It's done!

Right after I graduated from high school, I decided that my summer project would be to make a quilt.

One year and 10 months later
(so much for "summer"),
having spent more than 200 bucks
(sewing, I found out, is not a very practical hobby
for a college student)
and after enduring lots of cutting
and sewing
and more cutting
and picking
and resewing...

I finished.

So here it is:

(sorry for the super attractive Ruby's Inn background).

A close up.

Another pic...just for the record.

So that's it.
I'm quite pleased with it. 200 bucks, 250ish+ hours and probably about 10 or so curse words was totally worth it.

My Insanely Awesome Family

I kind of just wanted everyone to know that my family is the bomb.

Really.

We have two major activities--reunions, if you will--within a month of each other.

And I look forward to, nay, anticipate each one. Every. Single. Year.

Most people would shy away from such an audacious display of family spirit. Many would feign sickness or work.

But not us. We love it. I love it. Because I really, really love my family. So here's a quick update of the last 2 Lifferth shindigs.

#1. Ja Jawohl! -The German Dinner

Once a year, we get together to celebrate our Germanic (and sometimes Irish) heritage. That's right, people: I am one quarter German, which is pretty awesome, if you ask me. Even if it only helps me in loving sauerkraut and saying my only known German phrase: "Sehr lekker!"

This year's dinner was especially yummy and entertaining.
Four delicious courses and some rocking company.
And what's a German gathering without some underage drinking???
(note the German flags in her hair. Now, aren't we festive?)

It was everything we could have wanted it to be, and more. Plus, we got to keep those awesome beer mugs!

Story for the event: We had the opportunity to sit at a table with my Uncle Karl and his sons. We were enjoying our pork chops and potatoes when Karl let out a swear (something that is not uncommon in our family...). Leslie, always observant and poignant, said, "You just swear?" (we all know how Leslie talks...). It was shyly admitted that he had. To which Leslie responded, "That okay. Sometimes my dad calls me swear words."

Yep. That is my sister.

#2. Ruby's Inn

14 years ago, my cousin left on his mission. We love missionaries, so the fam drove all the way down to Henrieville (this Podunk town in Southern Utah) to see him off. We loved it so much that we just kept going back.

This year was filled with pure awesomeness.

This year I had my first ever experience with the wii (I'm serious. Hadn't played it before. Ever).

Just Dance. It was awesome.

And it wouldn't be a real Ruby's Inn Retreat if there weren't some good hickish model shots.

We also got a rocking deal on snow shoeing.
And this is Ranger Jim:
He really loved to talk. A lot. We would snowshoe for 3 minutes and then stop and Ranger Jim would talk at us for like 15 minutes. So we ended up hiking about 1 mile. But it took us 2 hours.

That's okay. I didn't mind, really. If it weren't for Ranger Jim, I wouldn't know that I am an elk and not a mule deer, because I have large hindquarters and can snowshoe up a hill. Crazy, I know. He also told us that the copper color of this tree means something. But I can't remember what. Sorry, folks. (the tree really was copperish...just not in the pic)

I also just noticed how this photo really defines my elk-like features.

But we got to see some really pretty Bryce Canyon scenery.
So Ruby's Inn was definitely full of some good times. Luckily, a handful of us got the plaid matching shirts memo for easy family identification (sorry for the blurry pic).

And of course, the trip wouldn't be complete without our visit to the Henrieville ward. It was fast and testimony meeting. Unfortunately, only one person bore theirs on the high school's basketball team. Usually there's at least 3 or 4.

So there you go. That's why my family is honestly pretty freaking rad.

A Feel Good Story

Last night was going okay. Really, it wasn't too bad at all. I got to hang it with my favorite immature adolescents (I mentor at the middle school) (and it sounds like I'm being sarcastic-but I'm not. I really love those kids:). I talked to (coughmaybeflirtedwithcough) a couple of very attractive guys. And I had a good time hitting up the FHE.

But then I had to do a dumb CSIS assignment.
And then the computer kept freezing.
And there is just nothing like technical difficulties to turn a good day to awful.

You know what I'm saying?

And then I had to go to Wal-Mart. Which isn't exactly my favorite place in the world.
Especially not on Monday nights around 10.
The isles become a restocking obstacle course with all the boxes and bags and workers.
And, apparently, Wal-Mart only believes in two open check-out lines after ten.
Even though there were 5+ people in each line.

My roomie Amanda and I were getting pretty bored in line. Naturally, we snagged a magazine and started skimming. And when we finished with that one, we grabbed another. And then another. When it was almost our turn, I grabbed a Taste of Home Cupcake magazine-the kind that only has recipes-no articles-but tons of pictures.

And, holy cow, that magazine had, quite possibly, the cutest cupcakes I've ever seen.

No joke.

So, I sat there ooohing and ahhhing at all the cute little cupcakes.

Just a sample for you. I mean, isn't that adorable?

There were a couple of girls in line behind us (because 10pm on Monday is such a practical time for college student grocery shopping). They wanted to see what I was so excited about. So I showed them some of the cutest ones and we all were able to crave those babies together.

Amanda, like the frugal saint she is, told me to buy it.

I thought about it for like half a second but figured I could spend the 5 bucks elsewhere.

I returned the magazine to its proper place on the shelf and finished up checking out my much needed groceries (I'd been out of milk for a week, people!).

We loaded our cart and headed out to the parking lot. We were almost out of Wal-Mart when we heard someone calling behind us.

"Hey! Hey, wait!"

We stopped and looked back. One of the girls from the line was striding towards us, waving her hand.

"My roommate, she wants you to have this," she said as she held out the cupcake magazine.

And it was so random and so surprising, but so...nice.

Like, seriously.

It made my night.

So...to the girl who bought it for me:

Thanks a ton!!!
I'll be paying it forward ;)

ThE eNd