good find, facebook. a+

hahahahaha.

thanks, ellen degeneres.

you will always be funny completely hilarious.

contests galore.

every year, byu's center for international studies has a photo contest.

seeing as in the past year i participated in an international study,

(and you thought you were done hearing things about romania. haaa.)

i'm thinking i'll submit some photos.

however, we are limited to three photos per person.

this is where you come in!

i need your help voting to figure out which photos to choose.

soooo. help me, pretty please?

ready, set, vote for your favorites!

[and let's be honest, if i could send pictures of the babes i would win outright. but, alas..this is what i have.]

jewish cemetery.

stop and stay awhile.

the real thing.

waiting on the world to change.

where communism ends.

a bit of paris in bucharest.

the simple joys.

anticipation. 

sfântul nicolae 

the museum.

street games.

pants not required.

hanging. 

morning lovebirds. 

fata si caine. 

sitting, waiting, wishing.

sunset along the metro line.

aligned priorities.

the art of doing nothing.

old dogs, new dogs, tricks. 

street artists.

liliac. 

gypsy cart+politia.

saturdays in the park.

for the company.

apa? 

romanian venice.

i gave them silly names as captions to differentiate them and give you something to call them.

also, if you have any you remember from romania that aren't posted here, feel free to suggest them.

pretty please, give me your input!

i know this is dumb. and there are a lot of pictures.

but consider yourself lucky that you weren't going through all the thousands!

i chose the best of the best, in my own biased opinion.

in advance, multumesc frumos!

something inspiring and sublime

tell me why i don't like mondays.

why, you ask?

when only two weeks remain in a semester, the day after thanksgiving break can be a harsh blow into all things stressful and overwhelming. just mustering the courage and energy to get out of a warm bed is hard enough, if we're being completely honest.

so on a monday such as that, your day might go a little something like this:

-- wake up far too early, stay up for awhile and do some things, then decide it's not worth it and go back to sleep for another hour (oops).

-- struggle finding something to wear. struggle making your hair do anything at all.

-- struggle walking up the hill, an obstacle course through construction.

-- struggle finding a positive attitude, when even listening to christmas music doesn't help, because-well, it just doesn't feel like christmas.

-- go to class and talk about general conference. remember in the middle of class to look at your planner just in case, only to realize you're supposed to have a quiz in the next two classes of the day, one of which is french.

-- almost burst into tears in the middle of class, but hold it back, despite watching the first half of this video during class, which obviously encourages the tears.
-- go to french, despite the possibility of a quiz, the fact that you haven't done much on the paper you're supposed to be working on, and the fact that this day should have been over before it started.
-- text soul sister through all these moments. that always makes you feel better.
-- find out from your professor that there isn't really a quiz, because that would be just mean. (duh.) (tender mercy.)
-- immediately tell laurs, because you're so excited. then keep texting her through the beginning of class. mostly about how you miss her and want to run away from the mean academic world.
-- laugh because your professor is in a funny/feisty mood. he's a survivor, you know.
-- almost cry (again) because you start talking about wwii.
-- buy yourself a bagel and chocolate milk. and read the daily universe instead of practicing for the transcription quiz that is less than 30 minutes away.
-- ace afore-mentioned transcription quiz.
-- go to first day of new work. (say whaaa? yes, you read that right. answers to prayer = i have a job.)
-- walk to work and be reminded of how annoying byu is with their construction.
-- sit through training. training is looooong. but, I HAVE A JOB. i'm just going with that. far too many people in this world don't realize the blessing it is just to even have a job. if it were up to me, and all byu student employes were put under review, i would fire most of them for inefficiency as workers. actually, this applies to all of america. that's besides the point.
-- walk home in the cold and dark, and have two random strangers complement you on your dress (that isn't really a dress. it's a skirt, shirt, and cardigan). on top of seeing the lights lit on campus? smile.
--walk all the way around the block to get home. jaow;eisdlkva;oisfdklmd;ijklm;s;fkmva = how i feel about construction.
-- go to the grocery store and leave with: milk, bread, eggs, hairspray, hand soap, ice cream, overpriced strawberries, rolos, a symphony bar, and twinkle lights. i might have been on the phone while shopping and barely paying attention to what was going in the cart. oopsay. shop fail. but on the bright side, i have milk again?
-- put twinkle lights up so you can stare at them twinkling as you fall asleep.
-- unsuccessfully try to do a little homework.
-- take a shower and go to bed. early.

