Winter?

I've been highly disappointed with this winter. Now don't get me wrong, I love 60° weather just as much as the next guy, but I also love me some good hardy winter weather. I love the snow and the way it has of covering the world and making it look brand new. I love walking outside all wrapped up cozy and having the chill nip at your nose a bit.

But you know what I love the most about winter? How excited it makes me for spring. I feel this way about every season. I love living in Utah because we have 4 very distinct seasons with very different tempertaures.
When it's spring, I get so excited for summer and the sun and swimming and freedom.
And once that gets old, I get so excited for fall, with it's crisp air and beautiful colors.
And then I can't wait for that first snow fall and sledding and cuddling inside with hot chocolate.
And then once winter becomes dreary, I get excited for spring and the warmth and new life.
And then it starts all over again.

But with this failure of a winter we've had here in Utah, I haven't even been excited for spring, because it's kind of felt like spring since the beginning of January!
However, it has not been all bad, the warmth has allowed for so many fun outdoor adventures! Utah is a beautiful and fun place, even when it's winter and everything is dead. So here's some pics of my hiking adventures with the brothers.

And then here's this moment when I found the one patch of snow left on President's Day. Happy Fake Winter, ya'll.

All hallows eve.

Seriously, Halloween is my favorite thing ever. People are SO funny and clever. I love dressing up in costumes and playing an entirely new character. You can be anyone or anything you want, and it gives you a fun way of expressing yourself. Or not. Here is a list of some of the best costumes I saw yesterday around campus:
Judith Butler - know who she is? I didn't either. She's a feminist philosopher. And my co-worker dressed like her and he looked awesome.
A surprising number of Ash Ketchums
Squirtle
Snowman - this costume was so legit. The costume was a solid 7-8 feet tall and made of wool or something on chicken wire. The kid was just waddling around campus and it was so cool.
PSY - a couple of him. Some Asian men thought they were hilarious.
Miranda Sings - some very solid portrayals
All 5 original Power Rangers and they were fighting a guy in a banana suit. SO GOOD.
All sorts of Batmans. I particularly liked the one on his bicycle with his cape flowing.

I personally had three costumes this year. I was planning on having 4, but the penguin didn't actually work out... definitely next year. Last Friday, I was Scary Spice - with none of the other Spice Girls. I didn't get many pictures of this one. But here's the one we got (with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and a nerd)

During the day yesterday, I was my roommate Jenna. Terrifying resemblance? I thought so too.

Then last night I was a grandma by the name of Fanny Lever. I was a crotchety old woman; I don't know how to do a jolly grandma. And yes, my hair did smell like baby powder all night.

All in all, this was an incredibly successful Halloween. I love dance parties and friends and candy and costumes and fun. How perfect.

On October and what not.

Don't worry about it. October is my favorite month of the entire year. Fall colors are in full brilliance. My birthday. Football is just rockin all month long. Social acceptance of wearing costumes for an entire month straight. I always commend dressing like a complete fool. Halloween is one of the greatest holidays. October is just festive and smells good and I just can't handle how wonderful it is.

Oh yeah, and my new favorite color is orange. And orange is the color that epitomizes October.

I am so excited for my birthday and Halloween this year! Mostly Halloween. I have so many solidly good costume ideas; most center around the fact that my hair is huge and curly. I've taken advantage of that and dressed as Professor Trelawny way too many years in a row, and it is now time to expand my costume repertoire. I want some input on which costume I should choose, here's some of my current favorites.

Mrs. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus

Bellatrix Lestrange (I've done this before, but not for Halloween, and it was one of my favorite costumes ever)

Scary Spice - this would definitely be part of a roommate Spice Girl costume 

Pocahontas (I only want this one because she's my favorite. Let's get real, I look nothing like her.)

Any other ideas of what I should be for Halloween this year? Let's be serious here, I will probably end up choosing multiple costumes and hitting up a bunch of different Halloween parties! Work it!

Fall

Fall. Autumn. Football. Colors. My birthday. Rain. Puddle jumping. Beauty. Hot chocolate. Excitement. Galoshes. Cozy blankets. Movie watching. Thanksgiving. Sweaters. Jackets. Cardigans. ALL fall clothes. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. More football. Halloween. Boys wearing flannel. Fabulous scarves. Partying. Carving pumpkins. New seasons of my favorite shows. Leaves in the canyon. Cornmazes. Raking leaves. Jumping in leaf piles. Raking again. Wind. Boots. Moccasins.
Seriously, I just love this season. I wish it was longer.

Fake fall.

Sometimes I absolutely can not focus on studying. Even if I have a midterm tomorrow. So I write blog posts instead.

I love fall. But some days fall forgets to show up and it hands the torch to winter. And by torch I mean icy frost.

Today was one of those days. It was beautiful. Just not fall.