being a little kid, but today going down the slides was heavenly. Also on our walk home we saw a filming crew at one of the houses. I asked what was going on- they were filming a halmark film, Doorway (i think thats what it was called)... look for it.

-the lovely Rachel Robinson came into town. which is a great joy in and of itself. we went for a run up in the canyon. perfection. we dropped a car off at the bottom and then drove up farther to start our run. we had ran for approximately 5 minutes when rach realized she had left her keys in my car- so with a little bit of back tracking we were off. It was a perfect run- I love the canyon, and love the sound of water. It was great to just talk and catch up on life. The run flew by (it probably helped that it was a short little guy)

- dinner at Zupas. sitting outside. perfection.

- a surprise "we love rachel robinson" party. It was great to see old friends that came to see Rach. She is so wonderful- i have missed her lots since she moved to salt lake. I lost a running buddy- she has always been someone who helps me want to be better. She is so great at seeing the best in people and being positive. She also is great at getting involved with service opportunities- something I could definitely improve on.

the rest of the night wasn't as wonderful, but still good. It just involved a mug of hot cocoa and writing a paper. oh the joys of school. side note: judy garland had a tough life. thats all.

Mr Golden Sun...

I have found there is a direct correlation between my mood and the weather. I am always amazed how happy I am on a sun shiney day. Spring is in the air folks- and it makes me sooo happy.

Monday was an absolutely perfect day. PERFECT! I came home from school wanting to do anything and everything outside. I was tempted to hike the Y, go for a forever long run, play at a park- everything. As I sat there trying to figure out how I could make the most of this beautiful day my roommate walked in from a bike ride. I know we aren't supposed to covet but I was as jealous as could be. I mentioned something about how a bike ride sounded idillic. Her response, "want to go? I have another bike." are you serious! i would love nothing more! we rode through the streets and down to utah lake. we walked our bikes out onto the dock. The sun was shining and life was perfect.

the day continued in perfection as we went and got frozen yogurt and sat outside while people watching. off topic- or ironic- but i also find when the weather gets nice I have a strong desire to eat healthy. i crave fresh fruits and vegetables constantly. salads sound heavenly. so i have decided to do my best to be as healthy as possible (except for the random runs for fro yo or an occasional cookie.. who can say no to a homemade chocolate chip cookie?). Becca when she got married left me with a cook book full of healthy recipes. I am so excited to start trying to make them. Today, sans cookbook, I made chicken noodle soup. whole wheat noodles, fresh vegetables.. delicious! 

Life is just good. 

tuesday was filled with work, and an absolutely amazing devotional by Dallan Moody. He talked about his handicapped son who had passed away less than a month earlier. He inspired the crowd with his faith through trials. His view on the opportunity to raise a son who was severely handicapped was absolutely amazing. I wish I looked so positively through the trials in my own life. Then it was off to the temple, which is always wonderful. I feel so blessed to have one so close. 

I was able to finally talk to Becca. We had been playing phone tag for the last week or so. We talked as I walked up to my class that started at 4. nope. 5. but i got there at four. We talked and caught up and then I did homework as I sat outside waiting for the class to begin. It is a personal integrity and character building class. I am so excited for it. I love classes where we just talk about what it means to be human. Classes that make me a better person rather than just an educated person. I left class early to have a sister-in-law date with Keri. Half a cafe rio salad later we were searching for things for her house. I love having family close, and being able to strengthen relationships with them.

I had the wonderful opportunity of spending Saturday morning with cute little ethan. He is absolutely adorable. He tagged along for breakfast with an old roommate and then we made our way to the bean museum. He loooved the snow still on the ground so we had a snowball fight. The only thing that could rival his love for the snow was the window. While we drove he loved playing with the window, rolling it up and down. I have a window lock, but when I locked it he would look at me and do the sign for please. It would melt my heart. We got back to his house with him still awake and decided to go back for a drive so he could fall asleep. He drank his milk, got all comfy, and then pretended to snore- he was asleep in 30 seconds. But it was probably the cutest thing I had ever seen.

