Giving of Thanks

Dinner table set for Thanksgiving dinner!

Toes and colored pants :)

Carmel apple fun 

YYYYYYUUUUUUMMMMMMM

Amelia's apple

Pretty sunset off the balcony

Parisian puzzle

Noah and Amelia decorating sugar cookies 

Max's sugar cookie--he's so proud!

We had such a great Thanksgiving weekend up in Huntsville with the family!  Everyone made it for at least a little while except for James, whom we missed so much!  A little Tetris on the Wii, movies, cooking activities, TeamNINJA!  I love my family and Thanksgiving!!!

Some Good Ol' R&R

Halfway through a semester, everyone needs a break (poor BYU doesn't get one).  

Some of my friends and I took a spontaneous trip up to a friend's ranch.  

Zip lines, four wheelers, hikes, lakes, no TV, no Internet.  

It was such a good break from school, work and city.  

The best part of break?  Cow chasing.  Video to be posted soon...

The boys cleaned out the fridge that was covered with exploded frozen Diet Pepsi.

So good spending quality time with Jorie before she leaves on her mission!

Nighttime four-wheeling

Stars away from the city!

Zip line :)

Covered after driving through mud puddles

B-e-a-utiful fall leaves!

Mommy

This one's for my momma.  She's the best momma in the whole wide world.

• Last Tuesday, I came home to a package of Halloween Oreos.  These are in my top five favorite treats of all time...I don't know what it is, but Halloween Oreos far exceed any other kind of Oreo ever made.
• On Saturday she took me to Costco so I could buy things I needed for work and church but couldn't get on my own.  Then she took me shopping just because one of our favorite stores was having a sale.  She took me to Women's Conference and out to dinner last night.  Just the two of us.  That day was the first time we've been able to spend more than 15 minutes together in the last ten days.  It was much needed.
• As I sit here procrastinating bedtime, Mommy walks in with a pile of freshly cleaned and ironed laundry.
• When I found out that I officially get to graduate in May (yes, you read that correctly.  MAY!) with not only my major but the minor I was hoping to get, too, she was the first person I e-mailed (e-mailed since I was in class).  I immediately got an e-mail back saying, "That is fantabulous!  Congratulations!"  The second I got out of class I called her, and she quite ecstatically yelled, "That is awesome!  I am so proud of you!"  

Thanks Mom.  I couldn't have done any of it without you.  

• After finding out I'll graduate in May, I became a little paranoid as to what I'm going to do.  Where I'm going to work, if I'm going to graduate school, etc.  My mother has patiently sat there and listened to me explain every reason for wanting or not wanting to do something.  My mind has been back and forth, and she has listened to my indecisive thoughts.  She talked to people she knows in my field about job opportunities and has listed off advice after advice.  Good thing I learned about three years ago that mothers' advice is the most worthwhile.  They, at least my mother does, know way more than we will ever know.  They get it.

"All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his." 

-Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest

If I become half the mother my mother has been to me throughout my life, I'll feel like I took care of my family and children.  I can't wait to attempt to be like my mother.

P Town

So if you read my last post, you are fully aware I am a UTAH fan.  I don't bleed blue for BYU.  But girls will be girls and drive an hour to spend a night with a boy in that place down south.  He insisted I bring my camera (thought: ooooooo, pictures, yay!).  We hiked the Y, which I must say is quite impressive!  It's HUGE!  And the hike is actually a hike rather than a walk down the alley to get to our U.  The fall leaves were gorgeous, the sunset reflecting on Utah Lake was gorgeous.  Everything was perfect.  Except the rattlesnake and tarantula we saw!

Rattler!

He wanted to be the photographer...

Provo Temple

Giant nasty spider!

Kuanguka

Fall means Recruitment.  Yes, that time of year when girls have to worry about their first impression when they "rush" into each sorority house trying to find their perfect fit for the next four years and then the rest of your life.  This is my beautiful pledge class (most of us, left anyway): PC09.  Can't believe we're seniors!

Soldier Hollow International Sheepherding Competition.  Finals: Labor Day.  We go every year.

It's pretty entertaining.  And the doggies are so cute.  And so smart.  That's them Border Collies.  :D

What is fall without a little state fair time?