the point is, this end of the semester stinks.
and it's overwhelming.
laur and i are planning on running away to georgia together.
(with will and my future husband, of course. oops. we need to find him first.)
so this morning, i took a deep breath, stopped everything, and watched this.
it's worth it. i promise.
and if you left your headphones at home, you can read it here.
but listening is better.


in overwhelming weeks such as these, sometimes you just need to take a break.
listen to the above video. eat some chocolate. maybe cry a little.
and then buck it up, and remind yourself that christmas is only weeks away, and go to work.
which means the avoidance of harold because he is overcrowded is about to begin.

p.s. happy half-birthday to me!

another independent bites the dust. onnn to the next!
(this quote from ygm means i'm going to be productive now. obviously.)

why is my family the coolest, you ask?

just watch this.

we should be banned from all films.

no wonder i'm so awkward.

we're all awkward.

particularly on film.

haaaaaaaahahahahaha.

we think we're so funny.
(we are.)

my favorite part?

"hullo. it's just a braid."

(my mom tells me i was born with spunk. that's what she calls it. haahaahha.)

or maybe the fact that sherry's almost always taking a picture when on camera?

or maybe,

"oh, it's still on."

"ohhh goood!"

or maybe just stevie's laugh when tickled?

(see 7:45 to 8:23)

[and for the record, when mom said we were all in our lounge wear except sherry, i was wearing a dress. say wha?]

or maybe the end when we awkwardly smile at the camera and try and say thanks?

as momma tries to twist the camera to fit everyone in one shot. haaahahaha.

we struggle.

who knew we were all so hilarious?

who knew we were all so awkward?

oh wait.

[on the bright side, if this weekend didn't scare kenzie away, nothing will! we hope. haaaa.]

i have much more to say/pictures to show concerning this holiday weekend.

but for now, this will have to suffice.

I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

happy thanksgiving (back)

hair on top of head (big blue blob+bun) & naps (dress time, of course).
+

plus some blackened fingers on my left hand & dent in right thumb. (violin&bow)
=
welcome to the holiday!

(i look funny when i'm asleep. i think i had just adjusted positions in my sleep when this was taken,

hence the awkward pose. because when i fell asleep i'm sure the pillow was under my head.

so much for that. therefore, i look funny when i sleep.)

st.g is a lovely little place to celebrate the things you're grateful for.

(jour de l'action de grâce.)

and i sure am ringing in the holiday this morning with a little you've got mail.

("happy thanksgiving, rose. now this is the part where you say, 'happy thanksgiving' back."

"happy thanksgiving back.")

[don't judge me, steve. don't even try. it won't work.]

so, happy thanksgiving back, my friends.

chances are, if you're reading this, i'm grateful for you. among so many other things.

(cool how that works. i never lie.)

and if you take a moment to watch this, 

your day will be that much more beautiful.

so i hope you have a beautiful thanksgiving with you and yours.

i really do.

aching hearts.

romania.
forever the cause of inexplicable amounts of joy and heartache.
and today, it's deep heartache.
say a quick (or long) prayer for my little ones today, won't you please?
they surely need it.
my love for them will never end.

just like magnets.

i saw a bunch of cousins last night. like a mini family reunion of sorts. after the food being eaten (honestly, scarfed is a more accurate term to describe the action of all the teenage boys), we all sat at the table as usual and chatted. the usual banter, though in my family, you could hardly call it usual. most things are quite nerdy. a whole lot of awkward. and some silence. but a comfortable kind of silence.

