The Wedding Progresses

Bounced around bouquet ideas...
Chose these... (well not this invitation in particular but an invitation) 
Discussed some decoration ideas
Selected the entire cake on the first go round (be proud of me and my indecisive nature)
Purchased and got somewhat fitted for my dress.

Things are going along swimmingly don't you think? 

PS: none of these pictures are mine, and none of them are of things I will be using... just general ideas and whatnot. Just a little FYI : ) 

Christmas Brunch

Christmas with the Parrish Clan at Poppa's

my daddio
gopher face
I think he looks like the cockroach in Men In Black
Little Miss Kate sitting pretty
Action shot

Christmas at Grandad and Marcie's

My family is rather entertaining. How about yours?

A California Christmas... still not over

Yes that would be me eating my wonderful in-n-out burger (animal style of course) outside in the glorious California sunshine.
Dan and I in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve
#1 pic from Christmas morning. Connor's hair. Some how it was flat on all the sides and poofy on top...
I got an awesome new camera for Christmas and we look oh so cute
We're totally getting married here in 196 days!

So Christmas has been wonderful so far. Love the fam bam, love having Dan my man here, and love the California sunshine. Never want it to end. Too bad I go back to the frozen tundra of NYC in less than a week! : ( I never realized how good I had it with these mild winters out here or even in Utah for that matter. 

Don't worry our Christmas has just begun. Tonight we're going to walk around with friends in a neighborhood with some twinkling lights. Tomorrow I'm going dress shopping (wedding dress that is : ) then dinner with grandad, kimmie's party, dinner Saturday with my aunt and uncle, brunch sunday with my other aunt and uncle, dinner sunday night with more extended family... Christmas is basically a big deal in our fam. It's a little hectic. YAY for Christmas and family! : )

Happy Christmas!

Picture from a few years ago. Yes, Connor is swimming in the wrapping paper.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Pictures to follow...I got a new camera : ) 10 pixels : ) oh yeah pictures will definitely follow

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays...

That's for dang sure!! 

I am sooo excited for this...

Cannot wait for this to come...

and am already lovin this craziness...

oh how I missed California. The sun, the warmth, the lack of ridiculously strong winds accompanied by in-climate weather. It's supposed to rain a little this week, but what would Christmas be without a little rain? Snow is magical and everyone sings about a White Christmas, but... I'll take my rainy 50 degree weather ANY day over a white Christmas. Thank you very much. 

Let the games begin : ) 

1 more freakin day!!!

So today I experienced my first New York snow...storm. I got to leave internship and hour and a half early because it was so bad. At one point I looked out my window and all I could see was white! Usually I hate walking through the snow but today was different 1. I had on my awesome boots which kept my nice and toasty and not wet at all! and 2. I GO HOME TOMORROW! weather permitting of course... I sure hope it permits!

2 more days...

When I hung out for an hour in Grand Central Station waiting for Dan I got to watch the light show that they have there during Christmas. You can't really see in this picture but they put up lights on the walls and on the ceiling that match with a Christmas song that is played over the loud speakers. It's pretty cool. Especially if you're bored waiting in Grand Central for an hour...

All the while I dreamed of being home in... 2 days!!! yay!!! 

3 More Days

Macy's Windows

On one side of the store they had scenes from the old Miracle on 34th St. movie, which was way cute and retro
Then on the other side, it was this crazy story about all the ingredients that go into Christmas like nicesessence, and whatnot. kinda odd
Then we went to the Rockefeller center : ) 
and we saw a big beautiful tree dripping with lights and cute ice skaters
And I was happy because I only have 3 more days until I go home!!!!! WOOOO HOOOO! and I am completely done with finals=double WOOOOOO HOOOOO!!!

4 more days...

Taken last year when Dan and I went to Temple Square to look at the lights. Tender times!

This is why everyone in NYC looks down when they're walking around in the winter. The Wind. Not the wind. The Wind. It is constant and no matter if it's dry, rainy, or snowy, The Wind comes along and flings something into your face/eyes if you ever dare look up. Reason #109447891839 why I cannot WAIT to go home on Saturday. Soooo close, sooooo close!

Tomorrow: Christmas shopping : ) yay! and going to check out some windows downtown with my beau. I'm sure pictures will be forthcoming. 

5 more days...

Taken two years ago at Temple Square while Katie, Charlie and I partied in a snow storm!

5 more days until I go home to my forever family. Tender times will abound I am sure. : ) 

Larkin/Thomson Family Christmas

Before going to the ward Christmas party which was absolutely amazing! (please excuse my weird eyes, I've been a bit tired lately)
My super cute future nephew (didn't realize Dan was getting me in the picture I was trying to get out of it=awkwardly holding Nicholas)
Dan was really proud of this picture, as he should be, check out that light! : ) 
We're really exciting!
Christmas presents from Jan and Jim. Chocolate and earrings. What else could I ever want?!

