Party Rock Anthem dancing mice!

I just love this commercial!

Bohemian Rhapsody vs. work Christmas party!

So you are probably wondering what I'm posting about...well, apparently my co-workers have a lot of faith in my singing ability and throughout our work Christmas party (the dinner portion), I was repeatedly told I should sing karaoke. After dinner, to start off the karaoke event, one of my managers bribed everyone with a $10 gift card to the hospital cafeteria (not my first choice for food, but when I'm at work, free food is always great!). My friend Amanda stood up and said $20 and I'll do it. Well my manager upped her previous bribe, however, Amanda didn't sing. Instead, my surrounding 3 tables pushed my friend Katie Duncan and I up to the front. Okay, I gave into peer pressure...and $10 (split 50:50)! After a few minutes of not finding "Sweet Caroline" and "All the single ladies", we settled on Bohemian Rhapsody! However, we didn't know it as well as we thought we did (chorus only)...yet I think we pulled it off! I tried to remember the tune of the song based on the Muppet's version, yet my best moment was "Galileo, Galileo"! We got some great laughs, applause, and "great jobs" afterwards! All in all, it was a great work Christmas party! Thanks IMSU, love you all!
P.S. I also won a IMSU t-shirt, my size, and dark blue (a color I don't have). Score!

I have so many things to be grateful for!

At this time of the year, I think a lot about what I have and what I am grateful for. I wanted to publicly share my thoughts of what I am truly grateful for in my life!

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ/Temples/Scriptures
2. Family
3. Education, which has allowed me to have a great job
4. Friends
5. Shelter, food, clothing
6. Great health
7. Car
8. Traveling, seeing the world
9. Pomegranate seeds
10. Instrumental music
11. Good books (fiction)
12. Crafts/Scrapbooking
13. Outdoors (camping, snowboarding, hiking, running)
14. Board/card games
15. Chocolate milk
16. Blankets
17. Pictures of loved ones
18. Movies
19. Laughter
20. Broadway musicals
21. Love

Temple Square lights!

My family took a trip up to see the lights on November 26th, which was also my dad's birthday. We had been up in Layton visiting his dad, who also shares his same birthday, fun huh! We bundled up and braved the cold, but I couldn't help but sneak a few pictures of the beauty of Temple Square! My family loves going to see the lights at Temple Square, it's a great family tradition.

I love this picture! The dark night sky against the lights from the temple spires and red trees!

Mom and Dad! Notice my moms cute sock monkey scarf she won at her work, she loves it!

Me and myself! Notice my 'Despicable Me' minion beanie! I had two people in the Temple Square Visitor Center ask if they could take a picture of my hat. Seriously, they all want my style!

The paper lanterns were beautiful, especially this one of Joseph and Mary on the donkey!

Happy Birthday Grandma Hardy!

It only happens once...my Grandma is celebrating her 88th birthday this year on 11-11-11! Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you so very much! I'm so glad you are here to celebrate your birthday with us. I know you've had a really tough past few months, but you are so strong and have put up with a lot from us! Thank you for all you have done for me in my life, you truly are one of my examples I've patterned my life after. My hero!

We are the Champions!

Yes, it's true, my recreation basketball team won the championship game last night! It's so refreshing to be on a winning team...finally! However, I managed to jam the ring and middle fingers on my left hand. I took the next out, found tape, and kept playing! They are the same fingers I jammed a few years ago, which required a splint for two weeks. I'm hoping I didn't do it that bad again! Ice, ibuprofen, and tape is my own nursing remedy right now.

An example of what I did...

The classic pose like when we were kids, basketball, kneeling and all! And once again, the tall ones stand in the back! Me!

Flash Storm in 13 minutes!

I was driving home from Target in Fort Union this afternoon when I noticed a nasty cloud hanging directly over downtown. I mean, wow, it was only casting its nastiness on downtown SLC! I wish I had my SLR camera with me, but I took what I had, took the next exit, found high ground at Church Hill Jr. High, and shot pictures of the flash storm! It was kind of a spontaneous thing for me to do, and I enjoyed it! This shot is looking out at downtown, north end of the Salt Lake Valley.

This shot is seconds later from the previous one, looking out at Murray, IMC Hospital area, the storm is on the move!

The south end of the valley, also taken at the same time as the previous two but you wouldn't think a nasty storm was headed its way with that beautiful sunshine and rays! The south doesn't even know what is coming...

This is what came! South end of the valley just a few minutes later! Seriously! Crazy, I know! I was sitting in my car, texting the awesome pictures to my mom to see when I looked up and saw the storm completely taking over the valley. I stepped out to take these pictures and got back in my car with snow!

South end of the valley, 30 seconds or so after previous picture!

This picture is looking out on downtown SLC. The storm is beginning to lighten up in the north!

Downtown SLC! A minute or so after the previous picture! This was quite the experience! I've never seen a storm move so fast and have such a drastic changes from picture to picture! From first picture to last, 13 minutes! I had a lot of fun capturing the moment and was glad I was at the right place at the right time!