at one point, mike started inquiring about how to play a certain japanese magnet game that had been sitting on the piano. and from there, it was history. strategic plotting while playing a game. two boys playing, others huddled over their shoulders to watch. everyone piping in now and again, a separate conversation taking place. and it's moments like this that i want so bad to capture in some way. moments that only last a few minutes at most, but are a glimpse of heavenly contentment and peace. amicable play among family. nerdy and odd, but easy and natural, even if we haven't been around one another very recently or often. i wish you could capture that feeling. i wish i could capture all the images i've seen in my view of a herd of boys playing together and plotting something, or even just simply admiring one another's company, practically drooling over their older cousins. it's sweet, really. really just sweet.
in this hales side, there are only four grandaughters. me, hannah, deb, and harriet. now we have (one) grandaughter-in-law. but, it's safe to say, the pickings are slim when you compare the original four of us to the ten boys. and now let's specify even more. all the girls are pretty similar, i think. especially the three of us closest in age: hannah, deb, and me. deborah ann and me are practically the same person, with only slight and minor differences (it's almost creepy). and hannah is right there with us. want the kicker? hannah (as of right now) is thinking of going into special education. something i thought of too, especially after romania. safe to say, we're all on a more artsy end of the spectrum. the gentlemen? welp. they all have a whole lot of science in them. arts to some slight extent as well (except steve. sad, but true. he's science through and through.), but mostly science/math/logic. and seeing them all interact with one another, quite frankly, just melts my heart. the younger boys thrive on the older ones and the things they're learning and know. they love talking about math, computers, things they're learning. and as was noted at one of our previous reunions, how many families have chess competitions as part of the reunion? competitions that result from all the boys getting together and loving it in a nerdy and adorable sort of way. the girls try. oh, we do. but if we're being honest, we're all usually out in the first round. usually losing to someone half our age (am i right?) if we make it past the first round, it's not long before we are out. and then it's just the boys strategizing and talking for hours about it.
it could be chess. or it could be a random japanese magnet game. or maybe air hockey. it's always the same. groups of boys playing, groups of boys doting over their cousins. (adorable. be still my heart.)
and here's the best part: as deb said, we all know we're crazy. and only occasionally do we admit it.
this is one of the first times, maybe second since being back from romania that i've been surrounded by a significantly large group of my own extended family. my family. they're mine. i am a part of their group, and they are a part of mine.
i think the widened perspective given to me as a gift from my romania experience made all these little moments watching family interactions so much more significant. i literally wished i could bottle it up and store it, because watching the beauty of family love was so sweet and tender. all of the kids i interacted with while in romania don't have such a family. if they do have a family, it is one that has abandoned them and is no longer in their life. they'll never have those moments of family love and belonging. those pure and sweet moments of peace and contentment. they may have similar feelings, but not quite the same as the time spent in a family of your own. families are a beautiful thing on this earth. and it's a shame that there are those forced to go without that blessing on earth. tragedy, really. thinking back to this dream, though [sorry if i seem obsessed. it's because i am.], i've made an important realization. my family would claim them any day. they would learn to love them as i do. i know i would take them all if i could, and fred (don't worry. not his real name. his real name is cuter.), in particular, would be so perfect for my aunt jane. i just know they would get along so well. maybe that's why in my dream she was his momma? because maybe someday in the vastness of eternity, they'll get to meet and play for awhile. of all my kids, he was the one boy (as you'll someday see if i ever get my act together) that i really legitimately felt like could/should have been a part of my own family. my own kindred. my own son, in some ways. i bonded with him in a manner different than any of the others. not to say i loved him any more, it was just a little bit different. and so, here's what i want to say. for all my babes that don't have families right now, you can be in mine. always. you'll be welcomed with open arms, warm hearts, and smiling faces.
so today, i'm grateful for family. the relationships, the bonds, and the love that ties people together in a way that cannot ever be separated. and for now, while i'm separated from those babes on the other side of the world, and perhaps until heaven, i'll stick with embracing what i do have. and keeping a mental record of images and feelings of the times i spend with my own family, because i know someday those times will be even fewer and farther between than they are now. and sometimes, when you're far away from people you love, all you have left is memories of golden times. moments longed for, even as they are being lived. for it is in those moments that you can see the true highs of life. in romania, i experienced (some) of the lowest and darkest of all moments in my life; but by contrast, i've never in my life known greater happiness or love in the purest of forms.
so, my friends. treasure your families and your practically families,
for this is true happiness, joy, and love.
cousins are a beautiful thing. families are a beautiful thing.
and we're tied together forever like magnets.

this will always be hilarious.

