Did someone say dessert?

So my great friend here in Colorado, Sara, owns the Wii, along with all the fun games that go with it: Mario Kart, Ravins Rabbids, and Guitar Hero, the rock band set. Jessica and I were talking about having a party at our house, because it seems that everyone out here has parties, but decided we don't really have a lot of room here, so we "invited" Sara to have one at her house! We called it the dessert party and people brought desserts and we played the Wii for hours. Good times! My favorite is singing on the rock band, and dancing on Ravins Rabbids. Mario Kart is always a classic. It's also fun to test your wii fitness age (I'm around 52, sadly, but some people were around 70 so that made me feel better). Here are some pictures from the fun night!

Michelle Condie and I. Love this girl!!

Playing the Guitar Hero, Rock Band version. We had 4-5 of us playing the drums at times!

Switching roles on Guitar Hero.

You can't really see it but this was the sickest thing I've ever eaten on a spoon. It looks like caramel but it's not. I can't remember the name of it, but it was hot and spicy and sick. But I was paid a dollar to eat it, and if you know me, I don't back down from a challenge!

Rick testing out his wii fitness age.

Sight Seeing the Denver Area

My roommates and I decided to take a Saturday and find different sights in the Denver area. First stop: The house my family lived in Lakewood where I called home the first two years of my life. My first memory that I can recall is saying goodbye to that house, I just remember the stairs by the kitchen. It looks different than what my mom described it as, but the same! I hope this brings back memories to you, Mick, Cody and Kala! (my siblings) Next, we decided to find the Real World house from when it was filmed in Denver. If you know me, I was a Real World Junkie, I watched every season. The house has now turned into a restaurant, it would be awesome to eat their sometime! We then decided to find the Columbine High School Memorial. I saw the high school when I came out last March to visit Brady and Kristy. It's always surreal to see it, and recall the images I saw on TV about it. The memorial was amazing. We went at the perfect time, when the sun was about to set (PS, I think Colorado has the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen). I was very touched by what was said about each of the people who lost their lives that day, one girls in particular. There was also a wall of quotes that I loved as well. Our next stop was visiting the LDS Denver Temple, Hilary hadn't seen it yet. It's so beautiful all lit up at night. And last, but not least, we went to the Castle Rock Outlets and did some shopping. I love it here, there's always so much to do and see!

The house in Lakewood

The Real World Denver house.

The new Columbine High School library

A quote from the quote wall at the Columbine Memorial that I loved.

This girl's memorial touched me the most. It was excerpts from her journal. I love how she said, "For, in the end all there is, is love." So true, so true.

If you look closely, that is Jessica standing on top of the mountain overlooking the memorial. How beautiful is that sunset?!

The LDS Denver temple. Beautiful inside and out. Nothing beats the temple.

New Years Eve in Colorado

Every year, I always say, "Let's do something fun for New Years this year!" Usually people agree with me, but then we never end up doing something different. It's usually food and games. Don't get me wrong, I love that, but it's funny that every year I want to do something different but that's what I end up doing. So this year, I was like, "I'm in a new state, I need to do something different!" But guess what I did? Yep, I ate and played games (on the wii though, not board games), and even got a nap in there! :) It was a lot of fun! Thanks Sara for the party!

I was challenged by Jon Dale (the guy on the right) to shove 2 big cookies in my mouth. I don't back down from a challenge! He shares my love of food and diet coke. We recently had a "Chubby Bunny" contest, where you shove marshmallows in your mouth and after each one, say "Chubby Bunny". I'm talking the big marshmallows, people. He got to 8, I got to 7 before I gagged. I hate losing a food challenge!!!

Hilary celebrating the new year with not one, but two cups of champagne (AKA cider)

Rebecca's face in this picture is hysterical! You have to click on the picture to make it bigger to see it, you will enjoy it as well!

Why is it that I can bowl a high score on the Wii but a crappy one in real life?!

