It wouldn't be any sort of break or holiday if I didn't get sick so... Merry *coughcough* Christmas everyone!

Don't you want a little taste of the glory? See what it tastes like?

My dear friend Erica and I have been talking about having this party for a while now.
It's (almost) time!
I've been kinda bored tonight so I worked on a rough draft of the invitations.

What do you think? Oh, and there are actually several different quotes on the fronts.

Oh, and if you're reading this then you're invited. I think. You should probably RSVP just in case.

The front:

The back:
(Green blobs not actually there...)

R.I.P.?

I'm a little sad right now. You see, several months ago I broke my camera. I wish I could say I was participating in some daring feat, like zip lining though the Costa Rican jungle, but I cannot. I was standing in a parking lot, actually making fun of Chuck by saying he might drop my camera, when I dropped it. This was the last picture my camera ever took, about 30 seconds before it's paralyzing fall:

(This picture makes me sad on a whole other level. Remember when it was fall time? And pretty? And there was no snow?)

I took my camera to a repair shop but when they told me it would probably cost over a hundred dollars to fix my pocket sized friend, I left. I thought I could fix it on my own.

Today I finally found a tiny screwdriver. I disassembled my camera. The cameraman was right, I can't fix it.

Now I have a dilemma and I need your help. My mom has not yet bought my Christmas present and is offering a camera for Christmas/my birthday. Or I can wait and get mine fixed. I loved my old camera, I took over 6,500 pictures with it in the 9 months I had it. I miss having a camera.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Is love alive?

I can't get this song out of my head. Ever.


This is my winter song.
December never felt so wrong,
cause youre not where you belong;
inside my arms.

Dear Heather Nicole,

You do look cute with short hair! Here's some evidence circa 2003:


I can't wait to see the new short hair when I come visit. Which will be when I get a job. Which may not be for a very long time. Anyway... If that didn't convince you Feath, maybe this picture will at least cheer you up:


Love, Jodo

But you could distinguish Mayer from Petty...

Ah. Right this very moment I'm sitting in my room, thinking about cleaning it, but not really wanting to move. The original plan was to watch "Elf" and clean but I got home and Mr. John Mayer is streaming his charity concert tonight from his website. I can't move! I'm convinced that if I'm cleaning I won't be getting the full effect of this concert. It's almost like being there live. Almost. He just played "Comfortable" which is one of my favorites and I've never heard it live. He also played "Little Red Corvette" all slow and acousticy. I also love being reminded how funny he is.

Is it odd that sitting here listening is a little bittersweet? It reminds me of the last John Mayer concert I went to. And how great that night was. I would give many dollars to go back to that night. To rewind and probably (coughforsurecough) change a few things between that day and today. But I can't and hopefully I've learned a few things.

Oh wow, he just sang a little piece of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine".

Ah, I wish I was sharing this with someone.

Attitude of Gratitude: November 13-30!

While I might have failed at posting my gratitude everyday due to some internet issues and some broken computer screen issues I did not fail at keeping track of the things I'm grateful for. So if you're bored and looking for something to read then here, in reverse order, are the things I was/am grateful for during the last half of November.


November 30

1. Gratitude - It's hard to explain how helpful keeping track of the things I'm grateful for has been this month. It seems like the last several months have been less pleasant than usual and this month followed that pattern. Remembering what I am grateful for helped me to keep things in perspective and helped me stay optimistic.
   
2. An abundant life - I have so much: My testimony, my family, my friends, my experiences, a bed to sleep in, food to eat, a car, a phone, clothes to wear, shoes, running water, my health, an education, a life in a country that allows great freedoms, and really so much more.
3. Optimism - Because of optimism I'm able to get out of bed on bad days, laugh, and hope for better days and opportunities.
   

November 29

1. Sushi - My small hometown doesn't have a lot of good restaurants but somehow we have a great sushi place.
   
2. Fresh lemonade.
3. Double feature kind of days. Four Christmases and Twilight. Also good for days when you're feeling sick.
   

November 28

1. Kittens. My sister got a new kitten. We named him Popoki, which is supposedly the Hawaiian word for cat. I think my sister will probably rename the cat once I leave though. Ha ha.
   
2. Laser pointers - See above.
3. Bandaids - See above.
   

November 27

1. Thanksgiving - A holiday to celebrate the things we're thankful for? YES.
   
2. Turkey - We deep fried our turkey this year and it was the most moist turkey I've ever eaten.
   
3. Pie - My mom makes the best pumpkin pie ever. Mmmm.
   

November 26

1. Toast with homemade pear jelly.
   
2. Sisters who make your bed for you.
   
3. My camera - Even if it is broken, I'm thankful for pictures that help remind me of so many good times.
   

November 25

1. Coming home - There is nothing that can replace the feeling of coming home.
   
2. Road trips - Driving is therapeutic for me and I love to see other places.
   
3. Music - And iPods. And playlists that are perfect and (seriously) end right as you pull in the driveway.
   

November 24

1. Matinees - Fewer kids screaming? Check. Putting my feet up on the seat in front of me? Check. Not having to get there super early to get a decent seat? Check. Cheaper? Check.
   
