"No, Thank Your..."

Remember that time in elementary school when you traced around your hand to make a turkey, and then you had to write something you were thankful for on each of your fingers (aka feathers)? And then your mom oohed and aahed over it and stuck it on the refrigerator?

I feel as if I were to do that, I would need to have as many fingers as Medusa had snakes in her scalp.... and let's be honest... that would be one horrific hand! Or as many tentacles as the Giant Squid in Harry Potter... but that wouldn't work, because my blessings are much giant-er than my small hand could hold. I always have so many things I'm thankful for, and though I usually just keep them in my heart and smile about them to myself, today I will write some of them down here.

I am grateful for... 


My Heavenly Father and Savior. Life is beautiful and hard enough on its own, but without faith and the gospel, it would be abysmally difficult and lacking all the glory.

My family. We have troubles. Oh, we have many. And disagreements. And misunderstandings. But we have love and we are a forever family right now, and I hope we stay that way. 

My friends. There are no words. I know so many words, and I read books full of words and passages and quotes, and as inspiring as they can be, none of them is adequate to describe what my friends mean to me.

My groupies. This means you. You have been so supportive and loving. I can always count on you to send me an encouraging word when I'm feeling upset or frustrated, or to rejoice with me in the big triumphs and the little happy things. I know things have been slow and uneventful, and I haven't emailed you all, like I wish I could, but I hope you'll stay with me and keep reading.

My job. I love my sweet kids. They drive me crazy and annoy me and they don't do their homework and sometimes they're lazy, but when they smile because I remembered their names, and they carry my backpack because they see I'm tired, and they turn to me for help that they can't get anywhere else, well, I can't help but want to do anything for them. Anything at all.

My Logan. My USU. This place has changed me for the better. I can't believe four and half years have flown by and I can smell my degree lurking about three weeks away. I liked myself before I came here, but I learned to love the person I am and have become because of this place.

And then the biggest thing I am grateful for this year comes in the tiniest, sweetest little package ever. One day, I think I'll tell you all my long life story, and how this little girl is something special. All little babies are, but for our family, she's a miracle.

I am the greatest aunt this little girl will ever know.
Actually, her only aunt. But that is beside the point. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Count your blessings, because... 

my goodness, 

they just pile up by the minute!

Bonus points to whomever can tell me where the post title comes from...

Today's Facebook Status:

If you ask me if I was there at midnight,

I will have to be rudely honest and say, 

"Now that is a STUPID question."

PS. I loved it.

Finally, Finally an Episode to LOVE!!!

This season of  glee  has been slightly rough getting through. But hoo-boy this week's was awesome. I'm in love with Darren Criss. Thank you, Court, for telling me to watch A Very Potter Musical (watch the whole playlist here).

I know, it's a little late to post this, but I don't have TV at home, so I watch Glee on campus before my night class. Which means I watched the latest episode an hour or so ago. Which means I'm in class right now. Which means I'm ignoring it. Blogging. Love me anyway.

Love this. Love him.

Happy Nine Months...

From Valentine's Day, all of you with birthdays today!!!

*snickers*

I'm an Aunt!!!

Meet little Autumn:

Born 11/12/2010 at 9:58 pm. 6 lbs, 15 oz. 19 inches long.

I haven't met you yet, baby, but I heard your first cries...

and I'm the only one that cried with you.

And I probably cried more than you.

Everyone else was being too macho.

Actually, there were so many mixed emotions,

it was hard to know exactly what to feel!

But....

All you need to know is that your family loves you.

Especially your Aunt Chess. :-)

I can't wait to see you!

I Would Like You All to Know...

That I was voted 

"Best Follower/Dancer in Logan" 

among my country-swingin' boys 

(who are undeniably the best of the lot up here).

I feel like I won a trophy or something.

Haha. I'm such a nerd.

:-)

Things I've Eaten...

Because I read about it in a children's book:

1. A tomato and mayonnaise sandwich (Harriet the Spy) -- Delicious! You need salt and pepper and a little mustard for sure, though. 
2. Creamed potatoes and peas (Understood Betsy) -- Om nom nom!
3. Orange juice and Coke (The Boxcar Children Series) -- Meh...
4. Popcorn and milk (Farmer Boy) -- Two of my favorite foods... what's not to love?!

I can't remember any more at the moment, but...

What crazy/funny things have you eaten or done 

because you read about it in a book?

Plastic or Cardboard?

It was a Thursday night at Walmart, and three of us were congregated in that aisle of special products that only women know how to navigate, a strange land wherein the male sex rarely venture. Had you been there you would've overheard a really intellectual and heated debate over which brand of tampons was the best. Suggestions, advice, and laughter were being tossed back and forth between us, and it was only during a slight lull that we noticed the stranger among us.

