Thanksgiving weekend

Well there are going to be lots of pictures as usual! This week was pretty fun and pretty action packed. I was pretty bummed I couldn't go home, but tried to fill it up with fun things to make up for it. So some of my friends had a Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday and they were so nice to invite me. We had a fun time and Kristie did a FANTASTIC job cooking all of the food.

The amazing chef behind it all! :)

the whole crew

My friend Lauren came to spend the night because we were getting up SUPER early to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade the next morning. The Jones family was nice enough to let us and Jolene join their group. So we met at the church at like 5:30 Thursday morning and rode into the parade. Bro. Jones had been there since 5:00 and had the whole thing set up with chairs, caution tape, and a tarp haha it was pretty funny. The streets filled up quick and we had tons of people to fit in our small spot. (Random story feel free to skip it)

****One pretty interesting slash almost disastrous thing is that once you're in you basically can't get out so having been told this before I decided that about an hour before the parade I should run to the bathroom so I wouldn't be stuck during the parade if I needed to go. There was one right across the street at Central Park so Lauren and I hope over the rail to run across the street and the cop stops us and says that we can't cross the street. I ask her why and she is basically just really rude and ignores us...she won't give me an answer as to why I can't cross. So we go back and try to find another way out the other side...we climb all the way out through TONS of ppl only to realize that there are too many people to get anywhere so we climb back through everybody to our spots. At this point it's kind of an emergency so I find a different cop and ask her very nicely if there is ANY way I can get across the street to use the bathroom, after talking to her and convincing her it was an emergency she got us out and escorted us across the street. So Lauren and I sprint across Central Park to the bathrooms because at this point the parade is starting in 20 min. We go to the bathroom and run back and get stopped right down the hill from where we are sitting...we had just passed through the barricade like 3 min before and the cops were like um excuse me you cannot go through here. I tried to explain that we had just come through min before and that we were escorted over and our group was sitting just up the hill. He said there is no way that is true because he hasn't seen any cops and they aren't letting anybody down. Lauren and I could not believe it, we had gotten up SUPER early and sat around for 3 hours just to get stuck like 20 ft from where our group was sitting and not be able to watch the parade. So I call Jolene to see if she can get the same cop to come back and escort us up...it's pretty chaotic cause the parade is starting super soon and the first girl cop comes down and says we jumped the fence so then the cops that stopped us are even more mad and anyway finally Jolene convinces some really nice cop to come down and get us and he escorts us back up. Phew! we got to our spots and sat down just as the first float was starting to pass.

Anyway so that parade was fun, but unless I was sitting where the performances are I don't know if I would ever go again. I got home, took a nap, and then I went with the family to Brad's brother-in-laws parents house for dinner. They were so nice and we had a good time.

the whole set up, notice the chairs and caution tape

haha they've been doing this for 35 years!

Friday morning started early with getting up at 3:15 to go shopping!!! We went to the mall dropped Brad off at Target to wait in line and Jen and I went over to JcPenney to get the free snow globes (something I guess there family has done their whole lives) anyway we got what we needed and went back to wait in line. It was pretty cold, but not too bad. Target finally opened we ran in, got what we needed and were out in no time. We made a few other stops and by the time we got home it was 7:00. My mom called and asked me to check at the Wal-Mart here to see if they had any laptops left so I got home and then went straight to Wal-Mart only to spend the next hour and half waiting in lines and trying to find out if they had any left. haha needless to say when I finally got home I had a huge headache and tried to sleep. We went to a cute parade later that night in Madison and they lit the big Christmas tree in the middle of town.

Don't worry, yes Braden is wearing a pink suit..it's fine :)

Jolene and I at the parade in Madison

Yesterday Lauren and I went into the city to see Finian's Rainbow. We rode the ferry in and got there early so we could buy the discount student tickets. Then just hung around the city, window shopping and just taking in the city at Christmas time. Everything is so fun and decorated and there are so many people. The show was so fun and I recommend it to everyone! My friend Taylor Frey is in it and it was so fun to see him. I also saw him in the Broadway tour of Hairspray a year or so ago. He is really talented and did a great job. He gave us a backstage tour after the show and introduced us to a few people and then we just chatted for awhile before Lauren and I headed back to her house to watch the BYU game!!! By the time we got to her house the game was almost over, but I was excited to see the last quarter since that's usually the most exciting and we turned on the TV and went to the channel only to find out that she didn't get it... :( so sad! So I turned on another football game and watched for the score updates at the bottom :) hahaha pretty ridiculous! Anyway so excited we won!! Go BYU!!!

Lauren and I on the ferry on our way into the city.

Us with Taylor outside the theater after the show

Thankful List

So every year growing up one of the first FHE nights of November we would make a huge list of all the things we are thankful for and then tape the list up in the family room across the wall. Since I haven't been at home the last 4 years when they have done this I have tried to make my own list and thought maybe I should post it on my blog. So here are a few things I have on my list this year.....

Family (both immediate and extended)

Friends

Sun

Water (both cold and hot)

A/C

Heaters

jobs

the gospel

scriptures

prophets and apostles

missionaries

jackets/coats

music

technology

genes (the fact that we're all different)

cars/bikes

holy ghost

holidays and traditions

BYU

Service

temples

ice cream :) slash YOZONE!!!

clothes

my body (energy)

kids

talents

ocean, beach, lakes, grass, trees, leaves

Church leaders

food

W4

different countries, people, and languages

and I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I have to be living in New Jersey and the experience I'm having here and the things I'm learning.