Hot dogs, the best corn I've ever had and cinnamon sugar elephant ears.

Look at the pretty ferris wheel!

And look how pretty my downtown is!

Yay for state capitals and pretty night lights.

Tomorrow, you may ask?  UTAH vs. BYU football. 

Cross your fingers.

An Ode to College Football

In case you missed it, this week was the Holy War football game between the U and BYU.  This year, the U won three times.  How, you may ask?  Crappy referees.  It goes like this:

• We win!  Crowd rushes the field.  Flag is thrown and last play goes into review.  Refs decide the game is not yet over.  One second goes on the clock; BYU ball.  The score is currently 24-21.  The crowd is pushed to the sidelines.
• BYU goes for a field goal to tie the game.  Kicker Stephenson misses.  Utah crowd rushes the field again (second time).  Play goes into review.  Refs announce "Crowd rushed the field before the game was actually over.  15 yard penalty against Utah."  We're excited, okay?  Crowd is pushed to the sidelines.
• Clock starts at 0 seconds (how does that work?).  Stephenson goes for a second field goal at 11:59 p.m.  As the ball hits the left-hand post and bounces out of the field, the clock strikes midnight.  Crowd rushes for a third and final time!  Rumor has it, God made them miss so Mendenhall and his team didn't have to play on Sunday.  
• Check out this hilarious YouTube video about the game.  Haha.

Let's review Bleacher Report's article 50 Things We Learned From College Football: Week 3.

1. Alabama is the Best Team in the Country
*University of Utah football beat Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl in 2009.

2. USC was Overrated
*University of Utah football plays USC October 4 at Utah.

7. Florida is a True Contender in the SEC East Conference
*Though he is no longer their coach, our beloved Urban Meyer (Utah coach 2003-2004), who made us big, helped make Florida big (Florida coach 2005-2010).

24. Utah Can Win Without Wynn
*Isn't that the truth?  After three shoulder surgeries and another injury during the Utah/Utah St. game, Quarterback Jordan Wynn retired from college football.  Thank goodness.  The only quarter he played during the Utah/Utah St. game is the only quarter we didn't score.  We can only win without Wynn.

27. BYU Will Not be in the BCS Conversation
*That's pretty much only because we beat them.

Ronald Sidney Coleby

My grandpa was one of the most incredible people I have ever known.  He passed away on Thursday, August 16, 2012 at age 92 after a tiring battle of Parkinson's Disease.  It's been quite the last few months with this man.  (Read his obituary here.)

Near the end of May this year, my grandpa had a traumatic fall in his home, which left him with chest pain some hours later.  He was taken to the hospital that day where test after test was run on him, though the cause of the fall was never truly found.  My mother and I sat in the hospital with him for hours that day while the doctors made us aware of how bad his Parkinson's disease had actually become.  He was losing his ability to swallow, obviously a serious concern.  While tests were continuing to be run, he was admitted to the hospital as a patient where he stayed for about a week before being moved to a rehabilitation center.  When I left to go abroad for two months this summer, I was afraid I would never see my grandpa again and frequently thought about how much a plane ticket would cost on about four day notice from Tanzania.  The night before I left, I spent a couple of hours in my grandpa's rehab room with him, talking about England and the Queen, two of his biggest prides.  I remember him telling me the day before I left for England to tell the Queen hello and that he still polishes his medals.

Thankfully, when I came home, I was relieved to hear that he had improved and was back in his own home.  I spent an hour or two every couple of days sitting with my grandpa and talking about England, the war, his life and his loves (family, England, dogs).  I will never forget those conversations or the night he told my brothers and me that he was proud of us.  I will never forget the last time I went to say goodbye to him and how much effort it took him just to say, "I love you, too."

My grandpa was a tall, strong man and seeing him lie in his hospital bed in his living room was one of the most difficult things I have ever had to do.  As sad as I am, I know that he is much more comfortable where he is now, and he will always continue to look down on his posterity and guide us through our daily lives and trials.  I'm so glad I went to England when I did so I could talk to him about all the people and places that he loved back there, back home.  I proudly wear my sweatshirt with COLEBY on my back, and I will forever remember that I am a Coleby.

