Trunk or Treat...

I know, I am a single girl...on a Friday night you would think I would have something better to do...but yes, I went to the Tuscaloosa/Northport Wards Trunk or Treat. Why? Cause I felt like it and I wanted to show off my costume...which all you internets (yes, I am stealing that word from you Reva) get to see hopefully tomorrow...it's awesome...

You know when you are in Alabama and the ghosts and goblins coming to your doorstep instead of the usual 'trick or treat' say 'Roll Tide!'. Yes, it happened, and it was an awesome moment...his Dad happened to overhear him too, which made it even better...

But my costume...let me tell you...it took Bishop Martin a good while to figure out who I was...Sister Richetto, after talking with me, still couldn't figure out who I was...I mean, it was awesome...

Don't worry, you will get a picture or two...PROMISE!!! I'll have you know, it took about 7 times washing my face and arms to get all the makeup off...:)

Halloween Flashlight Recall

If you bought flashlights at Target for your kids for trick or treating, check out this recall:

LINK

They were pulling a wicked witch act...smoking, catching on fire, and melting...yes, I am serious, just take a look just in case you or a friend of yours bought them...

Breaking the News...

I am moving back home sometime in the next couple of months...probably around Christmas time, but things may change. I don't have a set date yet.

Q & A

Q: Why?

A: For a lot of reasons, including I need to be closer to family, there is no good reason for me to stay (however much I do love Alabama), and a bunch of others...

Q: Where?

A: First New Mexico, but that is expected to be a very short stay. As much as I love my parents and sister, I do not have fond memories from any time I have lived there...yes that can change, but...last time I thought it would be different, it certainly was and in a very bad way.

After New Mexico, I hope to go to AZ, BUT I need a good job. I will only take one in the West unless some incredible, cannot pass up this opportunity comes along.

Q: When?

A: Date not set in stone, but probably sometime around the holidays...that can change however. I have my Dad's schedule, my own schedule, and my current job to think about. I don't want to leave the people I work for high and dry...I actually like the people I work with, and last time I left in such a hurry...I was just beyond happy when Jason hired me back. I try not to burn bridges...

Q: How?

A: Well, I will probably take a good bit of stuff back out there over Thanksgiving...and then will pack up my car...anything leftover I will give away, throw away, or mail home. I will be driving my car back, and probably have someone else with me...probably my Dad.

Q: What?

A: Um...not sure what to put here...I am moving...there!

I broke the news at a stake meeting recently, and the stake president asked me if I was happy about this move. My answer was yes and no.

I really do like living here...it's refreshing to be around so many God-fearing people. It is quite common to see people outside reading their Bible, or at work, on the plane, etc. As stressful as this calling has been, I love it, and I love working with the president and counselors in the stake YW and the other auxiliaries, along with all the ward leaders and of course the girls. I love my coworkers...I feel really lucky to have had a job here where I have such good coworkers.

BUT I am so far away from my family, and the last thing I want is for my sister to start having kids and me be far away...and being so far away from cousins, aunts, uncles, and most especially my parents.

I told those in my presidency that the only thing that would keep me here is if I found someone to marry and live with here...being single and in Alabama sucks. It really does for me at least. Would I move back here? Of course! But the dating pool...ha!

Oh!

Q: Have I finished my degree?

A: No, but I have hopes to finish it.

There...that is done.

Update...

...there is nothing to update...just relishing in the fact that I don't have to travel this weekend for once...in fact, I get to be in my own ward for two whole weekends in a row...yay!

That's all, unless you want to hear about my totally exciting evening that consisted of going to Target with the roommate and then going over to Nichee's to watch the Nightmare Before Christmas (EXCELLENT movie...)...yeah, I didn't think so...

Perhaps tomorrow will bring something interesting with it...

Long Sabbath...

Began with Ensley Ward Conference (last surviving inner-city Birmingham Ward...)...which then turned into an unexpected 1:30 Stake Welfare and Correlation Meeting...

...unexpected because my president who is supposed to attend that meeting was sick, and the counselor already had plans...so I got to make the calls on the 2010 calendar and report why our budget looks so screwy and make the calls on the 2010 budget...and you know, being in Young Women, the other auxiliaries took about five minutes, where we took about an hour...fun times...great learning experience actually...

...the best part is I won't be here in 2010...I am made all these calls for events I won't be here to attend...very odd...(the president and I met last week and went over budget and calendar, so I knew where she tood, but still...)

Got home at 5:30pm. I won't complain too much, the stake presidency and high council had more meetings after that...

Sister in town part two...(lots of pictures...)

Per the request of my sister, and just because I feel like it, this is part two of all the fun things we did while she was here for a few wonderful days...

Traveled to Huntsville...

To see this place

And I am still giddy about the fact that we got in for free...I need to take my sister more places...I said this many times on the trip, but I will say it again, she married VERY well...for many reasons, this is just one of the perks! It costs $25.00 normally for the museum...which includes a G-force ride, rocket launch ride, mars experience and a rock wall.

This is what we will be going to the moon in...did you know we are going back to the moon?

My sister, the astronaut...


We took this and the below for Nichee's benefit, but seriously, this is going to be totally cool...might just have to fly out to see it...

Me...going over to the dark side...

This was a machine that told you how many of 'you' it would take to get a rocket out of the earth's atmosphere...it would take a lot of us...I wish the picture would've shown the number...cute picture, nonetheless...


