Finals are finally (almost) over...

And I have so much to do! I do have one more paper I need to turn in, but the deadline was extended so I can stress over it after Christmas. After all, I have much more important things to do. For example, the Christmas tree is not out. There is not a single Christmas decoration making our little apartment feel festive. In fact, if you came over to visit, you might think it's still November from the turkey dishcloth I still have out. The presents have all been bought (thank goodness!), but I will be spending all my time tomorrow wrapping them. For far away family, I'm really sorry, but your gifts haven't made it to the post office yet. And for all you wonderful people out there who were expecting Christmas cards...those didn't get out either. It feels like someone has stolen my Christmas!


The law school is my Grinch this year. Boo! The only fabulous item that is making me feel just a little bit Christmas-y is this comfy pair of fleece socks with rice bags in the feet that smell like cinnamon and cloves. Garrett gave them to me early because my feet were freezing while I was working on my papers. I called Heather to tell her that my feet smelled like cider. They make our whole apartment smell yummy!

My one Christmas wish this year is that finals next year won't be such a monumental pain! At least I'm halfway done officially (almost-just have to finish that one annoying paper). So I'm going to work hard tomorrow to make up for lost time and get into the Christmas spirit. Garrett has to work, so I thought I'd spend the day watching some of my favorite Christmas flicks while I'm doing all that wrapping. Too bad 24 hours of A Christmas Story won't be on yet.

Happy Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe Garrett and I have actually been married for SIX years! They've gone by so quickly, it really doesn't feel like it's been that long at all. In the past year, Garrett has graduated, we went hiking in Arches, spent 10 weeks apart while I studied in Costa Rica, and now we're about to celebrate another Christmas together. The time has gone by so quickly!

We had a great day celebrating. We went to Bolt 3D at the Gateway. It was such a cute movie, and 3D movies are so fun. Then we had dinner and spent the night at Little America. Garrett gave me a beautiful pearl necklace and perfume. Yay! He picks such great gifts. I gave him a book about WASPs in WWII and a Marlon Brando movie he's had his eye on. We had such a great time, and I can't wait to see where we'll be in another six years!

Happy Holidays!

While I don't usually talk about substantive issues on my blog, generally preferring to focus on lighter issues like how much snow is on the ground outside over serious discussions that I've already had in law school all day, I just had to devote a little time to say Happy Holidays! That's right, I wish that everyone who is celebrating a holiday this month have a happy one.


We will be celebrating Christmas, and as part of our Christian beliefs and celebration of this special holiday, we wish goodwill to everyone regardless of what holiday they celebrate. I particularly feel the need to talk about my love of encouraging everyone to have a happy holiday because we keep receiving emails that seem to imply that saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is somehow removing Christ from Christmas. On the contrary, these emails seem to boil down to a holiday popularity contest with one holiday claiming to be bigger, better and more important than all the other holidays.

Christmas is a great time to pass on traditions, testimonies and values to children. We should help them remember, as one of my favorite primary songs says, that "Jesus said love everyone." Showing respect for neighbors and their different traditions promotes peace on earth and goodwill to everyone. The impetus for these emails decrying the wishing of "Happy Holidays" seems to be based on court decisions regarding the First Amendment and department stores increasing recognition of other holidays.

Having just finished my Constitutional Law II final, I won't delve into the First Amendment much. I would just like to reiterate the fact that our nation was founded on separation of church and state. This governmental neutrality does not diminish the the strength of my religious beliefs or regulate my ability to wish whomever I want a "Merry Christmas!" And can you really blame department stores for working to appeal to people celebrating any holiday this season? Honestly, it makes perfect business sense to recognize as many holidays as possible to reap the economic benefits of seasonal giving.

One burr in my saddle is the way the holidays have become more commercialized, but this only reaffirms my belief that "There's no place like home for the holidays." It seems so odd to me that often the same people who argue that sexual education ought to be taught in the home are arguing that there should be prayer in schools. Just as morality and values ought to be taught in the home, so should the meaning of Christmas. Because no matter how much the authors of these emails try to convince me that being "politically correct" (or as I call it, realizing we are not the center of the universe) is ruining Christmas, mine seems to get sweeter every year.