(reminisce.)

i'm telling you, winnie the pooh=wisdom.

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” 

A. A. Milne.

oh, bother.

i always knew i loved a.a.milne.

i don't have much to say anymore.

but today i'm grateful for texts from a best friend saying,

"i wish you lived in salt lake already."

this means i miss you like crazy in shrub words.

that's what i think.

amen and amen.

and so, today i'm just grateful for that.

in some more words of a.a. milne:

“We'll be Friends Forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet.
'Even longer,' Pooh answered.”

[there is true wisdom to be found in winnie the pooh.]

and i'd be lying if i didn't mention i'm also grateful for a roommate

who understands the sometimes necessity of playing a song over and over again.

and then a few more times after that.

some of our current favorites are:

can't help falling in love.

the story.

far away.

all we are.

the bartok!

beethoven. always beethoven.

the firebird.

wedding dress.

the sibelius fifth.

(ahhhh! sultry horns make me swoon.)

a whole lot of bruch, on my end.

among others.

can you tell i have a violin performance major roommate?

we understand each other.

(sheletmeplayherviolinforafewminutesyesterdayandialmostdiedimissitsomuch. guess what i'm retrieving during thanksgiving and keeping forever more as my stress relief? ROSA. p.s. i've come so far since this day. and maybe i'm still bitter about this. a little (lot) bit. and maybe, did you know, high school is way overrated? it is. i'm so glad i never have to go back. thank heavens.)

everything always works out exactly as it needs to be.

that's something i'm absolutely sure of.

sometimes i just wish i could see how that was.

but for today, i bought myself a (ridiculously overpriced) chocolate cookie dough shake.

that makes everything better.

and i'm maybe a little too excited for a friday evening with myself tonight.

bearers of yummy free food and/or good company are always welcome.

the shire. number 3. pink door.

i'll be here. in my sweats. with a bun on top of my head.

thanks for the inspiration, ashley.

records

i've written so much about romania.
so much about my experience there, on a simple, travel-log sort of basis.
so much about my experience there, on a more complex, insightful basis.
mostly, a whole lot of writing.
i filled a private journal, where i could talk about anything, but usually stuck with a travel-log and a few insights because writing takes so much longer than typing.
i filled a blog with the travel-log items that could be talked about publicly.
plus a few more random collections everywhere.
writing to process things.
writing is the process of discovering. evaluating. and information processing.
learning.
i want records of what i did on a daily basis there.
i want records of how i feel about what i did on a daily basis there.
i want records of the insights i was blessed with because of what i did on a daily basis there.
i don't want to forget.
and i want to be able to share with people someday.
so when they ask me about romania, and i find it all so inexpressible,
a bit of that becomes expressible when i am able to write.
and so, i write.
it's my outlet, my guilty pleasure, and my necessity.
i have one particular collection of memories i want recorded. i don't ever want to forget. the daily-basis experiences. how i felt. and what i learned.
it's one of the most important aspects of my experience. it needs to be recorded in some manner or another.
if nothing else, for me. for me to look at with fondness, love, and longing.
and yet.
i'm trying. i really am.
but i don't know how to get it out.
writer's block, welcome to my life.
not. not welcome, i mean.
dangit.

note to (future) self:

when husband hunting,

expect class.

a true gentleman.

don't just be pleasantly surprised on the occasions in which he can muster up a classy moment.

it should be ever-present.

anything less should not be tolerated.

this is the final test of a gentleman:

his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him.

william lyon phelps

current. curent!

it was time for an update.

i realized i haven't looked at my 'about me' page in awhile.

and it was in desperate need of being updated to reflect my more current life.

thus, i finally did.

give or take.

go forth and judge me.

want to hear some romanian?

