Merry Christmas!

Oh hello you.

In case you missed out on last year's explanation of what on earth this blog is, here's a brief analogy to get you up to speed:

Basically, if we lived on a ship, this would be a [mostly] photographic captain's log detailing events of our expedition. It's our way of sharing our little life with you so we can feel like we still know each other even though we may not see each other that often.

If you don't care to virtually hang out with us, but felt jilted by the lack of year-long pictures on our sweet Christmas card, here's some highlights from the past year:

papermoon = paper anniversary + honeymoon - Our kickin trip to the tropics.

Graduation - Worst part about school ending? Feeling obligated to get a job.

Me - I turned 23.

Brad turned 25.

Moab - We are now campers.
Halloween - Our costumes were off the hizzity-hook if I do say so myself.

And if you find yourself craving Brad's extremely conservative rants, go ahead and visit his blog, bradthoughts.gov.

On that note---

May your hearts be filled with the love of our Savior this Christmas Season.

love.brad+whitney

{Christmas Card 09}

The final product of #23.

Merry Christmas Eve!!

{Did you get one?! If not, send me your address, and I'll mail one to you! We have some more and I'd love to share!}

{snowboarding}

My uncle (Most Excellent Uncle Mike) hooked us up with lift tickets to Sundance.

So on Friday, we spent our day in the snow with two of my little cousins.

This officially checks off number 22, but hopefully there will be many more trips this season.

{photo taken with iPhone... My camera is DEAD!! How sad is that?!}

Thanksgiving Point

On Tuesday, we met up with my old roomies at Thanksgiving Point to ride the trolley and see their lights.

The lights were definitely anti-climatic, but it was fun to see everyone and spend some time chatting.

At least the trolley was cute, and it was only $2/person to ride it...

I love that Christmas gives a festive excuse to see everyone!!

ice skating + hot cocoa

On Saturday, we had some Christmas festivities with Brian and Megan.

Ice skating + hot cocoa (+ Settlers - since no Bregan/Britney activity is complete without it).

Britney

Bregan

This is Brad doing his "cool trick."

And apparently this is me birthing Brad...

*PS I won Settlers. ;)

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert

If you recall from last year our saga of trying to see Jeanettey in her Christmas performance

(i.e. the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert...

I just like to call it "Jeanettey's Christmas Recital"),

you'll remember that we never made it.

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This year, we got our tickets in advance and planned to get there REALLY early just to be sure.

Our evening started here:

where we enjoyed some delicious Japanese food (for really cheap too).

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Then we went to the Conference Center to enjoy the Choir, Natalie Cole, and David McCullough.

The best part was an organ solo by Richard Elliott - he played Good King Wenceslas in the style of the Nutcracker... hard to explain, but AMAZING.

I also very much enjoy the Bells on Temple Square - the bellringers.

I think it started with Bjork, but I would LOVE to have a set of handbells.

(They also have some GIANT bells that are like the size of my torso... I just want to ring them.)

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Check out my kickin' Christmas dress.

Tia and Brea were supposed to come too (dressed in the same dress),

but apparently this Christmas concert is a two year ordeal in which you miss it the first year

and make it the second year, so maybe next year they'll get there in time.

I LOVE those tights, but unfortunately, I wore them the next day and got a huge hole in them. ;(

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Here's my unskilled, ghetto camera photo of the temple and the lights.

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On the way home, we stopped at JCW's for milkshakes. They are AWESOME.

Brad got one too, but he looks weirdy in his picture,

and I think he would rather I keep that one to ourselves.

the Lost Symbol

Last night/this morning,

at 2:17 am,

I finished number 12.

I now remember why I don't read.

I don't think I've done much else

besides sit in the bathtub with this book for the past two days.

Did I like it?

Yes.

If you'd like to join the waiting list to borrow it,

please let me know.

{G-On, it's your turn. Finally.}

{happy}

Last week, we had a little visitor.

Lawren came in from Colorado for a stopover after Thanksgiving.

Naturally, we had a little celebration with sushi (and Jon).

And by naturally, I mean because we're Asian, not because we always eat sushi when Lawren comes.

The coolest thing about Happy Sumo is their little "VIP" club.

You get an email every month with a coupon for the VIP Menu,

which is basically a HUGE list of stuff that is half off.

So all seven of us at 2 orders of gyoza, edamame, and like 9 rolls for $53 (before tip).

BALLIN!!

Also, here's a little gift from me to you.

Even when we set the heater to like 73, the lack of insulation in our house/giant cracks between the outside doors and their frames combined with the subarctic temperatures outside makes our house pretty cold.

So Tia tries to keep warm.

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We're getting all decorated for Christmas!! I love it! Hopefully you'll get to see soon!

number 23? check.

Remember my list of 23 things to do before I turn 24?

Well, today, I got our Christmas cards in the mail!!
Yep, I designed them and got them ordered (and all EARLY)!

I've seriously been tracking this package like crazy and was so happy to receive it today with this little surprise:

A sucker?! SWEET! (not to mention the few extras they printed ;])

Here's a little check-up on the rest of my list (blogging it makes me feel accountable)...

3 | Master the art of budgeting. - Working on it, and getting better...

4 | Sew 3 articles of clothing. - Started many projects, just need to finish them.

7 | Run 300 miles (approx. 25 miles/month). - Slowly but surely... hopefully in January I'll be kicking up the running pace in preparation for the 10k.

8 | Finish the Royal book project from 2008. - In progress. Also relates to #13.

13 | Give all Christmas gifts BY CHRISTMAS!! – that’s going to be a doozy. - So far, so good.

18 | Apply to grad school. - I need to take the GRE; does anyone have any tips and tricks?

20 | Go to the Sundance Film Festival. - Brad and I are volunteers!! Hooray!

23 | Design our Christmas cards. - oh finally, one that is DONE!!