Every Christmas Eve you will find me taking my place in the family nativity (wise man) along with Garrett (donkey-sounds sad but I have great respect for the donkey carrying a massively pregnant lady all over). We sing Christmas songs, decorate our Christmas tree and celebrate Christ's birth, and I am so grateful to live in a country that protects my right to do that. And my neighbors' right to celebrate Hanukkah, my students' right to celebrate Eid Al-Adha, and everyone's right to celebrate their holidays (or not).

So here's a big HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all and a wish for peace on earth and good will to men.

Let It Snow!

This was the view from outside our apartment on Monday. It snowed all day long, and hasn't melted away yet. It really is starting to look a lot like Christmas, hopefully it will stay that way until the 25th. I love the snow, especially when I don't have to go out in it. I like to be cozy and warm inside the house and look at the snow from the window. Fortunately, since it's finals time, I've pretty much holed myself up inside the apartment, cozy in my pj's, wrapped up in a blanket, studying my guts out and gazing out the window. I hope everyone else is enjoying it too, and I can't wait until finals are over so Garrett and I can mess up that perfect snowfall by making a happy snow couple. So in the meantime, let it snow!

Mad Knitting Skills

Check out my very first knitting project ever! One of my law school buddies started a knitting club, so a bunch of us decided it would be fun to squeeze in learning a new skill between studying and writing million-page term papers. Here's the result of my endeavors: a berry blue-tiful blueberry hat. Don't worry, it's NOT for me. Even though it's adorable, I'd look pretty goofy sporting this baby around the law library. I'm hoping it will fit the cute little noggin of a sister of mine (the Lanna-B of course, I don't think it would look any better in the Pharmacy School). Now if only I could work up the mad skills to make some matching mittens. Maybe next year...for now I'll stick to the easy stuff.

Go Utes!

Yay! The Game (you all know which one I mean, of course!) was so great this year! Garrett and I had so much fun cheering our team on from the MUSS (Mighty Utah Student Section for those who haven't had the pleasure/pain of being in the MUSS). While we are not always entirely in love with the MUSS (particularly when we get squished by moshing undergrads who are trying to think up ways to fit four letter words into their not-so-clever taunting of the other team), we always love our team. Go Utes!

Super late Halloween photos!

Please forgive the super late Halloween photos! It wasn't a really big holiday for us this year because Garrett had to work, but I had a great time hanging out with family. This cute, scary Lanna-animal decided to monkey around on the monkey bars by our apartment. I caught her right after she answered Mom (who said it was time to leave the playground) with a big Nooooo!


She was pretty intimidating, slinking around the Village. Her aunt made her this adorable outfit and she was warm, cute and fuzzy in it all evening. We never quite figured out what kind of fancy Lanna-animal she was, but she looked so fun in her costume.


Here she is making a scary Halloween face as we left to visit Heather up at the pharmacy. Isn't she terrifying?


Trick or treat! Give me some yummy vitamins to eat! Actually all the people at the pharmacy loved having Lanna come trick or treat, and they had some yummy candy ready for her. Now if they could only cure her of all the fuzzy yellow fur she seems to have growing all over her!


Even Toby joined in the Halloween fun. He's such a funny little bumblebee!


I just realized I don't have any pictures of me in my I-was-too-lazy-to-figure-out-a-Halloween-costume-so-Mom-bailed-me-out-with-this-pumpkin shirt. Maybe next year we'll do some more fun things for Halloween, but the best part was sharing the left over trick-or-treat candy and watching scary movies with Garrett on the weekend. Somehow it just isn't Halloween without hearing those magic words, "Here's Johnny!" Thank you, Jack Nicholson, for making our belated Halloween appropriately scary.