I rushed home from being with Keri to go swimming with Holly. I wish I could say that swimming this time was as enjoyable as before, but it was rough. Dont get me wrong it was still great- but my heart hurt. no bueno. holly was nice and agreed to pull my body out of the water if I had a heart attack so I wouldnt get pruny for my funeral. I am glad to say I didn't have a heart attack. We decided it was from being sick the week before.

the wonderful week was topped off with good news followed by better news today. good news. an apartment i fell in love with that was full is now...not full. alison and i giggled for a good five minutes. better news. dr gant was sick today (that part isnt good) but it meant that class was cancelled-ish. aka we took the quiz and were done.

the night was topped with the nicklecade, fro yo (the eating healthy thing is tricky), and wacky wednesday aka playing wacky six...aka nertz. 

moral of the story. im getting pumped for spring. life is good. correction. life is great.

joy.

The Joy of Living.

*warning: the below post might be quite journal like and contains the many musings of my mind.

Adam fell that men might be

And men are that they might have JOY

2 Nephi 2:25

today has been a day of joy. rather this week has been one of joy. i choose that word specifically because it is the only word I can think of that adequately describes how I feel. It is a feeling of happiness and peace. I don't feel like I am overflowing giddiness about life. It is a very calm pure happiness.

It started on Sunday. i'm pretty sure sunday was one of the most edifying days of my life. As we discussed the atonement. The ability we have to repent, and how we have a friend in the Savior. He is our advocate. He knows exactly what we are going through. He is perfect, and understands me perfectly. A wonderful combined RS/EQ lead into a wonderful Sacrament Meeting. It doesn't matter how many times I hear about the atonement, i feel like I always learn something new. And every time the spirit confirms to me the truth of the matter. I have a heavenly father who loves me enough that he gave his only begotten son, Christ, to come and give his life so that I might return to live with my heavenly father again. He suffered for me, Elizabeth Jane Hall, personally. It leaves me bewildered at the love he must have for me. I feel like learning about the atonement puts life into perspective. We have trials in this life to refine us. To make me the person he would have me be. Sunday ended with an EFY fireside. As I was surrounded by friends who love and know me, I learned simple life lessons. I remembered how much I love EFY, and while I am still terrified for the summer and the unknowns it brings, I am excited to be surrounded by the gospel everyday.

Moday started out extremely stressful, but that stress was quickly removed by a loving roommate. She asked if there was anything she could do for me. While my normal answer is "thank you! but im okay" this time I needed help. I didn't know if I could do it all. As I asked if she would be willing to switch nights we cooked for dinner group this week, a stress was instantly removed from my shoulders when she said yes. It turned a potentially extremely stressful day into a very doable day. I was able to take a test with no worries about time constraints. I am so grateful for those tender mercies in life. The day continued to bring joy as FHE came. We celebrated the Chinese New Year with paper lanterns, music from the movie soundtrack tangled, and the human knot. But my favorite moment of FHE might be the lesson. I feel so old saying that, due to the fact when I was younger I hated it. But now I feel like any chance I have to talked about the gospel I just love. He talked about the challenge to become. It reminded me of a lesson given at the beginning of this year about George Albert Smith. He said when setting goals he would focus on what he wanted to become and that would be his goal. He would then set little goals to help him get there. It would not be something to do- because once you have completed that it is over. Rather a goal would be to BE something. Be more christlike. Be more charitable. Be an example. I love the reminder to constantly be improving and to be the person my heavenly father wants me to be. Oh yes, and on this joyous day Cannon Daines Hall entered this world. A beautiful boy was born to Michael and Rachel. I am so grateful for my family.

