All I Want For Christmas

Have I talked about my little sister Asia yet? Well, I should. Because she is adorable.
Example:
(I have her for Christmas exchange)

Shelby: "Hey Asia, What do you want for Christmas this year?"
Asia: "Well, we could have a sleepover?"


Exactly.

We are buddies.

Can't wait for our Christmas sleepover (Don't worry! I'll get her another present too)

Can't wait for Christmas...



It's The Holiday Season #2: Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving has been such a memorable one. Remember in my post about friends how I talked about my best friend from Malaysia, Minami Funakoshi, coming to visit me? Well, it happened! She came! She has been here all week spending time with me. So along with the mashed potatoes, turkey, rolls, stuffing, ham, and pumpkin pie; I have been grateful for her and the happiness she has brought to my home and family this holiday.

Day 1: Sunday

I picked Minami up from the airport and could hardly recognize her! It has been nine years since we last saw each other. The car ride was spent looking at old pictures and trinkets and catching up. We got home around 2:30am and crashed.

Day 2: Monday
I skip school to spend the day with my friend. This day was difficult for me. I REALLY wanted to make sure Minami had fun and she did something cool and unique to Utah. But I was having difficulties: the lights aren't up yet, too cold for hiking, not enough snow for sledding/skiing/snowboarding/snow fun, too cold for the canyon or the lake, etc. I eventually decided to take her to Temple Square anyway. Two lovely sister missionaries gave us a quick tour and it was a great experience for me. I was a lot of fun and very interesting to talk to Minami about the gospel. A lot of things I was comfortable and confident to talk about, but it opened my eyes to how unprepared I would be as a missionary! We had a great time.

I also took her to the Capitol building. She loved the view.

After that I showed her MY favorite thing to do in Salt Lake City: Decades.

Then that night she came to my play: The Music Man. I was slightly.....EXTREMELY embarressed; but, she insisted. I am still hopeful that she enjoyed that as well.

Day 3: Tuesday:
Minami actually went to hang out with her friend at BYU so I was by myself today. But I had an eventful day. Closing Night! Last Day of School! Passed my Psych test! Success.

Day 4: Wednesday:
Today I worked my last shift at the dreadful Taco Time (I quit on Monday after a fit of hysterics) HALELUJAH! At night we had a gingerbread party. There was definitely a lot of love in the air. Merriment. Happiness. Joy. Laughter. Peace. What else are the holidays about?

                                           Notice: Curry and Gingerbread house-- Awesome.

(Hannah's "gingerbread house"; creative?)

Day 4: Thursday:
Happy Thanksgiving! It was Minami's first Thanksgiving dinner ever.

We made about 200 rolls for the occasion and enjoyed spending time with my boisterous Frampton family.

We also went repelling up the snowy canyon and that night we slept under the Christmas Tree.

                                                          
                                                         Minami's FIRST snow angel!

Day 5: Friday:
Unfortunately, in Asia the driving age is 18- So Minami doesn't have her liscense. I took her driving for the first time and we decorated the Christmas Tree. A yearly tradition I was happy she could participate in. Perfect word: cozy.

Day 6: Saturday:

I had to say goodbye today. But I had the best Thanksgiving break ever spending time with her. It's hard to put into words what it is like to see someone you used to be very close to and havent seen for almost a decade. Memories flooded back and we discussed funny elementary school times and our childhood feelings and concerns. They seem silly now; but still such a part of us. I hope we can always keep in touch.

SO FUN

Minami's "1sts"

-Utah

-Canyon

-Snow angel

-Record player

-Player piano

-Driving experience

-Sleeping under the christmas tree

-Thanksgiving dinner

-Gingerbread House

-Missionaries

A Very Memorable Thanksgiving.

Thanks Minami!

On a Whim...

You know when you sometimes do something so incredibly spontaneous you don't really know why or how you did it, you just...did? Well, that is exactly my thoughts when I tried out for the school musical in September. I wasn't planning on it...in any sense. I just showed up after school, sang, made call backs, and got a part! Spent hours after school for two months planning and practicing, taking work off, buying character shoes, making friends, having good times, having bad times. All because I walked into a room and sang a song one day. It was definitely an interesting experience. A very good one too.

Our last performance was Tuesday night and if you didn't get to come see it, that's too bad. I think I did my best yet!

The Music Man!

"and I expect a new rocking chair"

 (I believe this picture was taken on the word "chair"....not so attractive, but hey! my part was so small this is the only picture of me...tough luck) 

 The beautiful Caroline Grace and I

 The Cast

The Cast

Pick-a-little ladies

I can say I learned a couple things:

1) I don't like chickens

2) I never want to sing the word CHEEP again

3) Friends are the best

4) If you want to get money, swindle people, sell band instruments: you will find the love of your life and live happily with no consequences.

THE END

WARNING! WARNING!

