A break from the Christmas Craze

Christmas season is full of good things. Yummy neighbor treats, lots of giving, and good attitudes. It's great. I love it, but being away from family is hard. I miss them especially since it feels like no one is in Provo right now. 

Amber Lynne came down for the weekend for a sista sleepover. and the whole fam came down for Uncle Curtis's birthday. I bawled I was so happy to see them. It was such a nice break to be with family again. Just like old times (missed ya Todd) 

just a tad excited to be together again

I think I scared Amber with my driving, she kept saying how much she forget what it was like driving with me? Poor thing, Good thing I gave her back to her hubby in one piece! 

We ALL Christmas shopped together and celebrated with Farr's Fresh, the mall was crazy town. I don't recommend waiting till the last second to get gifts. You will get a massive head ache. 

Sista Amber and I got celebratory pedicures that helped us prepare for a long day of Christmas shopping. 

Isn't she adorable? 

annnd then Red Mango for lunch. Holy cow. I could eat this for lunch every single day. It's HUGE and soo good. unfortunately the days go by so fast and I had to say good bye to everyone. Just one more day till I go home! 

Move to Provo and be my  Red Mango buddy?

pure heaven

2 more days till Christmas!! make sure you give Santa Cheese, it will work :) trust me. 

AND

2 days till Les Mes! So excited

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas day! I will be enjoying mine with my family in Ogden. Have a Wonderful Christmas

Christmas Eve 2011

Called to serve

Dear Sister Houghton,

You are hereby called to serve in the New Jersey Morristown Mission

My brain was spinning a million miles an hour. This is what I was thinking....

"WOW"

"I've never been there"

"I can teach Cake Boss :) " 

"Where the heck is Morrriss-town.... Morristown?... ?"

"IM GOING ON A MISSION" 

"Maybe I'll baptize Snookie...and her baby?"

"I'm SO glad I'm going somewhere in the states"

"Heavenly Father Knows me" 

"Clean water. yay"

"English Speaking!"

"Why am I crying? Oh yeah I always cry"

"I love my family"

"I'm still crying..."

"APRIL 17th??"

"I love this gospel"

"Wow the spirit is so strong"

"This is where I'm supposed to go!"

"I hope I get an accent"

"What if I teach a member of the mofia?"

"I probably shouldn't tell people I like the Yankees"

"I'm still bawling?"

I can’t wait to go serve in New Jersey. Words honestly can’t express the joy and peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ brings me, and now I get to share that with all those New Jersiers. Joisey? I need to get that accent down.

State flag

Grandpa and Grandma came up with me to open the call, they came up early so I could be there when it came in the mail. I love them!

It's here! So amazing

Thanks to all of my Family, wonderful neighbors (who are basically family) and my friends/sistas, and everyone I skyped with. Honestly Thanks for ALL the love and support. It means so much to me.

Shout out to Pam Harris for making me the cutest missionary cake ever! She is amazing."

so cute! 

Finals are over. Can I get an AMEN?!!! It was a busy week and now time to enjoy the Christmas spirit. The countdown is on... 9 days! woot woot. 8 days till I see my familia! Aww can't wait

That also means 9 days till Les Miserable comes out!! Nothing would bring me more joy than to see that movie on Christmas day....Hint hint Santa :)

I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life. 120 days and counting!

Turkey Day and lots of "Thanks-givings"

This is the best time of the year. There is a buzz in the air, people are more giving and it's a time to turn to the true meaning of the season. So much Family time and so much love for our neighbors, strangers and friends. I absolutely love it :) Makes me realize how much I have to be grateful for.
I honestly could go on and on about everything I'm grateful for....so to save time I wont, BUT I am so THANKFUL for this time of year.

Family time :) 

My family came to my grandparents home in Spanish Fork for Thanksgiving Day this year. They did that so I wouldn't have to drive home, (in case the roads were bad) Roommate Gabi came with, I'm soo glad she did! She should just become adopted into my family. Gabriela Houghton has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?
I love thanksgiving because you can stuff yourself and not feel bad about it, usually I get in a food coma and sleep the meal off, but this year I was enjoying a 2nd piece of pumpkin pie and started to throw up..... gross! soo no more stuffing myself silly for me. I learned my lesson. Oh well. Good bye glorious youth! By the way, Shout out to Grandma Houghton for a delicious Thanksgiving Dinner! She is so wonderful, I'm so lucky to have her as an example. Maybe one day I will be able to cook like her.

