Manic Monday, yes indeed!

Man, work was CRAZY today!! It felt like a Friday (which are actually busier & crazier than Mondays!!). Mamacita, my partner, had to leave for a few hours in the middle of the day. Right before she left, it was calm. Of course, it's always calm before the storm hits! Once she left, the phone would NOT stop ringing, every client wanted their court filings done within the half hour and chaos was so thick in the air! I didn't even have time to drink my smoothie or warm up my lunch til 3pm--an hour and a half before I was to leave. I couldn't wait to get out of there! C-R-A-Z-Y with a capital C!

However, it wasn't all terrible. There was some sunshine at work. I've definitely been enjoying work A LOT more since Wednesday. I forgot how much fun it is to flirt. I've certainly missed that in my life the last few months. I think I better go to sleep now, the sooner I do, the sooner I get to wake up and go to work :)

G'nite.

"Song Choice for 500, Alex"

I have this friend...

...who has an AMAZING singing voice.

Oh it's too beautiful for words!! I remember the first time I heard him sing on our mission, it was so heavenly! When he returned home from his mission 5 years ago, my best friend Bugs and I were blessed to hear him sing at his mission homecoming. While I lived up in Utah, he came to visit me and my friend StephyPooh. It was a lovely visit which ended with him singing us a Samoan song--which was more like a lullaby. I remember thinking that night, "Oh how I would LOVE to marry this man! He could sing me to sleep EVERY night!"

I don't know how to adequately describe his voice. It's like velvet, soft and gentle. It's tender and just so exquisite! It's like the voice of an angel. It is the voice of an angel. It's something similar to Aaron Neville with a little bit of Luther Vandross. It had been about 4 years since I was last blessed to hear him sing, I didn't think I'd ever get to hear him sing again. About 2 months ago, a friend was planning a musical fireside in which I insisted she ask my dear friend, Peej. He agreed to sing for it and I was once again blessed to hear his extraordinary voice. Even during the practice, it brought me to tears to hear him sing, "O Lord My Redeemer".

After that fireside, I told him that for Christmas I wanted him to sing for me, a song of my choice. I've reminded him of it since, but now Christmas is right around the corner. I NEED a song!!! Silent Night? Ave Maria? O Holy Night? It's like going to a chocolate shop and being allowed to only take one piece of chocolate. All of them are good, but how can you limit yourself? Oh well, whatever the song ends up being, it'll never be heard the same after he sings it. I can't wait!! This will be my most favorite gift this year.

That time already?!

I can't believe the Christmas season is upon us already. I'm not ready for it. It doesn't feel like the Christmas season when it still feels like Summer outside. I miss having a white Christmas, those were some of my favorite Christmases.

It's starting to look like Christmas around my office. In time, it'll start to look like it at home as well. I can't wait til next Friday! It'll be the annual 'Balboa Park December Nights'. Oh, it's one of my favorite Christmas activities! I've been able to enjoy it with my best friends the last couple of years. The food there is SOOOOOO DELICIOUS!! It's like an international smorgasbord of food and festivities! So much fun to partake in! I can't wait. I think after December Nights, it'll REALLY start to be Christmas for me!

photos from last year's December Nights:

top row: Liz, Eddie & I in front of the Organ Pavillion / Lumpia from the Philippines / Feeding Eddie cookies from Lebanon.

bottom row: the BEST Hungarian sausages EVER! / Lebanese Baklava / Pastelillos from Puerto Rico

2 things for Thanksgiving....

Tomorrow, I'll be spending Thanksgiving with just my parents.

That's never happened before, EVER.

It's very seldom that I eat any meal with JUST them.

My brother and his family went out of town, to his in-laws' for Thanksgiving. I'm actually a lil jealous. I love my bro's in-laws...but I LOOOOOOOOVE my bro's MotherInLaw's pies. They're FREAKIN' FANTASTIC!! ALL made from scratch and she even makes me a Butterscotch pie--she knows it's my favorite! Oh how I wish I was there!

2 things come to mind for this T h a n k s g i v i n g:

-I love the opportunity I have to enjoy Thanksgiving alone with my parents. I'm so excited to have the time to cook! It'll be a lot quieter, I'll miss the noise of having 5 additional family members around the dinner table. Like I said, it's very rare that I'm ever alone with just my parents. I think it'll definitely be a Thanksgiving to enjoy. I know I'll look back on this Thanksgiving and hold it's dear memory in my heart. I've truly been blessed with amazing loving parents.

-I'm so grateful for my sister-in-law and her family. My SIL has been married to my brother for 20 years, I've known her since I was 7 years old. She's been more like a sister than an "In-Law". I've never thought of her like that. She was my escort thru the temple when I went through for my Endowment. I love her family. They're beyond friendly, they're truly family. They've all welcomed me into their homes, even when my bro & SIL wasn't with me. I used to go over to my SIL's brother's house all the time and they'd feed me when I was a broke college student in Utah. My brother is blessed beyond measure to have such magnificent in-laws such as them. I hope I'm blessed as well, someday.

Please & Thank You.

Can I have this house please? Oh pretty pretty please?!?

I Wish...

...I could just create all day. Everyday!

That is seriously my dream come true--being free to create ALL day. I would be the happiest person, EVER!!

I wish I could photograph everything and anything. I love being behind the view finder of my camera. I still wish I had my own darkroom...and I guess a Mac with Photoshop's cool too, it's just not the same. I wish I could work in my own garden again and plant all types of seeds, bulbs & plants. I love working with my hands. After my flower bulbs grow I would want to create the most beautiful arrangements and give them away, I miss doing that. As for the fruits of my garden, I would love to give them away in a basket that I made myself. I wish I could play my piano & violin all day and then just listen to music the rest of the time. I love those random times in my week when I can sit at my piano and sing. I would love to sit down and write music & poetry. I wish I could just draw and paint...and create everything and anything with my hands. I would love that so much. I miss pottery. I also wish I could scrapbook all the time and create cards as well. At night I would love to sew and sew and sew! I wish I had the time to cook [from scratch] for my family and bake for others...oh how I love that so!

If I had the time, energy and means to create everything in my head, I'd be ecstatic! I'm so lucky to have a Mom who challenged me and encouraged my own creativity. I'm thankful she taught me how to cook, sew, sing like her, allowed me to take violin lessons and had an organ in the house so that I could teach myself how to play.I love the love I have to create. I love my art filled life!

Hello Mr. Thursday, nice to see you again!

You know what day it is.....THURSDAY!!

Oh how I love Thursdays!

I'm really happy today.
I don't know if it's because I secured a date for my Christmas [work] party?
Or because tomorrow night is my nephew's football playoffs?
Or the two new callings I'll be receiving on Sunday (ward organist & Relief Society pianst)?
Or the fact that I have money in the bank and have not received an "Overdraft withdrawl" email?
Or that my hair looks freakin' fantastic today?
Or because I got to talk to my good friend PajamaPants yesterday?
Or cause I have a job that I love and enjoy those that I work with...like Mr. NY who gives me something GORGEOUS to look at each day?
Or because it's a BEAUTIFUL Autumn day and I don't need to wear a sweater?
Or it's cause I have an AWESOME nephew who LOVES serving the Lord and the people of Fiji?

Well whatever the reason is, Life is good today!