the most magical time of the year

Can you think of anything better than combining the magic of Disney with the holiday cheer of Christmas? 

I couldn't either.... 

For our Christmas gift this year we decide to forgo big gifts and go to Disneyland instead, and so we decided to go during the week of Thanksgiving! (not on Christmas because our passes are blocked) It was magical. I love all of the Christmas decorations  and music piped throughout the park. The best Christmas thing in the park? These guys:

DANCING REINDEER. Just imagine this guys jumping up and down, spinning around and dancing to some Christmas music. We just about died laughing at them. Somehow we always seemed to get stuck in "parade traffic" right as these guys were passing, and that was OK by me. Dominique and I even mastered a few of the reindeer's signiture dance moves here...

  with this guy...

One day we happened to walk into Disneyland right as the pre-parade marching band finished and since the sidewalks we packed with people waiting for the parade to start we were able to walk behind the marching band to get into the park. So there we were  directly behind the marching band, with a crowd of people watching us. Some of you may think that would be embarrassing having all those people watching you. Not my family. We loved it, somehow we all ended up in a line directly behind the band, marching and dancing and waving at all of the people on the sidewalks watching us! It was a blast, and people thought we were funny. I like being funny. Also I like being in parades. 

We wanted to go on Splash Mountian, but didn't really want to get wet so we all put on ponchos. We looked like total nerd but it turned the ride into a game.. who could avoid the water! I think the poncho really suits my dad, don't you? 

I managed to stay mostly dry on one side, and got soaked on the other, and the water conquered Niques... 

 Overall the trip was a BLAST. It is always fun to go to Disneyland with the family, because so many memories come flooding back, and we have so much fun creating new memories. This trip Dad and Dez started their own pin collection. I am pretty sure my Dad was more excited to trade than Dezi was!

We are big fans of posing for the ride camera . . . here are a few! 

Unfortunately Dezi was sick most of the trip and couldn't enjoy the trip as much as she wanted to,and the park was SUPER crowded, but we still made the best of it! I love this magical place. 

I even got Dezi to laugh a few times!

the eyes of an artist

I don't know if it is because I have known that these are my last few months as a student at Brigham Young University, or because I am taking a photography class and now I see the world through the eyes of an artist but the world around me has been so much more beautiful. I can't even count how many times I have stopped to notice the beauty around me and thought of how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful place. Just yesterday I was sitting outside near the JFSB, reading a book for class (yes it was warm enough to sit outside on the last day of November!) and as I was sitting there the wind started to blow. There are still plenty of leaves falling off the tress and there were a couple piles around me that as the wind blew danced and skipped across the pavement. It was the most entertaining thing, they would swirl around and then come back, it was as if they were preforming a choreographed dance. I couldn't help but stop reading and watch them for a couple minutes. This is just one of the wonderful things I have noticed the past few months. This moments have been such a blessing to me and I am so thankful to my HF who created such amazing moments.  One of the best experiences I have had this semester was driving the alpine loop at sunset. It was phenomenal, I don't even have the words to describe what I saw. Maybe these pictures will give you some insight?

I wish I knew what has changed my vision, so I could pass it on to everyone. Colors seem more vivid, sunsets more animated, even the trees seem to be more inviting to me. I like to think now I have the eyes of an artist and these moments will keep blessing my life!