Tuesday brought joy in other ways. The temple. I am amazed at the peace I feel there. I am amazed at the kindness of the workers and the spirit of joy they bring with them. Their kind smiles and twinkling eyes brighten my day. My favorite might be the old man who was in the font. While I have been there before where they quickly rushed through each one. Very efficient. This man took his time, and was gentle in his words and how he baptized each person. It felt like he was thinking of each individual the work was being done for. While this might not have been the case, it gave me a chance to think of each individual. It reminded me of EFY in Nauvoo this last year. It was the saturday before and we all went to do baptisms at the temple. I sat waiting my turn. Words could not express how excited I was to be baptized in the Nauvoo Temple (dont worry I had been there multiple times before but I was still as excited as ever) My turn eventually came and I went to wait at the bottom of the stairs- however, it was not my turn. I went and sat back down. I thought it was my turn again and sat up with excitement, but yet again it was not my turn. My mind instantly went to those waiting for their work to be done. How long have they been waiting. I could picture them in heaven being just as anxious as I was. The day continued with the feeling that comes after a great run, and being physically active. That night a friend and I went swimming at the RB. I forgot how much I love swimming. There is something so refreshing that comes with the water. Pushing off the wall and reaching for it again at the end. The tiredness that your whole body feels after a good swim. But my favorite is that for the time we were swimming I thought about nothing besides swimming. When I swim my mind goes blank and only focuses on breathing and propelling myself through the water. I think of nothing else. The night ended with a long talk with a new friend. It didn't matter that we both had wet hair and were standing out in the cold. I loved standing at the bottom of the stairs learning about her life. And was amazed at the similarities we all have.

How one week can have sooooo much joy I just dont know. and it keeps getting better!

Today was a near perfect day. Scratch that. Today was a perfect day. I have been frustrated at work, and something as small as being recognized for the hard work I have done, made that frustration seem to disappear. I felt happy as I talked to different students and was able to do my job to the best of my ability. Also did I mention today was a spirit day meaning we got treats and got to wear jeans. woowhoo. And at staff meeting we played a game and our team one meaning we got to choose a prize from a bag. what did i get. a list notebook. yes, that is right. A notebook that is perfect for lists! I was in heaven. The day continued to get better as I learned I was getting a co-coordinator for efy, and decided I was going home in two weeks for the holiday. I will get to see almost my entire family (minus Matt and Keri). I love them SO very much. Thank you american airlines travel voucher for making the flight only 20 dollars. However, the day was topped off by one of the best nights I have had. Two friends from London and I went to Institute together. It was the same institute that I went to last year, that I told other people to go to last year, but it was not the same institute. There are new teachers and they are phenomenal. It was amazing the spirit that was there as we talked about the events leading up the Christ appearing in the Americas. We read of Nephi and the believers waiting on the sign that Samuel the Lamanite had told of. How it was the night that they were going to be killed when the sign finally came. They had to stay faithful to the end. I am sure it was not easy to face death as you believed in a prophesy from a prophet. But that stayed true to what they believed even in hard times. We don't always know when the answers will come. Sometimes I wish I could see what my life would be like five years down the road. If I just knew I would be happy it would make this time of uncertainty so easy. But where is the faith there? Where is the faith that heavenly father has a plan for me. They didn't know until the last possible second, when they thought all hope was lost, but the believed and the sign did come. We talked about how the Lord provides us with what we need, but there are times where we do not need what we think we need. The teacher talked of the Brother of Jared, and how somethings in our life are like the light. The brother of jared had to figure it our on his own. but some things are air. and heavenly father will not leave us stranded and will give us the answer. But we do not always know what is light and what is air. I thought this was amazing, and an interesting thought I had never had. As I look back on my life I can see how the Lord was there when I needed air, and how he has also let me figure things out of my own when it is light.

We went to the Awful Waffle to end the night with some hot chocolate. I was transported back to the Hampstead Creperie as I stood at the window to order my Cinnamon Infused hot chocolate.

Oh Hapstead Crepes how I miss you.

We went back to Amber's house to escape the cold and catch up on eachother's life. Out conversation quickly turned from "girl talk" into talking about the gospel. As we sat there talking about what we know to be true I was filled with such a sense of joy. It is these moments that count. These moments, in a basement apartment, that help us to become the people we are. I left not wanting to anything that would make that spirit go away. Lauren and I drove home listening to a CD of piano music a friend had made me. Both not knowing how to express what we were feeling besides stating how happy and joyful we were.