My three siblings and our cousins gathered together tonight to tell stories and memories of our grandpa. We spent a lot of time connecting the dots we each had about his stories fighting as a Desert Rat in Egypt during World War II for the British Army.  My oldest cousin (age 35) and I (age 21) had so many different stories and memories, and it was really fun to hear each grandchild's account of our grandpa.  He has been through so much in his life from enlisting in the war and nearly losing his life, losing a wife during the London Bombing, emigrating to the United States twice with his wife and two daughters, etc.  Though he was a little bit stubborn, he was always optimistic, wise, loving and supportive.  He was a fighter.  He loved life and thoroughly enjoyed it.  He never complained about anything or spoke ill of anyone.  He was dedicated to his family and his church.  He had the best sense of humor.  I loved my grandpa while he was alive, but after learning everything I know now, I realize just how incredible he was.  He has touched the lives of so many people near and far.  I hope one day to raise boys as good as him.  He is my hero.

Grandpa, it is a good life.

I love you.

"This isn't camping, this is an adventure!"

I think I've done it.  I think I've found the prettiest lake on earth.  And thankfully it's only about an hour and a half from my house.

While my mom spent the weekend with her father who's on his death bed, my dad took all the kids camping.  Nine of us...ten if you count the dog.  We packed up the cars, the canoe and the raft and headed up to the Uintah Mountains.  We didn't really know what campsite we were headed to, so we went through some pretty rough four-wheeling areas.  "This isn't camping, this is an adventure!" was yelled multiple times from Max, my seven-year-old nephew.  It totally was--it was great!


We had s'mores, banana boats, loads of candy and cookies, tin foil dinners, dutch oven cooking.  Went fishing, canoeing, rafting, hiking.  The first night brought us a crazy rain storm, but thankfully we had about four extra tarps and trees conveniently placed in a perfect square to hang one up from.  We still roasted s'mores in the rain.  Leo ate the pine cones and got sick multiple times.  But he also had his first swim!  Papa showed Max and Noah the Milky Way, and my siblings and I reminisced about all the times we went camping when we were little.  Crazy four-wheeling stories, bear-sightings, delicious food.  Dad and I considered reenacting The Parent Trap and pushing someone's mattress out onto the lake while they were asleep.  It would have been the perfect lake to do it on, but we would need a thicker mattress (remember that for next year).  No one got any mosquito bites, and we never had to use the tow rope like we thought we might.  Successful camping trip.

We're gonna make it an annual.

Two whole months gone?

Coming home after being gone for two months is a strange feeling.

The last few weeks in Africa were spent working hard with Your Sisters, and our time spent with them was incredible.  Those seven little girls and Frank and Libby became my African family; I love them so much, and it was so hard to leave them!  The videos I took of them singing make me cry every time I watch them.  It will be a happy day when Frank and Libby come to Utah.


It was hard to say goodbye to Spear, too.  He is one of the most amazing men I've ever met.  He has the most contagious smile; even when I'm in a totally awful mood, 30 seconds sitting across from Spear makes me happy for the rest of the day.  His testimony withstands everything, and he relies on it for every part of his life.  I can't wait for him to come visit America this year.


Six weeks was a long time to be in Africa, and when I look back and try to imagine being in Europe, it feels like so long ago.  On the other hand, when I think about how many nights I slept in my squeaky bunk bed or how many malaria pills I took, they both don't seem like they've been done 42 times.

It's been a couple days, and I still can't believe that I'm home and that I've been gone for two months.  I can't believe how much I learned over the last two months, either...
I learned that I enjoy being well-rounded in a lot of aspects rather than being extremely talented at one thing.  I learned who I really am away from the influences of some of the people at home; I could be whoever I wanted to be while I was gone, and I like who I was there the most.  I learned to not seat the little things and to find adventure in misfortunes; the world goes on, and everything will work out fine.  I learned to trust myself.  I learned patience.  I learned what things and what people I really care about back home.  My testimony of the gospel grew, and I learned how to share that more openly.  I learned that I don't like strangers touching me, and that I'm stronger and braver than I ever knew.  Going abroad for two months is the easiest way to learn about yourself.  I actually feel like an adult now.  I feel like I could don anything on my own and take care of myself.  It's a good feeling.