Let's eat! :) 

Going to throw up...literally

Happy Food Babies

We watched Ever After AND Phantom of the Opera. (Clearly the girls outnumber the boys in my family) It was so great. We played Mah-jong (a must) and WHOSEIT, but most of all it was great to just be with my family again. I love family time! I'm so grateful I got to see my family again, It was a wonderful day!

Mah-jonging away. Gabi's a pro now

Sometimes Rachel likes to take beautiful pictures of herself

Can you spot the photo bomber? 

Sad news..... Spike passed away. I was devastated. He contracted Ich, my roommates all tried to help him, and thanks to them Spike lasted a week longer. They made him an incubator  and a medicine chart, they even stayed up till the wee hours of the morning treating him. And I AM SO GRATEFUL to them! They are the best. Honestly how did I get such great roommates?   I think I gave him with too much Ich medicine. Poor guy was so swollen. The ich just over took his body :( he held on for a long time, but just didn't make it. I was heartbroken. We tried to resuscitate him with a battery (we heard it can bring them back) It made his little lifeless body zap up and down. Kinda like in the movies....but on humans. But he was blue lined and we had to say our goodbyes.

The white spots are the Ich (it got much worse, poor little guy)

:(

 We had a nice little funeral for him. We marched him to the porcelain throne and each said our goodbyes. I may have shed a couple tears for that adorable little fish. I flushed him and wished him luck on his last adventure. We even had a moment of silence for him.Sounds silly but my roommates did all that for me. So I could have closure for that little guy. I just loved fish so much, fish are the only pets I have ever had, and it means so much that they supported me. I Love them!

So we have now successfully killed 6 fish. We are all taking a break from them right now, we can't handle another little guy leaving us.

Good Bye Spike! 

My mission papers are in so I will be MIA for about 18 months. :) I'm so excited to go out and serve! I get my call on Wednesday!! Holy cow! I'm so nervous. It keeps me up at night worrying about where I'm going to go. My Bishop said that the call's been decided already! AWWW, I had a slight freak out moment, I am honestly soo excited. Wherever I am called, I am ready! So stoked :)

My cute roommate Kadie got her call. They over-nighted it to her from Colorado  Gabi and I went with her when she opened it at Utah Lake. I am so excited for her. The call is honestly perfect for her, she is going to be an awesome missionary, but I am going to miss her terribly! March 27th!

Kadie's mission call!!! :) 

I'm so excited for this time of year! I wish everyone a wonderful start to this season! Try not to get trampled by crazy shoppers! They are out there, I've seen them. 

More adventures coming in the future :) Love you all! 

A new addition to the family :)

Meet Spike :) he's my new fish. Never have I ever been an animal lover.... they are terrifying, cold sweat kind of scary. Roosters cause small panic attacks, I think it's because I was attacked, Roosters can be fierce creatures. Did you know they can smell fear? literally, Be careful!

The only pet's we've ever had at my house are fish, I love them! Bozo (R.I.P you cute fish) lived till he was 14+ years old, and Fat Albert was up there too, unfortunately his water burial had some issues and he plugged the toilet for a week. Guess we just fed him to much....

Spike and his Mohawk :)

A couple weeks ago this cute guy was taped to our door :)

Thank you mystery person for my fish! 

I was thinking....YAY, a fish! I love fish. And with his cute little Mohawk he was dubbed Spike. He only fell off the table twice...BUT he survived! so roommates Katie and Gabs went to Pet Smart and bought a little fish tank and spike got 4 brothers and sisters :) We had 5 fishes! and then 4........and then 3...... :( and today after we got home from buying another fish, we found another dead. Spike is the sole survivor. So sad. I literally love this little fish so much. Right now he's in a little emergency plastic bag while the tank is getting cleaned. Please don't die Spike! 

R.I.P Moby Dick, we gave him a proper burial to PetSmart

I dove home to Vote yesterday! First presidential election :) so great to feel involved in this wonderful country! I pray for the leaders. 

Isn't downtown Ogden beautiful? 

and many more to come! :)

Today I got 2 shots and my blood drawn.....didn't even shed a single tear! ok my eyes watered up and they had me lay down because I thought I was going to pass out....but other than that I might have just conquered a fear today. A special Thank you to the nurses for being so kind and acting like my mom, much love to those ladies. 

Life is moving to fast here, here's a summary of recent adventures 

Dance parties.... All the time

Giant Fort's

Pajama Parties

Movie nights

Hot tubing

Sleepovers

Nerf guns

Once Upon a Time 

Homework

Pillow Talk

and 

Lot's and lots of ice cream..... :)

Mmmmmmm :)

Birthday Party weekend! Gabi turned 21! we celebrated Texas Roadhouse style. Her sister flew up from Texas and partied with us all week (She should just move up here!) 