Today. Today was a perfect day.

I have talked a lot about what I believe in. My faith in my Heavenly father and the hope we are given through his eternal plan is what brings me this feeling of joy. If you don't know about what I believe in and want to know more talk to me, or visit lds.org.

Also this gem of a song joined my life today. Im in love.

oooo.... also enjoy this musical gem from 1998. gotta love EFY and I feel the theme fits perfectly with this post.

pretty much the bestest parents ever.

William and Cate on their wedding day. note the similarity to Prince William and Kate Middleton

my parents are in town. i love them. well technically my dad left yesterday. they came in on Saturday because my nephew turned 12 and was receiving the priesthood. how did he get so old?? but it has been so wonderful having them in town. They are probably the most generous people ever. My dad filled my gas tank, replaced my headlight, replaces my windshield wipers, and helped me wax the scratches on my car. Not to mention they paid me to not go to work on Tuesday so I could play with them more. And by play I mean play while working on projects at Matt and Keri's. To continue on their generosity. My mom took Keri and I to Brick Oven on Monday for lunch. I got teary eyed I was so excited. Followed by Spicy Thai with the whole family on Tuesday for dinner. I also got teary eyed I was so excited. Yes food makes me that happy. Followed by a Mother Daughter date last night to Zupas. Yes, I know, their generosity is ridiculous.

The other day my mom was telling me about when her and my dad were engaged. She said she felt bad for her newly married sister because she only thought she was in love. My mom thought there had never been a love greater than her and my dad's love. I am very grateful to have two parents who love each other after 35 years of marriage. Especially in a world that doesn't value marriage. They are wonderful wonderful examples to me. Also check out my dad's sweet tux.

serendipity moment. On the list of things to do was another girl lunch date after work today. I have a cousin who recently moved down to Provo who I have yet to seen, so we decided it would be great if she was able to come. I texted her about it, but unfortunately she was going out of town in the morning. So as Cathy...eh sorry, Cate and I were sitting talking at Zupas she just happened to walk in. We were able to sit and talk while she ate. It was one of those kind of perfect moments.

also to add to the reasons i love my dad. he dances with me. it is probably my favorite thing in the world. while we were at Matt and Keri's he grabbed my hands and started twirling me around the room. My little niece, Ari, just watched. I have to say my dad and I are pretty good dance partners. It could be that we have been practicing together for the last 21 years. but it still brings me as much joy now as it did when I was five.

My dad and I circa 1992. Check out that amazing handle bar mustache. He is a hoot!

take home message from this post: I love my parents.

once upon a time there was this thing called christmas

once upon a time in a land far far away, there was a family that loved each other very much. these pictures show their adventures over Winter Break 2011.

they went to see the christmas carol.

*it was my first time seeing it. it was wonderful. and warren was my cuddle buddy for the majority of the time. i loved it.

they practiced their modeling skills in downtown chicago while they waited for their deep dish pizza at Giordano's

they ate the most delicious pizza in the world. and loved the team work needed to get the pizza onto the plate because of the cheese.

*look at warren in the picture. cutest kid ever. also James became potty trained over the break. it was very traumatic to go in public places. example a. giordano's

they walked to the German Market and on the way they saw a slew of Santas who were going on massive bike ride through the city. but dont forget the dradle.

they explored the german market and saw lots of amazing things. all very over priced. but beautiful.

*the top left picture is of a decoration we used to have. you put candles in and light them and it causes the decoration to spin. ours caught on fire. it was slightly my fault...only slightly. the story goes. I had lit it and then my dad called me to help him with something. my mom said it was okay to leave it. when i came back it was in flames.

they had fun exploring the rest of the city. the windows at macy's and seeing the huge christmas tree. they went in the old public library and saw the beautiful architecture and domes. they raced to the car. and tried to stay warm all bundled up.

on sunday they tried their hands at some crafts. making little mitten ornaments. we all took a turn practicing and learning to sew. while they weren't perfect they sure had fun. 

and the finished products turned out great.

they ate chocolate. lots and lots of chocolate. and shared with the little guys.

and they made chocolate covered pretzels. after all it is tradition. that night they got a present as a family. 17 Miracles. they watched all together and marveled at the faith of the Pioneers.

the next day they made their way down to Naperville to visit the papa bear at work. they ate at the cafeteria and toured the tunnels. The little guys even got security badges.

