You know....

I have the best grandparents ever. Hands down. No battle.

Why's that you ask?

Well...mostly because they drove the 2 and 1/2 hours to come see me. (Not many are willing to do that...in case you were wondering). And to fix my bike tire....and take me to lunch. How great is that!

Don't worry....it gets better. You see...the bike was a recent buy that my grandpa found at an auction...and because he can't resist a good deal at any auction. He got it for me to have at college. Adorable? I think so. However....I had a mishap with the air filler upper at the gas station..and may or may not have put a hole in the old tire a while back. So today....we fixed it!

She's a little old....but has personality. She's beautiful!

This wonderful little bell also has a story....in my grandpa's words "Someone just left it in a pile of stuff...I knew we could find a place for it...even if it is as old as me." Now it has a home on my handle bars...and is the coolest sounding bell ever. That's not just because I'm biased.

And they brought my skates!

To top it off.....Squeaky Cheese. Always a stop on their route down here :)

I'm certain that my grandpa still sees me as a little girl, which I don't mind...because it made my entire day. I've never met two people that are so giving, selfless, and funny. They make me feel so loved, as cheesy as that may sound...

Who knew that chinese food, a bike tire, skates, cheese, and a screwdriver could mean so much.

Though...I don't really think it was all of the things that made today great.

I'll let you in on a little something...

It's time to let out a secret. Often times I make jokes about being from "The County" or from Middle of Nowhere, Utah....but in reality, I do indeed love it. Coming home for Thanksgiving made me realize some of those great reasons that I love small towns....in particular, my town. So with that said...

Where I come from...

Everyone knows everyone else's business (often before they even do), and discuss it at either of the following locations: the Co-op, or the Grub Box.

The roads are wide enough to fit a tractor, a car and probably a few cows.

Conversations are started with "Have you heard about So-and-so?..You know...son of insert name...father of insert name...cousins with insert name...used to work for insert job." This is typically followed by "Ohhh...yes! What about them?"

The terms: Coal trucks, irrigation mishaps, the power plant, water shares, and the deer hunt are a part of every day life.

Traveling anywhere past Price is labeled as "Going up North"

Sunsets and star gazing are the best...especially when you can watch them from the top of a water tower...or from the middle of a friends pond.

You get the best of both worlds....the mountains on one side, the desert on the other.

The people are the greatest...slightly eccentric, charismatic, funny and there through the best and worst.

You also know you live in a small town when:

You know that cow tipping isn't real because you've tried it.

You have been rolled down the hill inside a big irrigation pipe.

The cattle drive draws out as big of a crowd as a parade does.

You stop in the middle of the road in the evening, spotlighting for deer...and you look around to realize that there are three other cars doing the same thing.

You come home from college and are faithfully greeted with "My goodness, Amanda how is life Cedar? More importantly...how is your dating life? You know..I remember when you were this high (raise hand about 36 inches)."

You know how to start a fire 5 different ways....but someone always brings scout water (aka..lighter fluid) just in case you fail.

**There ya have it....a little taste of small town life. And mostly, I'm rather happy to be from one..even if that means occasionally slipping out a "y'all" and jamming out to country songs in the car once in a while.

Here are some pictures from the break!!

Cory was ordained a Deacon!

Whooo!

Kaycee cracks me up in these!

A horse named Kitty? You better believe it.

Absolutely love this!

Oh you know...when you help cut wood.....

You end up covered in sawdust!

As far as food goes....no worries, I ate enough to feed a small country....and it's outlying islands. Well school....Here I come again!

Taking the Plunge

You know that moment when you're standing on the edge of a diving board....you know there is no turning back around, the only choice you have is to jump in....but you know that the water is going to be freezing cold? You know once you jump, you're going to have to face the cold and still somehow keep swimming? That's sort of how I feel about the rest of this week... I don't really feel too prepared for it..but since there is no turning back, I might as well just jump in right? Mostly I think I'd like to stay in my bed for the week, but I don't think that was one of the options..

In light of Thanksgiving though, I thought I'd list some of the things I've been grateful for the past couple of weeks..
1. To have room mates who laugh til it hurts and go on silly adventures with me, even if that involves walking in the snow for a real long time in pj's.
2. Having the chance to see my nieces and nephew....they're pretty much the cutest things ever.
3. For warm socks....I'm almost certain my toes are going to be frozen over by December
4. Getting mail from Uncle Howard, not only is mail one of my favorite things, he's just pretty great. He knows how to cheer a person up without even trying
5. I had something great to put for number five....but alas...all I can think of is how excited I am to go to sleep tonight....so with that, I'm thankful for a bed that no longer breaks when I sleep on it!

Here is also the wise words I heard this week...."And it came to pass.." It didn't come to stay. No matter what we're going through....it will pass. It isn't set in stone or permanent. Even if it means having to swim through frigid waters...(slight exaggeration again...oopps), we always end up moving past it.

With that said....

Rest of the week, bring it on.