Fantastic Family, Pt. 2

So, after the matinee of Chase's play on Saturday, we drove down to Monroe to see some cousins on the other side, the Abbotts!

I've had the priviledge of becoming really close with this family in the past year, or so, and I love them SO much!!  Visiting them with Mama & Claire was particularly fun because Greg is Mama's oldest brother and the two of them are hilarious together!!

Sunday was Valentine's Day, and Liz (who is an AMAZING cook) made giant sugar cookies for us to decorate!!

My cousin, Shannon, got engaged a few weeks ago to Preston.  They're getting married in August, and I'm so happy for the two of them!  Getting to know him that weekend was a blast!  He is an amazing guy and will be a great husband for Shannon and a great dad for Riley!!  What a keeper!

The Happy Couple

Claire & I

We got to help my cousin, Michael, ask a girl to Prom, by decorating her room...  So fun and such a flashback!  He had all this princess stuff for her and a poster that said "I'd feel like a king if you'd be my princess at the Prom!"  Again, I say, way to go, studly cousins!!

Shannon & I got a little carried away during the decorating!

Glitter-y Goodness!!

Don't you just love this little picture??

Hey, thanks!  I took it!!!

On Monday morning, we did a pajama breakfast at Denny's!  So yummy and such great company!  Hooray for omlettes!  And for people willing to go out in public while not "properly" clothed!

Preston & Shannon

Mama, Aubrey, & Aunt Liz

Uncle Greg, Claire, & I

Michael & Preston's little brother

Abbotts, I love you!  Thanks for being related to me!!

Fantastic Family, Pt. 1

I love, love, love trips and visits, and taking a ton of pictures, but I hate how it seems to take forever to load the pics onto my computer, edit them, and then upload and blog about the details of said visits!!!  Especially when there's enough to require multiple posts (you have been warned)!

So... without further ado, here's the excitement I've had lately!!

Two weeks ago, Claire had Winter Break, and she and Mama flew out here from ATL to visit me!  We had a blast!  It was full of fun, food, and a few suprises!!

They flew in Las Vegas and drove up before school ended on Friday, the 12th.  As soon as I got home, we jumped in the car and drove up to Bountiful to see Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Woods Cross High School, where my cousin, Chase, played the lead (Adam)!  I LOVED that movie as a kid, and was thrilled that the musical version is also precious!

We didn't think we'd make it, since it's close to a 5 hour drive, and we didn't leave until 2:30pm, but thanks to Mama "Leadfoot" Houghtaling, we pulled into the parking lot at 6:42... 18 minutes before the show started!

Crazy Cousins!

Chase & I... isn't he such a stud!?!

Cole & I... my Valentine 2 years running!!!

Kendall came up for the weekend, which was a suprise!

Claire was embarrassed about getting too close to Chase, so we taught her a thing or two about "kissing cousins!"

Quinn is the best country-dancing partner EVER!!!

We went to the show Friday night and to the Saturday matinee!  But Saturday morning, Kendall & I went to run some errands...  at one point, I SLAMMED my foot in her car door!!!  OUCH!!

She was only a little less than supportive!

It really was so fun to get a chance to catch up with Kendall!  She is SO amazing, and as a freshman at BYU, is juggling so much!  I admire her "go-get-her"-ness and her love for those around her!

Bottom line... I LOVE THESE SMOOCHIE-WOOCHIE-CAPPELLUCCIS!!!  What a wonderful start to my week with the fam!

Ouch!

How do you end up with something this ugly and painful on your knee without any clue how it got there??

Fire, Fire Burning on the 2nd Floor! Oh-oh-oh-oh!!!

So... yesterday afternoon was relatively peaceful and relaxing except when interrupted by the sounds of our building fire alarm going off.  Sarina and I left our apartment in a very calm, cool, collected manner... we even remembered to grab our laptops, purses, and scriptures on our way out!  Yay for getting things that matter!!

The alarm was really loud in our apartment... but outside, it was even LOUDER!!!

When we got outside, we called our apartment's after-hours maintenance line and 911.  And then we wait for the fire department to come!

As we waited, we saw a man run in a towel around the edge of the building, see us... and then turn around and run back...  we now officially call him Towel Boy!  It was pretty funny!

Apparently, a second story apartment on the opposite corner of the building had their sprinklers go off... no real fire... but we got to wait it out outside anyways.  We went for a walk to that side of the building and saw water gushing through the walls of the apartment and through the window of the apartment below.

Here's a little bit of the flooding (this was at the beginning... it got MUCH worse before it stopped):

When the fire department came, they finally shut off the sound and the water sprinkler.  And we got to go back inside.  They were there for about 2 1/2 hours getting the water off and cleaned out.

It was kind of exciting!  Especially since none of our stuff got wet or ruined!

Absolutely Smitten!

... with this gorgeous, GORGEOUS man!!!

SO talented! So handsome! So debonair! So wholesome! So funny! So suave! SO DREAMY!!!

Sigh!

I think I've been in love with Gene Kelly since I was five or six, when I saw Singing in the Rain for the first time... and now, watching it with my roomate tonight, I am convinced. I love him!  And his light post... and his yellow rain coat... and his umbrella... and his nerd glasses... and his fedora... and his tap shoes... hhmmm!!

And, FYI, I'm realizing as we watch it tonight something I've never realized before... Gene Kelly isn't sighing, swooning, and singing because of Debby Reynolds... he's doing all of that (and dancing) because he is in love with me!  How did I not realize that sooner?

I'm sure we will be very happy together!







P.S. "From where I stand, the sun is shining all over the place!"