2. Seasonings - That soup blew my mind.
   
3. Nights out with family - I may have skipped watching one of my favorite movies with some of my favorite friends to go to dinner with some of my extended family. Totally worth it.
   

November 23

1. Card games - Guys can you believe we played for 5 hours? Well, at least some of us did.
   
2. My iTrip - Thanks for bringing it back safely Camilla!
3. A chance to improve - I'm usually aware that I have plenty of room for improvement but Sundays are the day that make the improvement seem possible.
   

November 22

1. Good movies - Sometimes they help take away the terrible sting of a devastating football loss. If not, there's always breaking glass objects.
   
2. Text messaging - How else can I throw an impromptu party to watch the game?
   
3. TV in HD - When we were watching the football game it took us a few minutes to realize that we had the same channel in HD. The difference was astounding.
   

November 21

1. Uncle Mike - It means so much to me to have an uncle like Mike. He's got plenty going on in his life and with his children and family but when I talk to him or spend some time with him he genuinely wants to know about me and how I'm doing. He doesn't just ask surface questions either, he really wants to know the details.
   
2. Sweet potato fries - I swear upon this blog post that I will figure out how the sweet potato fries from Guru's are made. And I will master them.
   
3. Cheap plane tickets - Thank you Southwest Airlines for allowing me a few extra days at home for hardly any $$.
   

November 20

1. A working computer!!! - My screen died literally 4 days after the warranty ran out. Thanks to Richard, the friend of a friend, I have a working computer (or cornputer for those of you from Texas) AND I didn't have to pay for it.
2. Plans - Finally something to look forward to.
   
3. Cheap gas - How have I not mentioned this yet? I promise never to complain about gas that is under 2 dollars.
   

November 19

1. Perfume.
   
2. Chinese food. Or the American version of Chinese food.
   
3. Chuck Taylors.
   

November 18

1. "YES!!" Moments - I love the feeling of realizing that I'm not the only one who thinks a certain way or has a certain perspective. If I can find someone who agrees with me I feel just a little less crazy.
   
2. Facial expressions - I appreciate that it's possible to say quite a lot without using any words. I asked a friend how dinner went the previous night. He answered with a face and I knew everything. No further questions needed.
   
3. Friends of friends who will try to fix my computer.
   

November 17

1. Hockey games - I'm grateful for an opportunity to release some aggression vicariously. I would be a dangerous hockey player for sure.
   
2. 4 very special ladies - Mallory, Heather, Brittany and Kim (and not in any particular order Kimbo!) These girls became my best friends during my freshman year and now, even though we're quite spread apart, I still consider them best friends. I love knowing that I can call any of them, at any time, and have a friend to talk to. I miss you guys!
   
3. Trusting friends - I've found my calling as a "Kitchen Beautician" and I'm glad I have friends who let me put tons of chemicals on their heads and don't even get mad when I drip dye on the kitchen floor.
   

November 16

1. Grandma Alice - Grandma Alice is such an inspiration to me. For about as long as I can remember she's struggled with tremors and bad arthritis but I don't think I've ever heard her complain. She's got one of the best attitues and her sense of humor is so enjoyable. I also appreciate having a grandma I can talk football with, she's a Cheesehead!
   
2. Grandma Wilma - Yes, her name is Wilma, and she's the shortest, wrinkliest grandma in existence. I love her so much. She's got over 50 grandkids (I should probably know that number...) and plenty of great-grandkids but she knows my voice right away when I call. I appreciate that she remembers what's going on with each of us grandkids that she shares that information when I call her.
   
3. Grandma Beverly - Lucky me, I gained an extra grandma! I'm grateful for Beverly's good cooking and for all the things she did for my family when she lived here. She's so supportive of each of her grandkids. I miss you way out there in California!
   

November 15

1. A day alone - I LOVE people and usually don't spend that much time alone, especially not full days. Today I took the whole day for myself, I got to some things done on my to do list, did some fun things, watched a good movie and did my nails. And I genuinely enjoyed myself. It was a good reminder that I can have a good time with just me.
   
2. Thought provoking movies - see above.
   
3. Nail polish - see above.
   

November 14

1. The Gospel - Well, I was trying to save this one for later on but I am so grateful for the Gospel and the way it affects my life everyday. Today it kept me hopeful and I couldn't be more grateful for that.
   
2. Memories - So, today and yesterday might not have been great days but I'm thankful I have had some good days that I can remember.
   
3. John Mayer - Soul soothing music.
   

November 13

1. Friends who cry with you - I'm so grateful that I have people in my life who are there for me during good times and bad times. Especially the bad times.
   
2. Therapeutic shopping - What? Shhhhh....
   
3. Early Thanksgiving celebration - Even if my pie didn't win...
   

Wow, wasn't that fun?