*warren loved the penguins. he would go up look at them. get closer. touch them and then run back to his mom and laugh. he would hug her and then go and do it again.

they loved playing. they loved to play games and have fun. dr mario tournaments were had. brackets and all. ticket to ride and scum. puerto rico and mormon bridge. games galore. but on tuesday they got out and played a new game. they went bowling. it was a fun game. and a close game. but cate won out of us all.

*probably the best way to keep warren from running off. good work jeff!

the fun and games were not over. they brought out their crafty sides again to make gingerbread houses.

 Becca and Jeff, and James and Jonathan made gingerbread trains. Becca and Jeff recreated the last year of their life with each side representing a different aspect. Jonathan and James was perfect and showed that a little kid had made it. More candy might have ended up in James' mouth than on the train but that is half the fun.

Chelsea and Ellie were Gingerbread house making buddies. It was epic. Chelsea made a stained class window! Intense! They didn't know what to on the back so we made our house have a snow drift in the back. and then they put snow everywhere...they call it "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"

If you thought this family had reached the fun limit you were wrong. They still hadn't had their annual dart gun fight. This year was double the fun, because Becca and Jeff were leaving before Christmas. What does that mean? They just had to have Christmas twice.

Chelsea brought the heat. Jeff found a great hiding place. Super Safe. Poor Warren, was so cute, and a perfect target.

*notice the dart stuck to the diaper. i almost peed my pants.

probably my favorite picture of bill ever.

The filled Christmas Eve with traditions. They had Pizza Hut for lunch (a Hostetter Family Tradition). They ordered two. Received four. Paid for three.

They followed the pizza with a wonderful, traditional, Christmas eve dinner. Ham, potatoes, the whole enchilada. Dinner was followed with acting out the nativity.

*I was joseph and a sheep. We dont type cast

That night they all went to bed hoping that Santa would come. At he did not disappoint. He even ate the cookies they left for him. But while Santa is magical, there is nothing more magical that Christmas with little kids.

*Jonathan and Chelsea gave me a UofC zip-up. I loved it. So so soft. 

*Chelsea asked for a garbage can with a peddle lid. This is what she got. When you opened it it made the sounds of water bubbles. The kids LOVED them. Lets just say bill was not on the top of Chelsea's list.

 Christmas came quickly to an end, and the once loud bustling house became quiet. very very quite. So it became time to complete projects. This year's project. Quilting. The house that was once taken over by toys quickly became taken over by fabric.

The monotony of quilting was broken up by the excitement of a New Year. The celebration was too exciting to celebrate in little ole Batavia. So Ellie picked up and went down to the city to celebrate with Jonathan and Chelsea. Sparkling grape juice and all.

They had lots of fun playing while Jonathan finished a few things on his dissertation. The favorite game was jumping and climbing on the love sac, quickly followed by playing with Ellie's phone.

*quotes of the day from james:

Ellie: James why dont you have a shirt on? (silence) Is it so you can show off your abs?

James: YEP!

Ellie: James you're adorable.

James: Ellie, Im not a door. The door is over there!!

Needless to say, I was laughing a lot.

Another funny moment: Warren loved riding around on his little car with this hamburger in his mouth. He would just bite down and go. So so funny!

Once the kids were in bed they played games like never before. 7 wonders and Small World were the games of choice. There was lots of learning, and explaining but they had fun strategizing. They had so much fun they lost track of the time. It was 11:58 and when they realized they should find a way to watch the count down. No television made life tricky so they just did there own, and guessed how many seconds were left. They had amazing guessing skills because their countdown ended right as their phones changed to midnight.

The Hall Family had lots and lots of fun over the winter break and made many fun memories. At the end they all went their seperate ways, but they all lived happily ever after.

The end.