Friday: Dan and I met up with sweet Julie Mack and had a cafe rio-esque salad (delicious!) and watched Home Alone (Dan's favorite Christmas movie). We were going to go out and do cool Christmas things but it was cold and we were tired. I didn't think I was tired until I started laughing hysterically at the movie during the part where the kid is torturing the bandits. I never laugh at that part but at this state of constant stress and tiredness it was a freakin riot.

Saturday: Dan and I went to his ward Christmas party which was outstanding! It was decorated super cute (ideas for the reception? I think yes!) and it was essentially a talent show with Christmas flava. The best act was a group of 4 men who set up the rock band game stuff and then sang along with a rock version of jingle bells and deck the halls? it was pretty awesome. They were all dressed in black and had crazy wigs on and one guy had tattoo sleeves and black make up. Extremely entertaining. Afterwards we went to our Barney friends house and played Sequence. Which is always a good time. 

Sunday: went to church, came home, and had the Christmas dinner. Kate, Bill and Nicholas came over and Jan made yummy yummy pasta (I have got to learn how to make her sauce) and salad and bread. And Kate brought over an apple pie and made home made whip cream (in their family a dessert is not a dessert without home made whip cream). It was super good and some nice family time : )

I now have one more final to complete. It is due by email at 12 am on Tuesday night. I cannot wait to get that over and done with. Wednesday I will be doing my Christmas shopping and any last minute Christmas events I want to cram in there (ie. the Rockefeller tree, Macy's windows... etc.) Can't wait for this week to be over and on my way back home!!!!! 

Random thoughts...

Tiffany's in all it's Christmas splendor : ) 

Manhattan is presently cold and extremely wet. 

The most exciting thing that happened to me today was when I was walking down into the subway trying not to slip on the wet steps a couple of HUGE drops of water dripping off of who knows what nasty-ness fell down the back of my raincoat collar. Awesome.

You know you're a cheap, lazy grad school student when you avoid smelling your milk before putting it on your cereal and you tell yourself it's not bad yet. yeah i'm probably going to die from milk poisoning but the milk here goes bad in like 5 days!!!!! I am waaaay too poor and (more accurately) waaaay too lazy to walk all the way down the hill to the corner market to buy new milk that often. 

Tomorrow night I get to play with Julie Mack and Dan my two favorite playmates in Manhattan. We're eating a cafe rio-esque salad (YUM) and then doing something appropriately Christmas-y.  Joy to the world!

oh school

Looking studieous while writing my paper in the Social Work library. I don't understand people who look cute when they're working on stuff at the library. My goal is to be as comfy as possible, and that usually doesn't include a cute outfit...
AND! when I came home for a little lunch break I had these wonderful things waiting for me! yay for warm feet and dry feet! it's like 30* today and it's supposed to rain for the next two days. Perfect timing : ) 

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Picture from here

This weekend.

1. Dan had his last grad class of the semester this Friday, wahoo for him!

2. I worked hard on one of my final papers Saturday and will hopefully get some sleep tonight (but I still have one more to work on that's due tomorrow : )

3. On the bus to the Harlem 125th metro north, I saw 2 people wearing big fur coats. The man was also wearing a big fur hat. He looked like a teddy bear. 

4. Dan and I watched A Christmas Story. My favorite Christmas movie ever (which Dan pointed out has no plot line, who needs a plot line really?)

5. Dan and I went into Nursery during church because we're teaching the sunbeams starting in January, and it was pretty awesome. Snack time during church? Potty breaks every 10 minutes? Games and activities? Heck yes!

6. Saturday night it was the first snow that stuck (at least out in Greenwich), and it was absolutely beautiful. Of course I didn't bring my camera. oh well.

So it was a good weekend. Now I must get to work on my two finals that are due tomorrow. I switched my internship days so I have today off instead of Wednesday which means I can work on my paper all day instead of all night hopefully!!! Wish me luck!

5th Avenue

First we went into FAO Schwartz, which is the craziest toy store ever. Don't take your kids there unless you have a lot of money or you don't mind temper tantrums.

Dan met his hero Lego Batman
Darth Vader was scary apparently
We got to watch a performance by two employees dancing on the Big Piano (employees not pictured above, those are children) and it was awesome!
Then we walked down 5th and saw all of the crazy store windows. This was "winter" at Bergdorf & Goodman (a very expensive store).
We pushed our way through the crowds to get a glimpse of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. We were there 3 hours early and it was absolutely insane already. We watched a guy get taken down by the police, all I saw was him yelling at an officer and then there were like 5 officers on him. Criz-aze-zy! Needless to say, we didn't stick around for that event. 

Anyways it was a nice night spent with my beau, feeling the Christmas spirit!

PS. and he bought me an advent calendar! I LOVE those! 

Polaroids?

poladriod.com

Go there and fall in love. 

End of Story.