Fourth Folder, Fourth Photo

The fourth photo in the fourth file on my computer is this great picture of the faculty at Garrett's graduation. Not the best or the most exciting photo, but it was a pretty exciting day, one that Garrett is really happy to remember every time he wakes up from a dream where he is back in school. Good job, babe! What is really funny is that we'll have five graduations one right after the other: Me, Garrett, Jim is next, then me again, then Heather. So Lanna should be pretty well prepared to do it herself someday after watching all of us put on our goofy robes and finally get that diploma (cover...then wait for the real one in the mail. Doesn't that take just a little of the fun out of it?). Thanks for the tag, Fred. Now I tag anyone who wants to do it! Fourth file, fourth photo. Enjoy!

Acting Silly At The Cabin

We had so much fun hanging out with Heather and Jim, Jenny and Aaron, and cute little Jason at Jim's family cabin last weekend. Heather had us preparing for four feet of snow, but there was just enough to cover the ground when we got there. I think she was hoping we'd get snowed in so she could go snowmobiling. It was really cold though. Perfect for watching movies and sitting by the fire. This is Garrett pretending to be a mountain man. It's a good thing we live in the city. :)


Each couple made a meal during our stay, so Jen and Aaron made some yummy curry for dinner, Heather and Jim made crepes for breakfast, and Garrett and I made clam chowder and breadsticks for lunch. Then we spent the rest of the time watching movies, playing video games, being crafty, and figuring out board games.


But Jason ended up being the real star of the show. He was so funny and happy during the weekend. Even while we were playing games, he was posing for us. What a cutie!


I had so much fun using Jason to practice taking pictures of with our new camera. He just loved having his picture taken, and he's so smiley.


Have you ever seen such gorgeous big blue eyes? I about blinded him taking this picture, but he didn't even flinch. I can't believe he's almost one. What a big boy!


We had such a great time hanging out with friends/family (Aren't we lucky we can all be both?), I can't wait to do it again. For now, we'll just get to spend the rest of the week working through fall break, and counting down until the football game on Saturday (Hooray for the MUSS!).

Banned Book Week Sept. 27-Oct. 4!

Hi everybody! Sorry we haven't posted anything new for a while. Our digital camera passed away a few weeks ago and we're (still) waiting for our new one (but that's another story). I just wanted to take a little time to encourage everyone to celebrate Banned Books Week. As the presidential debates get started, I think reading a banned book is a great little reminder of just one of the many freedoms we have in this country. I plan on celebrating by rereading one of my favorite banned books, Fahrenheit 451 (which seems particularly appropriate and short enough for me to fit it in over the weekend). Check out this website for a list of banned books. I bet you'll be shocked by some of the books that made the list. Some of my favorite childhood books are on that list! So happy reading, and happy presidential debates!

Fun with Reagan

I had so much fun playing with Reagan while she was down here, and I thought I'd share a few cute pictures. I just realized that I don't have any of me with Reagan because I took all the pictures, but she was just so darn cute. This is Reagan and Heather playing hopscotch in my court at the Village.


And here is Reagan trying to teach Heather how to do a somersault. Reagan is definitely a pro when it comes to somersaults, but I think it gets a little harder when you get a little older and grow a little longer. It was so funny!


Poor Heather's attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, but she is pretty good at making bird nests out of grass. Reagan wasn't too interested in making a bird nest, only in throwing grass all over.


It was a lot of fun to have our cousins in town. We did all kinds of fun things, like having dinner together, going to Liberty Park with Reagan, watching House on Haunted Hill with the boys, and just having a good time hanging out. It was a fun break before school started. We can't wait to see you guys again!

Hasta luego, Costa Rica.

It has taken forever for me to get this last Costa Rica post up, but I think I've just been so sad to finally say goodbye. I finally settled on "See you later" because goodbyes are just too sad. Besides, I can't wait to go back again. Especially with Garrett. So here are a few more pictures of me and Mom in Costa Rica. We just thought this "Clean and Free Toilets" sign was so funny, especially because all the toilets I came across in Costa Rica were clean and free. This is the stop on the way to the Arenal volcano (which Mom kept calling either "Las Arenas" or "Las Arañas," meaning "The Sands" and "The Spiders." It was so funny!). Doesn't Mom look happy on her first day in Costa Rica?