feel free to watch this multiple times, just so you can hear it again.

because that's what me and roslyn do.

it's fine.

another post about romania may or may not be coming soon.

we'll see.

also, i have a story to tell that i wrote in my head one day on the way home from the hospital near the end.

and yet it still isn't recorded somewhere, which is something i must do.

someday very soon.
the question is, do i post it here or on my romania bloggity?
or just in my romania journal?
life's deepest questions, i know.
please give me feedback?

look at this photograph.

not to be dumb and quote nickelback, but i just did.
and i don't even like nickelback.
(except this song and this song. don't judge. i'm kind of embarrassed. but the message of the second one is so true.)

last night jess commented on a photo of us from the wedding,
so that got me looking at some tagged poze of me on fbook.
and what came with them were a few favorites and wonderful memories.

such as,

these photos from when laurs got married:
(starting with the one that started all this sentimental madness.)

and i'm maybe moderately obsessed with the following photos of me and the bestykins.

especially that last one from right after she came out of the temple

and i was hugging her and looking at will hugging marina.

and then come the romania photos.

if you want something that will pull at my heart strings the hardest,

this would be your ticket.

like the time we walked home from the branch, literally walking up a river on the hill upwards.

literally.

this is what we looked like at the top of the hill.

i have no words.

(and this was at a time (one of the many) that our electricity didn't work,

so i had my laptop and our phone in my backpack to charge at the branch. this is real life.)

or the day we had to say goodbye to andrada. miss her.

 and then there's the time we had a photoshoot with the stellar wallpaper in the bedroom of our apartment.
of course we included a scrubs shot, with our staples of life in romania:
scrubs and hand sanitizer.
we went through so much sanitizer it's not even funny.
at section 2, at the hospital. everywhere.
it's a necessity.

there's something special about the cookie dough in romania.

it's completely divine.

we might have gotten in trouble when we ate it when trying to put it in the pans.

oopsay.

 
it's safe to say, i miss this scruffy looking lot. and our adventures.

these photographs keep me alive.

they can't take what's ours.

sometimes i spend all morning watching modern family. member how steve got me obsessed? ahh dang.

sometimes soul sister and me spend our time together eating yummy food, laughing, and being boring. and the thing is, i think it's the little boring moments like those that end up meaning the most and being the fondest memories. like laughing together watching modern family. her getting to meet lauren for more than 2 seconds this time and getting to know eric too. talking about eeeeeeverything. me planning part of her life for her (it will be perfect, obviously). and the fact that we struggle with decision making. unless it's something we both love. then we go for it. like jdawgs. and brownies. member how we 'fight' over whose turn it is to have to make the decision of what we're doing next? hahahahahaha. fight is obviously a very hilarious term in this instance, because it's not really a fight. more like a hilarious emotional breakdown with the inability to make decisions. my favorite part of the whole night: when she said, "whateverrrr! it doesn't matter what we do. it's not like we're the same person or anything..oh wait." haha. i love my laursy. :) i apologize to the rest of the world that she's not your sista too. (except melissa and marina. obviously you two don't count because--oh wait. you are her sisters! ahaha. i so funny.)

sometimes lauren and i understand each other/our opinions way too well. we like it.

sometimes papa bear calls and makes me crave holding some baby flesh. dangitttttttt!

sometimes while blog creeping, i start to miss ms.jenny. i need to write her. there's a certain blog we like to creep on/cry with/love. and suddenly i can't text her and tell her about something ridiculous that i teared up reading/listening to. because she totally understands that kind of thing. dang. good thing she is happier than ever in the mtc right now. she's rockin it.

sometimes work isn't seemingly long at all. and there is an absolutely and completely STUNNING sunset. i wish i could have bottled up the greyish violet/lavendar of the mountains and clouds with the beaming golden (literally) sun. it was gorgeous.

sometimes we get navajo tacos during break. navajo taco+byu brownie+creamery chocolate milk=BEST.

sometimes i kind of love having two older brothers. i think it trumps any alternative. and then when you add in the eventual additions of sisters in law to the family? this, my friends is what we call the best of both worlds. really, you should wish you were me. i know you already are. hahahaha. jokes. i really am so funny.