Radio City Hall!

Hey! I know you're surprised that I'm already writing again :) Welcome to my life...let's just say when I'm not working I have LOTS of time on my hands. The first weekend I was here I went into the city with the family and we met up with Brad's sister Jen and went to Sony World. It was actually really cool! Sunday was good, I met one of the other nannies that is in the ward. Her name is Olivia, she has been here for a couple years and is in charge of stake single activities so she is a good person to know :) We also have play dates every week, which is ALSO a great thing! I have the first couple of weeks past me now and it's been good. Heleyna and I have such a great time playing, she is so smart and so fun! She has an amazing imagination and we just have so much fun together! Braden and I are still working on it... :) he is 9 months old and I think having a little separation anxiety...it's mostly great, except when I'm trying to put him down for a nap. He basically refuses and just cries. So that's been kind of rough...if anybody has any ideas feel free to give me a tip :) Anyway it's so fun and such a blessing to be here!

A few fun things that I've done since I have been here is my friend Zack Oates and I went into Queens for a YSA dance...and let me tell you..it was pretty interesting. haha there were like 10 people there when we first got there so we went and sat in the car for awhile, but decided to go back in and make the best of it. While we were in the car a group of ppl had walked in so we introduced ourselves and made some great friends! We went to the Broadway Diner after the dance and it was the latest I have been out since I moved to Jersey....2 am!!! I know, I'm crazy! :) hahaha Saturday morning we had a stake YSA activity and we were going down to Princeton to a battle site. Don't worry there were 5 of us! hahaha let's just say the YSA scene out here is a little bit of a struggle :) The activity was fun though and I basically just hung out the rest of the day.

This week the missionaries came to visit me :) haha Elder Parker Robinson (a family friend from Cedar) is serving in the mission I live in and one of the other Elders knew that and they came to visit. So fun! Also we had a fun play date at the park and even went to get ice cream after :) On Friday, this past weekend I definitely went to the new movie "The Blind Side" with Sandy and Tim McGraw, it's about NFL player Michael Oher. Anyway it is seriously AMAZING and I recommend that everybody go and see it. In case you were wondering yes I did go by myself :) it's fine to go to movies alone! Saturday morning the Taylor family invited me to go with them to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and it was amazing!! The Rockettes are so great! I have always heard about this show, but didn't really know a lot about it. Anyway it is a great family show and recommend it to everybody! Last night there was a semi-formal multi-stake dance and it was a lot of fun. A few of the friends I met last week were there and a lot of new ones! Anyway here are a few pictures from my adventures!

Aren't they cute :)

Heleyna at the pet store

Eating Ice cream

Will and Heleyna at the park

Braden :)

Dianna, Brad, Heleyna, Eric, Jenn at Radio City Music Hall

Disaster!

hahaha sorry apparently I'm really bad at this whole blogging thing, but things got a little crazy!! To start where I left off I had been hanging out in Provo for about a month I think just doing whatever still looking for a job. I spent most of my days running, going on bike rides, watching Grey's Anatomy, and reading books on the 5th floor of the HBLL. :) haha yeah my life was basically amazing! We had a study abroad reunion and it was so fun! Tony was even there! He was in the states for some work stuff and stopped in Provo and wanted to see us! Great day! So fun to see everybody again, most of them I haven't seen since we said good-bye in the LAX airport!

Then it was Homecoming week so we did Hike and Light the Y. Spent the night for ESPN College Game Day. Yeah don't worry we were on the front row!!! Then the Homecoming game...unfortunately kind of embarrassing but still fun.

Krista and I made a pumpkin cake for one of her classes and it was such a blast. I had made the same cake a couple years ago.

I went to a baby shower for my friend Tiff.

Then we went to the YA show to see our friend Ashley! AHHH and she is pretty much amazing!! She is like the star of the show!

On the morning of Halloween we still hadn't made our costumes yet so we set out in the morning to find out what we were going to do. And this is what we came up with......

The SPICE GIRLS!!! (Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Paprika, and Ginger) hahah we're so funny.... :) It was a fun night...no parties quite as good as ours last year ;), but it was fun!

Also that week I found out that I got a job! I was hired for a nanny job in New Jersey and I was leaving in a week. I was so excited and nervous. and since I was leaving I decided that I obviously needed to go to temple square before I left. So on Sunday we did and we definitely got to see Sister Brett and Sister Sorensen! AHHHH best day ever!!! They are so beautiful!! We also got to make sugar cookies and decorate them :)

Kendra and I went to lunch with Tiff on Monday afternoon and it was so fun!! Then that night I had a good-bye party. It was so fun to see everybody before I left. Kind of bittersweet feelings...I was excited to leave, but so sad to actually be leaving everybody. Thanks to everybody who came to the party! Love all of you! I'm still basically obsessed with Provo, but I know that it's right for me to be in New Jersey.

I then went home for a few days to get all of my things unpacked and organized and then repacked to move. I flew out early in the morning Friday, November 6 and I was both excited and nervous. The family is so great and the kids are so fun! I take care of a 3 year old named Heleyna and a 9 month old named Braden. It is definitely an adjustment, but so fun. The singles scene is not too great, but I've made a couple friends. haha and hopefully it will get better. Needless to say I'm excited to be here and ready for the new experience!