A relatively young man in a dark jacket and a shopping basket over his arm had shuffled silently into our aisle, just a few feet away, and stopped in front of the shelves stacked with plastic-wrapped packages boasting names like "Tampax," "Playtex," and "Kotex." His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open. He scanned the shelves and looked at his list. He looked at his list and scanned the shelves. He shifted his feet uncomfortably. May I just say I have never seen such a look of abject horror, misery, despair, and utter confusion.

Here was a soul crying out in need.

We burst into hysterical giggles.

"Should we help him?"  
 

"He's got a ring on his finger."

"Oh my goodness, his wife sent him!"

My heart took pity on the poor man and I tiptoed to his side, whispering for the sake of his dignity, "Do you need some advice?"

It was as though someone had lifted twenty pounds off his shoulders and burst the floodgates of emotion, because his whole body sagged from relief, and he blurted out in desperation, "Oh, if you don't mind, I could really use the help... I just.... my wife... don't know..."

I choked back the laughter and asked him if he knew anything at all about what he was supposed to get.

"She just said 'No cardboard,' but I don't even know what that means."

I pointed to a package of plastic applicator tampons and said helpfully, "Well, these are plastic." So maybe I was getting way too much of a kick out of this.

It was like teaching a six-year-old how to add two and two, because his face brightened and he exclaimed, "Oh! So if it doesn't say plastic, then they're cardboard?" Good job, Joey (I don't really know his name)! My roommates were watching in riveted awe at our fascinating interchange occurring right in front of them.

I recommended the large multi-pack. He said he was not to buy too many. I pointed to the smaller multi-pack. He remembered that she said something about "travel." I handed him the Tampax Compak Pearl box.

"Okay. Then that one it is!" he said happily. The sorrowful, terrified child of just minutes before was now a victorious, triumphant man. "Thank you, thank you so much! You are a lifesaver. I don't know what I would've done without your help." He tossed the package into his basket and went on his way rejoicing.

I hope we didn't embarrass him too much with the subsequent shrieks of laughter.

(Also, I think I would rock as a Walmart sales associate. HAHA.)

Yesterday Was...

What I would call a jolly holiday.

Yes, I know it was no special calendar day.... but it was just... nice. One of the nicest days I've had in a long time. One where everything just seemed to go right, and every person I ran into or heard from was just so sweet.

I woke up to two FB messages, one from my dear friend Jessika, and one from one of YSB's roommates, inviting me over for movie night later. I didn't have any classes this particular Friday, so I did a lot of homework, knocked off a required CIL (Computer and Information Literacy) exam, and had lunch with my friend Anna: we went outside the library and lay on our backs in the bright, cloudless sunshine--no need for jackets, it was too warm--and just talked each other's ears off.

Then we split up, she went to class, and I went back to doing homework, took a nap in the library while two other boys snored around me. I felt less stupid taking a nap by them, than if they were doing homework. Woke up, finished my book for class, and headed home. Dear kindred spirit Mikey texted me as I was walking, and just hearing from him put the biggest smile on my face. We planned on a Thanksgiving reunion in the coming weeks. Roomie Cort and I went to Cafe Rio for dinner, and then played Rockband with Lindsey and Roomie Shannon until 9:00 pm when everyone left to go to their respective Friday night activities.

I got to my friend's house and realized I was one little lady in a house of six men. Four of which decided they really wanted Frosties, so all five of us crammed into a tiny little car and headed to Wendy's. They were gentlemen and let me have the front seat, so you can imagine how funny three broad-shouldered guys looked all snuggled together in the backseat. When we got to Wendy's, they were all horrified that I didn't want one. Don't get me wrong, I looooove Frosties, but when I eat the better part of a Cafe Rio pork salad.... Well, they were just lucky I was able to get off our living room beanbag and over to their house...

The movie didn't start until after 10:00 pm.

And they say girls are indecisive. 

What-evs.

We watched The Bourne Identity. I'd never seen it before. Plus also, it was my first Blu-ray experience.... I know people rave about it, but.... I didn't think it was extraordinarily special. Sorry boys, and Blu-ray nerds. I still like you, and please keep inviting me over for movies anyway.

It was just a day filled to the brim with sunshine and friendship, and honestly, I don't know how it could have been any better. I think this is the happiest I've felt all semester so far. I wish I had some exciting breaking news or something extremely funny that happened (actually, I do! I'll tell you tomorrow!), but it was just a nice ordinary day, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I really wouldn't, because it was just the best!

Here's wishing you the nicest day ever today, and have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Chess

Question of the Day:

Are Cheez-Its

"Queso-Esos"

in Spanish?