sometimes mama gives me a full description of what she thinks my future husband will be like. and i press her to give every little idea/prediction. because here's the thing, friends. my momma ain't never wrong about these things. she's been 100 percent accurate so far for her other kidlets. therefore, if things continue in the same pattern, i will have one lucky life. that's all i have to say. perhaps the best life ever? i know you're jealous of my life again. you should be. (and member how i'll have the best career ever too? really, it just keeps getting better and better. you should want to become me.)

sometimes, i'm so excited for thanksgiving and christmas i could explode. a;osdilkvnea;woeifdjlkvnaw;epifSckm/aeo;wgpriedfs/kvnae;rsgdjv/k  <-- that=excitement. bring it on. mostly because i think my fam bam is super. and my brothers are hilarious. add on their female hip attachments (hahahaha. get it? i really am so funny.) and it makes it out of this world superb.

sometimes, you should just wish you were me. oh, and maybe sometimes you should listen to this song because it's cute. relevant? always.

sometimes i write the most ridiculous post ever. and then hit publish. embrace it.



life is goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood! and i'm just really happy. why? see above. and beyonnnddd! win.

just another best day ever.

1. laursy laurs laurserkins is coming to play tonight.
2. brownies
3. it's friday. and this past two weeks have been [swear words]. thus, need i say more?
4. i lucked out big time getting lauren as my roommate. LOVE.
5. in lab today we had to transcribe this. two things: 1. hilarious. 2. it was quite hard. and now i want to watch tangled. thanks, ta's.
6. something i'm not mentioning because i don't want to jinx it.
7. mentoring. seriously, the girl i mentor is the sweetest, kindest, purest-hearted girl you will ever meet. i adore her. and let's be honest. the opportunity to observe a 5th/6th grade classroom is downright hilarious.
8. soul sister is coming to play. did i mention i'm excited? we've concluded we're going to bake something - possibly off of pinterest. possibly just choco chip cookies. we'll see.
9. laurs loves jdawgs. so we might go there tonight. mmmm.
10. laurser (yes i am working on my creativity, thank you) finally gets to try byu brownies!
11. sometimes we gchat. sometimes it's funny. and other times we both end up 'away.' opa.
12. number 11. on 11/11/11. and i was in classroom 11 at 11:11am. i know. win.
13. i don't need to be angry anymore (for now) at the romania committee that is sometimes filled with small-minded individuals. anger gone.
14. ghighighighi. this means nothing to no one except for me. just a little bit of love and dreams.
15. i'm done with exams until finals! swear words about a particular exam last night are beside the point.
16. stevie buys me milk. best brother ever. i'm riding with him and kenzer to st.g for thanksgiving. let the fun beginnnn! (is there a secret understanding about the journey downwards? possibly.)
17. this week deborah ann sent me an email that left me happy and smiling like a fool.
18. there was a career night this week for nsslha (yes i had to look up how to spell it. as my professor said, no one knows how to spell that. they only know how to say it! in case you were wondering: /nɪʃlə/). oh, hi. my name is emily and i adore my major and am beyond ecstatic for my future.
19. i just found out laursy gets to come earlier than originally planned! seriously. i kid you not. this really is the best day ever.
20. i may or may not have watched the cma awards today. it was on the hulu home page. so while doing other things, i kept it on in the background. oh heeyyyy lady a won vocal group of the year! and i might have cried while martina sang this. might have = i sure did. guilty.
21. thanks to ipa, romanian, french, and english? my spelling is completely shot. member how i was a spelling wizard in elementary school? and always? so much for that. dangitall.
22. ending on an even number. the point: LA VIE EST BELLE! (yes, my french is slowly but surely coming back. unfortunately for me, it's more on the slower than expected end of the spectrum. dang, gena.)

thanksgiving could go ahead and be here now. please and thank you.
actually, while we're at it, how bout the end of the semester?

friday mornings with lauren and emily (of sp3)

roommate lauren and i are hilarious.

really, hilarious.

and maybe i'm just on a roll this morning.

but let's be real.

we all know i think i am hilarious.

exhibit a:

one of us: dear face, why are you dry?