Emily...don't play underneath the rocket...

Big engine-rocket-boost-thingy...


Ha...so, it was raining by the time we left, and when we got to the car Emily insisted on my not fixing my hair and taking a picture of the two of us...I think this just became my favorite sister picture...

Emily taking my profile...

The temple...


So, I am the stake YW Secretary, which means I need to go to stake youth dances, which there was one Saturday night. My sister was so excited about going (seriously, she was...she even asked if I thought she and her hubby should volunteer to chaperon at their stake youth dances...)...we made root beer (w/ dry ice) and then rocked out...Us at the dance...yes I am wearing an MJ hat...

Good good times...:)

Columbus Day Soapbox...

I am getting old...

The day has come when Christopher Columbus has become a bad guy.

Seriously...it is his fault that thousands of people died because he brought smallpox over on purpose...which led to more people coming over bringing more disease and killing off more thousands on purpose. And then they took over land that wasn't theirs, stole their gold, and he single-handedly caused the slave trade.

Forget the fact that he was going on uncharted (seriously, he didn't have a map...yes others had sailed it before, but there was no map for him to go by, so I call that gutsy) waters to try and find a way to China and India so that it would be easier to trade with them. Forget the fact that it would've been quite a while longer before another would've made that trip and started the European movement...it was going to happen at some point...

People have done all of this during the ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE EARTH. God even commanded people to do that, for those of us God-fearing peoples...

My word...

Tender Mercy...

So about a month or so ago my sister calls me with some rather lovely news. Evidently she and her hubby had a free ticket voucher that was going to expire...and Emily had a 2 week break coming up...and well...she said they were thinking about having her come out to see me! :)

The look of joy...


She just got a new haircut...isn't it absolutely fantastic!!


So what did we do the first morning of her long weekend here? Being from New Mexico we thought that it would be cool to go to the Native American Festival going on in Moundville...


After walking around for about 20 or so minutes we realized that we had yet to see any Native Americans...the crafts for sale were either made in India (with the sticker on them) or being sold by people who were definitely not Native American...the dance lesson was being taught by a guy paler than me (hard to do) with a fairly strong southern accent, food being cooked by non-native looking people...we finally saw two as we were on our way out...there were mostly kids from all the elementary schools in the area with annoyed-looking parents (half the kids had these $1 whistles and recorders from the 'craft' stands that were also made in India)...

My poor sister...I get out of the car in Moundville and say 'wow, this is a nice day'...she walks out and thinks 'This is a nice day???'. Comparatively, it really was!

The humidity was getting to her...

(staged in front of the ambulence...'Emily, do that face again...')

I had to get a picture of a mound...and I found this sign too funny to pass up...yes, Moundville is named for all the mounds that the Native Americans built in this area...some are rather pyramid shaped, but I think they were built to keep the people out of the flood plane...

Only 3 mosquito bites for me, and none for her...my blood is sweeter than hers evidently...which I find very hard to believe. :)

I am so glad that they (Emily and Ison) thought of having her come here to see me, and am so grateful that Ison was willing to let her come to see me. It is so lovely having someone here 24 hours a day for a few days!!! And even better that it is my sister!!! :)

I am just happy beyond words...

Now hear this!

An ear infection...I can't tell you when the last time was that I had an honest to goodness ear infection. I really think the last time I had one was when I was a kid...

An ear infection...in both ears...that takes talent...

And in all likelihood, I have had it for a couple of weeks...I was just trying to not be a hypochondriac about every little detail, so the ear pressure was being ignored until this morning when the right ear began throbbing...at least it wasn't an aggressive infection.

Fun times, fun times...

GC...and VISITOR!!!!

Boy, I thought the chandeliers were going to come crashing down during Elder Holland's talk...my word, can he give a moving talk...he is on a roll...

I am going to be a better person for the next 6 months...that is my goal...and then next conference I hope to be moved again to be a better person for the next 6 months after that...

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I am also going to restart posting pictures...I am going through the last month and seriously, so few pictures...I will have PLENTY of pictures starting WEDNESDAY and I am so way beyond excited!!!

Elizabeth is getting a visitor...and I get her to myself for an entire weekend...baby sister is coming to visit ME!!! I mean, I am so happy, I can't even tell you...

Like...I have NEVER gotten a visitor who came just to visit me like this before. Scott and Penny came one weekend for a day when they were still dating, but this is like way different...I have always wanted a visitor who came just to be with me...and we are just going to hang out, and we have a billion options of things to do...museums, parks, botanical gardens, zoos, the Moundville festival is that weekend, etc. etc...which is great, because I haven't been to many of these places either! :)

so.totally.completely.freaking.excited!!!!

Oktsoberfest

Nope, I didn't spell it incorrectly. That is what we had tonight...Okt-sober-fest...complete with homemade root beer, homemade ice cream, non-homemade pies, pumkin muffins from Sam's Club which were amazingly good, and BRATS (pronounced brawts, not brats like a snoody kid) complete with sauerkraut, brown mustard, etc...

Big hit, I think people had a good time, more than half of the brats were eaten...we watched A Knight's Tale after no one wanted to dance the Chicken Dance...and I forgot all the beer songs I learned when I was in German class in high school (yes, we learned them in public school...it was okay because it is a major part of German culture, and we had to volunteer at the Oktoberfest in town which included singing...).

I love throwing parties in October. It's the best month to throw parties, in my mind...