Cross Country?

My friend Laura called me Saturday and invited me to join her for cross country skiing. Even though I have lived in Utah for five years, I have never once gone skiing, so I thought I should give it a try. Besides, cross country sounded pretty safe. Well, we went to a canyon close to Vivian Park (for those who know the area) and found the trail, which went up. I toppled over just once or twice as we went up the mountain, but I got the hang of the skis without much trouble. It was coming down that I realized how hard skiing can be!! I think the pictures say it all. I should have known that cross country in Utah wouldn't be too flat. I still had a blast even though I'm feeling my sore muscles today!

January blues?

Unlike Megan and Emily, the birthday girls, I have not often enjoyed January, the cold month that follows the excitement of Christmas and brings the beginning of a new semester. The month seems to drag on with little excitement. However, this year I cannot believe at how quickly it is passing me by. Half-way through the month, on the 15th, the grad school applications were due, so, like any deadline, it came up quickly. Daniel submitted applications for both BYU and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for Physics. If he gets accepted at Illinois, I can do the library science program after waiting a year to get in-state tuition. This plan sounds a lot more affordable to us! If we stay in Utah, I will look into online programs for library science, which are becoming more popular and just as credible. So, now that the applications are in, we are ready for the wait. We hope to hear back by March, so February just might turn into the long month for me this year!

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Here is a look at BYU campus--our winter wonderland. I was so happy to put up our very first Christmas tree just after Thanksgiving, a $5 bargain from a garage sale this summer. It turned out to be bigger than I thought it would be as I took it out of the box and assembled it. I do believe it's a keeper! Next year we'll have Daniel's decorations, which he has received for the past 24 years, but for now silver balls and candy canes will do.

Yeah, School!

My classes this semester have been some of my favorites. The American Novel class has given me the excuse, or motivation, to read some classics I've never touched before. Moby Dick was actually the only one I knew anything about. Some of the others were by authors I have read before, or at least heard of, and a few were completely new to me. Most of the class period is just discussion, as Jenny knows, but is generally entertaining and very interesting to me. Just a sign that I am in the right major.

The creative writing for children literature class has been fun but very challenging. I at least understand the writing market some more, how books are classified and what editors are looking for. Dean Hughes, the professor, has made his living writing novels--middle grade, young adult, and historical fiction, which includes a lot of LDS fiction. "Children of the Promise" is one of his series about an LDS family in WWII. I haven't read any of his work yet . . . maybe I"ll try some over Christmas break.

The other two classes are also good, but I don't want to blab on about too much. Just ask Daniel--he gets the brunt of that!

A New Look

Becky's Blurb has officially been modernized!! Now, no attachments, postage stamps, or originality. Well, even if I did join the crowd, I suppose I can still share my side of the story. Enjoy!