[pause]

the other of us: dear hips, why don't you lie?

exhibit b:

(the texts we exchanged this morning)

lauren: ice all the way up the hill.......not ok.

emily: nooooooooooo!

emily: thank heavens for 15 minute parking. brownie time. :)

lauren: beautiful!

emily: WE HAVE BROWNIES!

[i retrieved brownies today so soul sister can have one. she's coming tonight!]

lauren: YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

emily: seriously. best day ever.

lauren: it's fine. we watched the clock in my music 201 class until it was 11:11.

emily: hahaha. LOVE. but really. i would be so mad if i had missed it!

lauren: i know! anger would have filled my soul.

emily: and swear words.

lauren: lots of them.

emily: it's fine. i'm just laughing to myself in our empty apartment. hahaha.

lauren: haha! sad! i wish i were there.....i'm so done with school today...

emily: come home! my proclamations of love to my bed to the silence are just not quite the same and makes me seem slightly deranged.  because oh yes. i said it out loud. :)

lauren: HAHAHAHAHA! i miss my bed...it looked so fluffy and welcoming as i left this morning.

emily: it's currently asking for you like a sad puppy missing its owner.

lauren: rude. i almost got up and ran home.

emily: get up. run. tears are welling up on your pillow.

lauren: gah! the only reason i'm not there now is because i'm going to jdawgs....

emily: with eric?

lauren: with music friends.....are you done for the day?

emily: yes. hence the refusal to do anything close to productive. :) you should join me and catch up on vampire diaries before you babysit!

lauren: ahhhhhhhh! i want to so bad! i have rehearsal and a test. :(

emily: rude school. rude. you should skip rehearsal, take the test, and come home to your brownie! my buried conscience is apologizing for being a bad influence.

needless to say, she took the responsible route and is currently being responsible. and productive.

the point is, we are hilarious. and sick of school.

and mostly just hilarious.

and for the record, i really was laughing really hard to myself in my empty apartment this morning.

BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

love life.

hallo-hallo-ween-ween.

just like /larz/ said, we're going with the better late than never philosophy.

oh, it's been almost two weeks since halloween?

oh, it's practically thanksgiving/christmas now?

i do what i can.

so. as i've said before, i think halloween is kind of dumb. i got it from my momma, i guess.

BUT.

when your grandparents are the coolest house on the block, you have to make slight exceptions.

grandpa ray doesn't mess around when he makes a halloween spook alley.

he goes all out. in fact, i'm pretty sure he could be the definition of going all out.

i think his picture should be in the dictionary next to 'all out.'

because when he decides to do something, he does it. no messing around.

and has been working on it for weeks, or more.

SO RAD.

young frankenstein.
not a vampire. and therefore not transylvania. and therefore not romania.
but close enough.
(please embrace the face.)

double, double, toil and trouble.

the skeleton dance.

other reason for being the best house on the block?

instead of offering candy,

you draw a pumpkin from a pumpkin basket.

the number on the pumpkin you draw out = the number of fresh dollar bills you are awarded.

dead serious.

i lucked out with five crisp new dollar bills, the maximum possible.

cool, right?

i told you my family was cool.

the best parts of the collection: 

• the ghosts that shake and dance when you clap.

• his granddaughter who dressed like a witch figurine and scared people as they went past.

hahahahahaha. still funny.

• the screams of kids that think they're super cool.

• the surprisingly common struggle of which hand is the left one.

• hilarious and adorable costumes.

• family time!

member that time we tried to take a picture by the tree?
the fog machine would not have anything of the sort. 

seriously. i know! halloween is not to be messed with.

it's love, don't you think? 

les couples heureux.

cutest ghost ever.

don't these skulls remind you of this/this?
oh? just me? it's fine.

and now, i present to you:

the mastermind!

(with franky frankenstein.)

thanks for a lovely halloween night/break from homework, grandma and grandpa!

[and thanks for the photos, sherry sunshine. :) ]