Provo Halloween Half Marathon...dressed as Pebbles Flintstone...all 13.1 miles!

The Provo Halloween Half Marathon, 13.1 miles of pure canyon scenery, a beautiful run! I truly wanted to do this run to see all the fun costumes people would wear to run in. I, myself, couldn't help but join in on the fun! I decided, with much debate over the wig, to wear my Pebbles Flintstone costume. I bought it last year complete with a hot pink pixy wig with a bone. It makes my costume what it is, thus I had to wear it.

I used 10 long, thick bobby pins, which held it on so good, I wore it to In & Out to get a bite to eat after the race! I ran the race with my friends Amanda Christensen and Noelle Sanchez. Amanda and I have done quite a few races together, the 2010 St. George Marathon and two Christ-Lutheran Church/School 5K runs! I had to miss this years 5K but it was great to be able to experience this half marathon with her. Noelle works as a float pool RN at Primary Children's, thus how I know her. We've become great friends and plan on running a lot more races and run/exercise together on days off! Below are some fellow runners and our costumes! Noelle dressed as Elphaba from "Wicked" and Amanda was a pumpkin, well after she sheds her sweater! I decided to bring my camera along on the run. I wanted to document my experience through pictures!

Noelle Sanchez, Amanda Christensen, and myself prepping for the race in the heated tent!

I loved this costume! I quickly asked the guy if I could take his photo! So funny!

The Smurfs!

A scary clown!

A sleepy, but very angry bird! And a mean pig!

The shower man! I'm so impressed he wore this the entire time!

The 2:40 pacer, aka...King Kong!

Dos Nacho Libres!

Run Forest.....Run!

Elmer's glue bottles, so creative!

Runners awaiting the start of the race at Aspen Grove!

Just for a "honey bucket"! The wait for a potty. Notice a TMNT, I think it's Raphael!

Running the route through Provo Canyon! Traffic was stopped to allow us to cross the road from Aspen Grove to the freeway! We veered off the freeway at the tunnels to the Parkway Trail. I really wanted to run through the tunnel!

Wrong way!!! It's the Parkway Trail, a beautiful run for an October Saturday morning.

Running through the fallen leaves!

"Entering Walking Zone", ok, I'll walk! 2 Big Birds up a head of me!

Bridal Veil Falls! Amanda was too fast and didn't notice them, I took a few minutes to snap a few pictures!

We're getting there...

A beautiful run through the fallen leaves...

One of my favorite costumes, the patient with an open gown in the behind!

 

The last 0.1 mile felt much longer than it should've been! I made friends with an older woman at mile 12, we paced each other in the last mile!

My friends! Noelle knew she would start itching her nose once the race stated...apparently she did! And Amanda finally showing her true colors, Pumpkin! We had a great time! Amanda got a free massage after the race and we hobbled out to the car wearing our finisher medallions proudly!

Mr. & Mrs. Bryce Anderson - Est. October 14, 2011

"All because two people fell in love!" Lara Elsey and my brother Bryce were married for time and all eternity in the Mount Timpanogos Temple on Friday, October 14, 2011. It was my first sealing to attend and I'm thankful I was able to be there! It was beautiful! We had such nice weather, a beautiful bride, and a handsome groom! The sealing was beautiful, food at the luncheon was great, and the reception was amazing! What more could we ask for?

Simply Beautiful!

I love her bridals! Her photographer took them up near Springville, UT. I love the fall colors!

Yellow fall leaves are my favorite at this time of year, but they look even better with Lara in the picture!

Spectacular, I love the flower in her hair and her dress was amazing!

Bryce told me this was his idea, to have her stand in the road and look behind her. He was so proud of himself for the idea.

Mr. & Mrs. Anderson! Their first debut to friends and family after being sealed in the Mount Timpanogos Temple!

First Kiss! Technically it's not, but the first for everyone to see!

Neal giving his big brother a huge hug! I love these two, they are so close and it shows!

I played photographer myself, I love the train on her dress!

Emily and I at the temple. My roommate Lindsay Smith curled my hair that morning. She did a great job! Mom and I picked out Emily's outfit at Downeast Outfitters the night before, we used mom as a mannequin and then gave it to Emily to wear. It worked!

The Brotherhood! These are Bryce's friends from high school. The Brotherhood started out as the name for their city softball league team but then stuck as a name for all of them! They are all back from their missions minus one who will return on Thanksgiving.

Emily, Neal, and I outside the temple! I love my family!

Lara, the new addition to the Anderson Family! She fits right in. Athletic, loves the outdoors, funny, smart, cute! We really like her!

Mom and Dad! They both looked so cute and handsome for the wedding!

Emily and I on the far right as bridesmaids with Lara's sisters and friend! From left is Jenny who just returned from a mission to Argentina (like the day before the wedding), friend, Sara, Jessica, Lara, Kate, me, Emily! I was thrilled to see the outfit, we all looked so "hot" in them! I'm glad it's something I can keep wearing!