Getting exactly what you ask for...

Hey everyone! Just wanted to give a quick shout out and say HELLO! The beginning of this new year got off to a rocky start but is starting to slowly pick up and improve. So far:

• I'm going to be an auntie in May!!! Auntie Em. It has a nice ring to it, don't you think? We've got another girl making her way to our clan (Ok, so technically she'll be a Fuller), and we are SO excited to meet her when she gets here! 
• I've got a couple of sweet freelance gigs going on and a part time job with a new company to help pass the time so THAT'S awesome! I'm writing LOTS of articles for the website and am up against a deadline which makes me stressed out yet really productive all at the same time. I'll be sure to let you know more once we get it up and going. (And I say "we", but I really mean the people who own the company.)
• AND...I was just called as Ward Choir Director at church!

I've noticed lately that Heavenly Father is sending a LOT of blessings my way lately, which I sometimes feel that I don't deserve because I've been such a whiner. But wow! I really am SO excited to be Choir Director.
Again.
(A brief history: Our church asks its members to volunteer their time as Sunday School teachers, organists, clerks etc. You serve for a while, then someone else is called when you're done. This way everyone gets to do a bit of everything. Got it? Ok, moving on.)
Anyway, I've been a Ward Choir director twice already.Once was for this very ward a few years ago for a few brief months then it was off to college and a mission. Then I was called as Choir Director for the Sandy YSA ward 4 weeks before I moved out! The choir performed a BEAUTIFUL song my last day there. Let me tell you, I was crying as I pulled out of the church parking lot that day. (Shout out for the Sandy Heights Ward: I MISS YOU ALL!)
This past Sunday I got out of bed and knelt down for morning prayers and tried to really make it heartfelt (rather than rushing through them like I've been doing lately), and I asked Heavenly Father for help with making friends in this ward. What happens? I wasn't even in the church building for two minutes when I was pulled aside and asked to serve the Lord through music.
I will admit that I totally did a fist pump. He really knows what He's doing. I just have to remember that everything will work out in the end. And if it hasn't worked out yet, then it's not the end.
So there's a bit about me, but I'd really like to hear about YOU guys! How's 2012 treating you so far? What have you been doing? Fill me in!

Christmas Appreciation Post

So this post is basically going to cover Dec 1-25th. Get ready...GO
Setting up the tree:

(I thought I was going to fall off the ladder. Dad ASSURED me that I wouldn't.)

(Decorating the tree is hard work!)

(Our finished product!)

Our annual trip to Temple Square for the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert: This year's special guests were Jane Seymour and Nathan Gunn. She's one of the loveliest, classiest ladies I've ever seen. And Nathan Gunn's voice was DIVINE. The Conference Center was beautiful and everyone's performance was heart-warming.

(Mikelle and I had a few adventures in the Church Museum before the performance.)

(I still look like a sister missionary! Yay!)

(Standing behind the podium made my knees knock. Can YOU picture me speaking in front of 20,000+ people?)

Doesn't it look AMAZING? Dad was the top row, 2nd over from the women. Can you see him there?)

Grandma Eames came and spent a few days with us. We had a blast! From hot chocolate at night to taking crazy photos at Gardner Village:

BOWLING! Woot! I don't know what happened to our family this year but we were on FIRE! WE only play once a year and EVERYONE was killing at the game! I broke 100 on BOTH games! That's only been a goal of mine FOREVER! It was so fun!

Every Christmas Eve we have our Bethlehem dinner which is where we spread a blanket on the floor in front of the Christmas tree and eat Jerusalem-y foods like herb bread, cheese, fish, dates, olives, etc. Then of course we read the Christmas story from the Bible and then drove around and saw the Alpine luminaries, stayed up WAY late watching "Elf". Ha ha! I LOVE that movie! (Hence the reference to my blog title.) And I somehow don't have ANY pictures of Christmas Eve. How did THAT happen?

Christmas MORNING was a little different. Mum decided that we should wait until AFTER church to open presents (also so Lu and D could be there since we were sharing them with his family.) So the reason we all look so cute in the pictures where we're opening our presents is because we'd already got all ready and been to church:

This is us watching "Music and the Spoken Word" Christmas morning. Dad got the morning off.

Mikelle made me this present. It's an earring hanger-thingy. All my earrings have been sitting in a shoe box downstairs. It was worth the 2 days she banished me to the basement while she finished painting and decorating it.

It was a great Christmas. There was a theme running. I LOVE my Doctor Who gifts! A TARDIS mug and an Adipose plushy.

When I opened the Adipose plushy I just about died. It was one of those gifts where you didn't even know you wanted. It's so squishy! Also, some other friends were there and didn't understand what the big deal was.
Them: What is it?
Me: (Laughing so hard I can barely talk) It's fat.
Them: We can see that. What is it?
Me: No...it's literally fat.
Them: You're really weird.
So here's a link explaining what Adipose really is: Shameless Doctor Who plug.

Whew! And that's most of December! I have a few other post ideas but am out of time. Love to you all! Happy New Year and I'll see you very soon!