a night for favorites...

I stayed home tonight, yes on a friday night, don't act so surprised. wylie and i had a good time watching the strangest movie. it was an old movie starring Audrey Hepburn. i love Audrey Hepburn, she's one of the best, but this movie was odd...it was called "Paris-when it sizzles." very strange, but good. i liked it a lot, and Audrey Hepburn is my favorite "old" actress, so it was very cool that the movie playing after hers was starring my favorite "old" actor, Gene Kelly. "An American in Paris," one of my favorite movies! it was definitely a night for favorites. Who is your favorite? Have a great weekend!

random thoughts from a girl who can't sleep...

-how is it that you can spend an entire day straightening up the house, and not tackle the bedroom? i don't have school on thursdays, and so it was very relaxing for me. i cleaned the kitchen, family room, and organized the bathroom a little, did some homework, and yet i still have not conquered my bedroom. there are books from last semester lying on the floor against the wall, clothes that i am giving away that are still sitting on the bean bag chair, and 4 pairs of shoes that have not found their way home to the closet. i sometimes find myself walking around my room trying to figure out what can stay, and what can go. i have some knick-knacks here and there, loads of things hanging on the way (mainly pictures), two bookshelves with 2 of the shelves actually holding books, and a desk that is still full of things i've had since i was a kid. there are just some things that i don't want to get rid of. i'm not a pack rat, only a little cluttered. although my room is a disaster, i still feel very victorious in what i accomplished today.

-there are a lot of things that i am so thankful for this week. i'm so happy that my brother is having the time of his life experiencing life outside of utah. i'm very thankful for HalfPrice.com, and used books. i'm thankful for old acquaintances, new acquaintances, and friends in general. i'm so happy that there are people i know in my classes. i love friends that can come over and watch t.v. series with you. i love bible study, parents, and good food for dinner. (why is it that waffles, bacon, and eggs taste so much better when you eat them for dinner?)
-i love how we prayed at the beginning of bible study on monday. it's good to pray for your friends. we should do it more often.
-because i have no school on thursdays, i stay up a bit late falling asleep to a movie, sleep in a bit, and here i am unable to go to bed because i'm not tired.
-it's terrible that someone can have a whole day to themselves, and still only give God 10 min. of their time.
-i am so excited to be majoring in Interior Design.
-i'm sad that i haven't gone ice skating this season, and i wish there was a radio station that played Christmas songs all year.
-thanks for reading "random thoughts from a girl who can't sleep." tune in next time. same bat time, same bat channel.
-that is all.

some more india pictures!

thoughts for 2007

there is something about starting a new year that i love. i'm not quite sure what it is, but it is a great feeling. maybe it's the feeling that my life is not going to be like this forever, and that it can change. maybe the fact that 2006 was a great year, so shouldn't 2007 be better? or maybe i view it like a new start with God, and that my relationship with Him will be better. perhaps it's because i haven't seen anyone in 30 days so it's so exciting to see everyone again. but maybe it's just becasue i can't explain this feeling, so that's why it's so good. it's good just because it's good. does that make sense? i don't think you guys are fully grasping how much i love the new year, i mean, i really love it.
i have to admit to you folks that my obsession with the new year does not include "new years resolutions." i have always viewed them as dumb, and cliche (spelling?). but this year i think i will make one. it is still a work in progress, but #1 is to read at least one book a month (not including the bible). #2 is to be on top of my school work like you wouldn't believe! my grades from last semester were not so good, so this semester is going to be better! #3 i'm going to get more sleep. i'm not going to stay up so late on school nights this semester.
well, what are your thoughts and resolutions for the new year? i hope it has been good for you so far as it has been for me.
have a great day.
that is all.

i love india!

so, this is a story to follow the pics that i posted.

picture 1--we were in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 3 days. our first night we ate dinner at this buffet, while these guys danced. they showed us different types of dancing, and at the end they asked for people to go up and dance with them, so i did. it was fun.

picture 2--this was taken upside down in our van of the Patronus Towers. pretty cool.

picture 3--Madras is where Ramesh's mom lives, and it's 10 min. from the beach. we went to the beach 3 times, and this one was taken at sunrise. if you ever get a chance to go to the beach at sunrise, do it!

picture 4--the same beach at sunrise, and you can see the fishing huts that are on the beach. as you can see there's garbage EVERYWHERE! the lighthouse looks way cool!

picture 5--more beach pictures

picture 6--there is a town on the other side of a mountain called Ooty, and you have to drive up the mountain (full of hairpin turns) to get there. on our way up, we stopped at a "rest stop" and there were monkeys in the tree. this is a baby monkey.

picture 7--we stayed at the "Jungle Hut Resort" up in the mountains and on our way up there our driver spotted this Leopard sitting on a rock. it was awesome!

picture 8--Micah, Ramesh and i went on a hike at the Jungle Hut. it was up in the Jungle which is more like a forrest, but there was a river running through it, so we saw a lot of animal tracks by the water. the hike was awesome!

picture 9--in "Jaipur" (jai like chai, and poor) we went to a festival, and we all went on Camel rides. it was so exciting to ride a camel! i'm going to sell my car and ride a camel everywhere!

picture 10--also in Jaipur there were a lot of umbrella street shops. american umbrellas are boring compared to these.

picture 11--the Amber Fort in Jaipur. it's a huge palace built on the hill side. the only way up is to ride elephants, and well worth 250 rupees! that's around 5 bucks!

picture 12--this women was collecting water from the courtyard to repare the Amber Fort.

picture 13--Micah at the Amber Fort.

picture 14--these are the elephants that we rode up to the fort. they decorate their trunks with chalk.

picture 15--well, hopefully you all know what this is...the Taj Mahal. this was taken right after sunrise.

picture 16--we're back in Madras and drinking coconut milk! do you want a coconut? just grab a knife and cut one open! it's only 10 rupees! that's about 20 cents.

picture 17--the Taj Mahal. did you know that the Taj is actually a tomb? the emperor Shah Jahan built this tomb for his favorite (and second) wife Mumtaz Mahal. the Taj is made out of Marble, and it is all inlayed. the four pillars are slanted outward just a little bit so that if an earth quake happens, then the pillars will fall out instead of in, so that the Taj will not be crushed! amazing eh? also, the Taj Mahal took 22 years to build!

picture 18--the Agra Red Fort. the palace is made out of marble and this red fort is built around it. one of the kings that lived here was the one that built the Taj Mahal around 1648.

picture 19--we were driving to Agra (which is where the Taj is) and this guy charges you to money to take pictures of his monkey...so i secretly took this one without him seeing it.

i love india and i can't wait to go back! hopefully you got a taste of India while enjoying my play-by-play commentary. have a great day, and remember to visit the gift shop.

just a few pics from the trip.

i miss craigers...

i'm on the other side of the world.
i miss my brother who left for Florida today.
i wont see him for 22 more months.
i didn't even get to say goodbye.
so long brother.