NOTE: HUGE BLIZZARD APPROACHING STOP WORST UTAH HAS SEEN IN SEVEN YEARS STOP 3-5 INCHES OF SNOW STOP STAY INSIDE YOUR HOMES STOP ONLY LEAVE IN EMERGENCIES STOP ALL EXTRA ACTIVITIES AND WORK SHOULD BE CANCELED STOP FEAR FOR YOUR LIVES STOP

So, after this warning, I get real excited. A storm is a brewin'! I equip myself with two pairs of pajama pants, two shirts, a sweatshirt, socks, boots, five blankets, a pillow, hot chocolate, and rations for the night. Hannah and I set up in her playroom, ready to endure the storm all night as we play video games and hear the house crash around us from the hazardly winds and snow. Our beds are made to withstand any winds! WE WILL SURVIVE!

And look at that, we did. Turns out the "blizzard" was a couple of dust specks flying around and a chilly breeze. I woke up to 1 cm of snow and a bright sunny day.

Dissapointment.

Since we've no place to go...

Happy Sunday!

Happy Snowy Sunday.

why sundays are happy:

Rest.

Sleep.

More Rest.

Family.

Pancakes.

No School.

Rest.

Naps.

No traffic.

Beautiful weather.

Nutella.

Singing in the kitchen.

Christmas music.

Hot chocolate.

Cuddly Dogs.

Reading.

REST

I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good...

This morning, at 12:01am, I went to my very first premiere ever!

You guessed it: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I

I'll admit, I have never been a huge fan of the movies. Alright, their entertainment qualitiy is good and the progression from when Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint were eleven, is interesting. The acting...lacking sometimes. Casting of Snape, Umbridge, Skeeter, Lucius, Luna: Brilliant. But mostly, I am a book fanatic.

I read the series every summer. Consequently, I pick apart the movies for which scenes they got correct, close to, or utterly changed/added in new information.

For example:

1) Harry has blue eyes in the movie. WHAT?! I just don't understand! Why not have him wear green contacts?! It really wouldn't be too difficult.
2) In the sixth movie, Dumbledore does side-along Apparation with Harry inside the grounds of Hogwarts. Hasn't Hermione spent the first five books explaining to Harry and Ron that is IMPOSSIBLE? So they attempt to make this an excusable crime by having Dumbledore say "Being the headmaster has it's advantages." No. They could have easily had them go to Hogsmead. Laziness, I say.
3) Also in the sixth movie, The Burrow burns down. No one really understands the purpose of this, so I won't elaborate.
4) They ruin Harry/Ginny's first kiss! In the books, Harry, as team captian, is in detention during the last Quidditch match of the year, anxiously trying to listen and determine who is winning. After midnight and his detetion is over he goes through the portrait hole to the Griffindor common room and everyone is celebrating a winning match! He runs over to Ginny (who was seeker) and kisses her in front of all of Griffindor! But....NO. They have them secretly kiss in the Room of Requirment on no special occasion, for no reason? I just don't get it.
5) And what ever happened to wizard robes? They dissapeared.

Anyway, there are some interesting variations from movie to book.

Enough of my complaints, now for my compliments:

Harry Potter is simply exquisite. It's genius. J. K. Rowling is brilliant (and one of the richest women on earth). Why? Because she had a great idea, and shared it. It is a gift to write a story so compelling, hysterical, heart-wrenching, clever, poignant, thiought-provoking, suspenseful, witty, and magical.

To prepare for the movie, a couple major events have been put to place.

The first one was Sadies. I took Ryan Allen and we did a Harry Potter themed dance. We ice-blocked on broomsticks, had Butter Beer, carved our own wands, and duel-danced all night long. A very successful date. Here's some of my favorite pictures.

Hermione Granger

 Viktor Krum

Magical.

Next, I participated in The 12 Days of Harry Potter.

My two friends Anna Lewis and Jess Isrealsen put this together for a group of fanatics and friends at Lone Peak High School. They sent out letters:

Enclosed in the letters where your character, your house, and the description of all twelve days prior to the movie premiere.

I had the privilege of being assigned to Rita Skeeter.

"Attractive blonde Rita Skeeter, forty-three, who’s savage quill has punctured many inflated reputations..."

The 12 days consisted of:

Wand Making

Dueling

O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s

Qudditich World Cup

Triwizard Tournament

Squib Day

Daily Prophet Day

Weasley's Wizard Wheezes

Wizard Chess

and finally...

Harry Potter Day!

Everyone dressed up as their characters that day(yesterday) and since I was Rita Skeeter, I got to take pictures of everyone! Here are some of my favorite costumes:

Professor Trelawney

A Patronus

Fred and George Weasley

Hermione Granger

Narcissa Malfoy

Dolores Umbridge

Trelawney and Padma Patil

Lucius Malfoy

Viktor Krum

Petunia Dursley

Aren't those FASNTASTIC?!

Now some memorable trinkets:

A Chocolate Frog

"The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir beware"

Clever eh?

My Quick-Notes Quill

The movie last night hit the mark. In my opinion, it was much better done than the previous six and followed the book well. It was slightly too dark for me, but I guess it is a wizard war, right? I left the theater very pleased, not to mention bawling my eyes out. Some of it was probably because it was 3 o' clock in the morning, but most it was just a touching movie. Everything is coming to a close and I am so ridiculously attached to Harry Potter it just hit me so hard! I can't wait for Part II and I hope they do justice to finish off this classic and legendary series.


...Mischief Managed



Can I Just Say....

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

243 Days............