Yee-haw! :) A Texan at Texas Roadhouse 

Beware

Got ya :) 

Beware, we have fallen in love with shooting these babies :) 

Thanksgivings coming up and I love this month of gratitude  Today I'm grateful for this beautiful earth, the weather, my roommates, ALL of my family and new friends, Life is beautiful

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig

I went home this weekend :) yay!  When I pulled into O town I rolled down my window so I could smell the sweet Ogden air,  fist bumping the whole time. :) I could drive around those streets with my eyes closed, probably not a good thing.

I visited the new Mrs. Eborn! She got a new yellow slug bug so we were zooming around in the cutest little car. Honestly fits her perfectly :) We went to Kneaders for dinner and her apartment to make an adventurous dessert from pintrest :)  this is how it happened....

 Choosing a recipe...out of millions!

Mixing the Banana Bars :) 

our  first attempt to make frosting, how did this happen? it smelled disgusting

2nd attempt to make frosting, we could squeeze the butter out of this.  Fail

After our second fail we decided to give the frosting up (our hips were thanking us)

30 minutes later....Voila! 

Delicious bars and great company :) 

I loved every minute we had together. I miss my sister time :) Then Jenn and Rach had a sleep over ready for me when I got home :) We all slept on the floor together and I heard all about their latest crushes, school, and favorite videos. I love them. Look at the cute note Rachel left for me :)

Notice the BYU blanket they had me sleep in :) 

Sunday we drove to Idaho for my new baby cousins blessing. Boy he is adorable :)

straight from heaven

I haven't held a new born in years, I loved every single second of it:)

It was so great catching up with everyone, all my aunts and uncles and cousins and extended family! We even got to skype with Grandpa and Grandma Browning (their on a mission in Riverside California) Love them! 

How adorable is My Aunt Amy?? 

Baby loving :)

Family :) It's like therapy. Especially when you haven't seen them in a while.  It was a wonderful weekend! The kind when it makes it hard to go back to school..... I'm So grateful for my family, the 40ish cousins I have, and all of my amazing aunts and uncles. It makes family get togethers become one BIG wonderful party :) 

Living Young, Wild AND free :)

Life is going by so fast! It's already 9 weeks into the semester? Seriously where does the time go. Means finals are coming...

 And it means that the leaves are dropping there leaves! Whenever I see a perfectly crunchy leaf I have to run over and step on it, :) It makes the coolest noise, walking to campus has become very difficult thanks to these crunchy fellas. On campus they have machines that suck the leaves up so I have to search for them. I found these at my apartment

All ready to be stepped on

 The whole Y mountain has turned a deep red, it's seriously gorgeous!

Ignore the wire at the top, I'm no professional :)

Last week was Homecoming, I had to work during the game, but I went to the dance with my roomies, it was literally us and all the Freshman. I felt like a Cougar, in every sense of the word. Apparently it's a freshman thing to do here, oops :) I also need to reign my dancing in a little bit, I guess I was going a little crazy to Gangnam Style and I almost got in trouble... So I'm back to the signature moves I learned from my mom like the lawn mower, the shopping cart, the pizza and some exercising dance moves. Thanks mom! I learned from the best :)

Dancing with the freshman

This week Todd had his State Cross Country meet. Go SCOTS! I seriously could not miss this race, (I've missed all of his races this year and it drives me nuts not being there to support!) soo I made a little surprise visit :)

Mom and I at the start line :) 

Todd's had some health problems running this year, not really sure why? He was rushed to the hospital....in an ambulance after one of his races. That scared me so bad, they couldn't really find anything, but I was so worried for him! For this race I kept calling him to make sure he was drinking lots of fluids and eating good food. (I'm sure he wasn't getting annoyed ;) )

Dad in his natural habitat 

Todd did such a great job! So proud of my brother :) He didn't even pass out, this race was a definite success. 

All done and still standing! :)

The course brought back so many memories of being in high school.... My heart was racing so fast.  it's been 3 whole years since I ran there! I can't believe it's been that long! Running there is one of the biggest adrenalin rushes, I was really happy to be a spectator this time :) 

Watch out college scouts! Todd's on the loose :) 

It was so good to see my family, like a breath of fresh air! I get to go home and to Idaho this week. My Uncle Curtis and Aunt Adie are blessing there new little one! :) I have a new cousin! Yay :) Can't wait to be with the whole Browning Clan. It's always a big party.

Did you know if you dress like a 3 year old and walk around campus people don't recognize/notice you?                              

this happened today

XOX