This is the first "exotic" animal Mom got to see in Costa Rica. It is an adorable sloth just hanging out in a tree on the side of the road by Arenal.


The main reason for going to Arenal is to go to the hot springs. We spent the day at the springs in Tabacon. It was a fabulous tropical paradise. The water is hot and steamy, and it cools slightly as it runs down the stream.


Here we are hanging out under a waterfall. The water felt so good! What was really funny was that even the water in the showers, sinks and toilets was from the hot springs, so there was no cold water. It was pretty strange to see steam rising from the toilets, but the hot shower was great. In Costa Rica, most homes do not have water heaters. Instead they have an electric heater connected to the shower head which heats the water. While the water gets pretty warm, it was nice to have lots and lots of hot water.


Here are some more pictures from our next weekend in Tortuguero. Pretty blue crabs.


Here's the pool at our hotel. It's in shape of a sea turtle with cute little turtle eggs at the bottom. I'm way down sitting in the turtle's head, waiting for the monkeys to come swinging through the trees.


Mom loved the four hotel dogs. When we first carried our bags to our room, the dogs escorted us. They were just so happy and sweet, wandering around the hotel checking on everyone and chasing the monkeys.


And here is a picture of a really big horned beetle we saw in Tortuguero. Isn't he pretty?


What I will miss most about Costa Rica are all the kind people I met there and the really great times I shared with them every day. One great experience was when Mom and I went to the opera Faust. We ended up in these terrible seats behind a column. We had to lean really far over the balcony to see anything. After the first act, one of the trombone players called to me and asked if we could see anything. I said not much. So he took us down to some empty really good seats. It was so nice, and we were so grateful to be able to enjoy the rest of the show.

Another fun experience was watching Mom, Mari and our neighbor try out new exercises. Mari had a tai chi dvd and a belly dancing dvd that she got in two boxes of cereal. One day she, Mom and the neighbor decided to try the videos out. It was so funny, I had tears in my eyes because I was laughing so hard.


Mom and I had a great time in our Spanish classes and had really great teachers. Here is Mom with her professor, Mariela, after graduation.


And here's my graduation picture with Edward, my great Spanish professor.


On our last full day in Costa Rica, we went to Sarchi to see the famous painted oxcarts. They have been painting oxcarts in Costa Rica for over a hundred years, and it is so fun to see the intricate designs that they take the time to paint on such a functional object. These ones are older, and the sign in front of them says "The Flirtatious Oxcart." I had never thought of oxcarts as being particularly flirtatious, but these pretty ones definitely are.


And finally on our very last morning, Carolina, one of our neighbors, made a mani/pedi house call. Mari wanted me to go home with fancy fingers and toes for when Garrett picked me up. Carolina is really talented, and we all had so much fun.


It's funny because on my first night in Costa Rica I cried. I felt so homesick that first night, but Mari sat with me and told me that this would be "una gran experiencia." During my entire trip when I started to feel a little homesick, I would concentrate on what a great experience I was having. Now that it is over, I really really miss it. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back.

Adventuras en la jungla!

Yay! I found some photos we had on a CD, so you can be entertained until we home on Saturday. These are from Tortuguero, where we spent the weekend, literally in the jungle. The hotel we stayed in was spread out and more like a bunch of cabins surrounded by rain forest. It was practically impossible for us to fall asleep because during the night, the monkeys were screaming and running across the roof.


This is a caiman. They have caimans and crocodiles in Tortuguero, but no alligators. I think these guys are scary enough.


Every night we could also hear the frogs croaking. This frog is called the Blue Jeans frog. Can you guess why?


And here is a picture of the Red-Eyed Tree Frog. His picture turns up everywhere on things in Costa Rica, so he's pretty famous. And he isn't poisonous.


