provo snow pics

I took these pics after I finished my Chinese final Saturday morning. There was no snow the prior night when we went to bed so I was surprised when I woke up- it was about 6 inches. Today (Sunday), about another 7 inches were dropped! I always seem to forget how beautiful the snow can be. I was reminded of the excitement I felt after a big storm as a kid in Minnesota.

Ellie in the snow

Ellie loves playing in the snow, especially with her snow manatee that Mish, Joe, and Christie made for her. This was Ellie's first time in the snow. She didn't have any waterproof boots, so we wrapped plastic bags around her legs with a rubberband.
Ellie riding the Snow Manatee.

Together we can save the world and help us all survive.

There's nothing more motivating than a Choir of Sweedish 80s Metal Rockers trying to save the world. There are a few in here who don't belong- see if you can find them.

"Week-Before-Finals Week" Conspiracy

Finals start this Saturday- No problem. The problem is the "week-before-finals week." That's when teachers of every department get in cahoots to try to "break you" before finals. That's when you feel like pulling out your hair and forsaking your degree to live in the mountains away from the impending certainty of utter educational failure.

The "week-before-finals week" is, of course, when all of your final projects and papers are due on top of all the normal homework and expectations. Also, our so-called "professors" always find a way to add additional little assignments (too "petty" to break students' silence in class) and cram in the uncovered material in the name of "caring about our educational growth." Well, I don't buy it- You're just trying to break me, in which you find joy.

On top of it all, within a week of "the week-before-finals week," the teachers in at least half of your classes decide to put the final exam on the last day of class (often by a teacher-led class vote when unsuspecting freshmen vote for the affirmative) in order to "ease the burden of finals week," leaving no study time at all. I WANT MY FINALS WEEK BACK!

Bryce Canyon

Here are some awesome pics of Tiff and Mish in Bryce Canyon earlier this semester.

Ellie dress-up

Today, Ellie was being super-cute--she went crazy covering herself with clean clothes from the hamper. It's just that she doesn't know how to put the clothes on the correct way... We'll get to that someday soon.

It's Christmas Time!

Last week, we put up the fake Christmas tree we got last June for three dollars at a garage sale. Ellie loves to pull the ornaments and/or branches off, so we wrapped some presents as a barrier to the tree. We love Christmas time! We are anxious for finals to be done on the 22nd of this month!