We loved the monkeys even though they were noisy. Mom liked to sit on the porch outside our door, with her entourage of hotel dogs (pictures of the dogs will have to wait), and watch the monkeys.


In fact, we were so inspired by the monkeys that we decided to zip through the trees just like they do. Here are some funny pictures of us flying down the zip line in the canopy of the rain forest.


We felt perfectly outfitted to work for the electric company. I bet all the monkeys were watching us and laughing, but it was really fun.


And Saturday night we went on the turtle tour to see the green sea turtles nesting. We don't have any pictures of the turtles because no cameras are allowed on the beach. The tour was in the middle of the night. It was really dark and the only person who is allowed to carry a flashlight is the guide. The flashlight only has a dim red light, so it doesn't frighten the turtles away, but there isn't really enough light to see where you're going. So when we went on the turtle tour, the guide said we were a little late and we had to hurry to the beach. We were practically running through the town and the forest and the beach in the darkness, trying desperately to keep up with the guide so we could be closer to the flashlight. Then when we got to the beach, we got to see a turtle laying her eggs. She was 1.7 meters long. I was really surprised that the turtles were so big. We also heard another turtle digging a nest behind us, and we saw another turtle pull herself down the beach and into the sea. It was really a great experience.

Alright...I promise more pictures this weekend! We'll see you soon!

Sorry guys!

I know you are all eagerly awaiting news of what Mom and I have been up to in Costa Rica. Unfortunately we have been taking all the pictures with Mom's camera, and she doesn't have the camera cord to put the pictures on the computer. So you will all have to wait until after we get home on Saturday to see our really neat pictures. Just so you know how exciting the upcoming post will be, here is what we have been doing:

Arenal Volcano: The morning after Mom got to San Jose, we left bright and early for Arenal Volcano, where we spent all day hanging out in Tabacon Hot Springs. It was so beautiful because you're basically sitting in different parts of the river, but the water is really hot. It gets cooler as you go downstream, but not much cooler.

Tortuguero: We spent this last weekend in Tortuguero basically in the middle of the jungle. We had a really hard time sleeping because the monkeys were screaming, the frogs were croaking, the birds were singing, the bugs were making whatever kind of weird noises bugs make, and the guy next door was snoring really really loud. We saw all kinds of fun animals, and even went to Tortuguero beach in the middle of the night to see the green sea turtles nesting. One of the days, we decided to do as the monkeys do, and we went on zip lines through the rain forest canopy. When we went walking through the mud in the middle of the rain forest, we even saw poison dart frogs. Lanna-don't worry! We didn't touch them!

I can't wait to come home and see all of you again! And I know you are all sitting on the edge of your seats, eagerly anticipating our exciting photos. I promise I'll get them up as soon as I can!

Bumming Around Downtown

After the trip to Manuel Antonio last weekend, I decided to pick an activity that was a little easier on my stomach, so my buddies and I decided to bum around downtown. Our first stop was the gold museum, where they have lots of ...gold!


Look how cute these little gold and jade frogs are!


These are some pretty scary gold crocodiles.


And for your viewing pleasure, more frogs! Can you tell which animal I liked the most?


After being blinded by all the shiny yellow stuff at the museum, we started walking toward the National Theater to have a cup of coffee (or in my case, some tasty mango juice). In the square next to the theater, there are tons of people feeding the pigeons.


Yes, this is a pole-dancing cow!


There are even cows dressing up like pigeons!


The National Theater is really beautiful, quite possibly the most beautiful building in San Jose. It was built by the coffee barons, so if you were wondering where the money you spent on coffee went, here it is.


I love all the marble, statues and paintings. I can't wait to see a show here!

This is their gorgeous coffee shop where I got to enjoy my fancy schmancy mango juice.


The statues on top of the building are so fancy that even the pigeons wanted to adore them.

Here is the outside of the building. It's so pretty and the front is a public square.


After that, it was about 2:00, which in Costa Rica means it's time to start raining, so it was time to head home. No more bumming around.