I wasn't able to see a lot of my friends over Christmas break, but did get to hang out with Jenna and Meggan. We did an activity that we have enjoyed doing together in the past: dinner and bowling! Now, I'm known for my ability to bowl the wrong way-twisting my arm weird, and taking the wrong steps. But on the Wii this doesn't harm my score. However, when bowling in a bowling alley, I can't seem to score over 70. I believe my average actually is around 40. But it sure is a good time! Especially when it involves taking random photos on a camera, and biffing it (Yes, I did actually fall down while bowling. The funny part about it , was the boy who was bowling in the lane left to us had just biffed it himself not 2 minutes before, causing me to laugh hysterically. Talk about Karma. Meggan heard him say, "At least I'm not the only one that falls down." Funny!!) Thanks Jenna and Meggan, for making the effort to see me and hang out with me. I love eating, bowling, laughing, and chatting with you two. I love you girls a lot!

A Unique and Memorable Christmas

I was excited to fly back to Utah for Christmas, even though I had only been home the weekend before for Meggan's graduation. Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. Not even the day of Christmas but the month or so leading up to it. I love the music, I love the spirit of it, I love giving to people that I love most. But I did want to be home the day of it. I decided this year that I would spend Christmas Eve night with my brother, sister-in-law and nieces in Logan so that I could wake up Christmas morning with my nieces. Because Christmas with children makes it all the more special. I woke up to the sound of the girls excitement. Man they were spoiled! Aspen was able to get an iPod, a barbie that she wanted, and things I could only dream of owning now! Libby rocked out in a new Hannah Montana outfit and guitar, and Abbie got the cutest car seat I have ever seen. But the best part that Santa brought their whole family was the Wii. We played that sucker all day! Well, this is what made Christmas unique this year-not being at my home home for it. My parents were supposed to drive over from Tremonton Christmas morning to have breakfast with us, and then bring my sister Katrina and I back over there, along with my brother Cody and his wife BreAnne. But supposedly their was a "huge" storm in Tremonton and they couldn't make it over. My mom even said that my dad had been out to shovel a few times. It was hardly snowing in Logan so we all thought my parents were being weird, that they wanted to be alone, etc. The whole day we joked about it. My sister-in-law Jen, sister Katrina and I started to get ancy and decided we wanted to hit up a movie that night. We walk outside into a blizzard! Katrina said, "This must have been the storm mom was talking about." We got a good laugh out of that. Well, we knew Mick would freak out about us driving in the weather to the movie, so we ran to the car and left in a flash. Jen did an awesome job driving in the snow, her dad taught her well. Again, saw a great movie that made me cry! The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I loved all the people he met along the way in his life, what they each taught him, how different they all were and that it was okay to be different.

My dad finally came and got us the next morning and we opened Christmas presents the day after Christmas. I actually wasn't expecting anything because my parents paid for my trip home. But I was spoiled with money, very needed items (razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, face wash, you know all the things you have to buy but hate to), and other fun things. It was a lot of fun spending Christmas day with my nieces, and being home for a few days. I really appreciate my family a lot more since I have moved away from them. It's more meaningful to me now when I see them.

I love this picture of Libby. They were decorating cookies for Santa to eat, and I kept saying, "Smile for me girls!" and Libby was like, "I am smiling!" It cracks me up because she is smiling, just couldn't look up from her important task. I love that girl so much!!!

Hannah Montana, is that you?! The guitar plays her songs and Libby was singing and dancing to it all day. I should have got a video of it!

My brothers figuring out the Wii. I love how Abbie wants to take part in the game too.

This picture is my favorite. Each of the girls has a part of me in this photo. Aspen has the cell phone and is talking while playing the Wii. She loves the cell phone, just like me and she's a multi-tasker :) Abbie is sucking her thumb, something I was known to do in my younger years. And Libby poses like me. Her head thrown back with a genuine smile on her face.

Look at Abbie's big blue beautiful eyes! And my beautiful sister Katrina who turned 16 while I was home. Kat, I can't believe you are 16. I remember you being as little as Abbie here. I sure do love you so much!!

The Roomie Turns 26!!

My roommate Jessica's birthday is on New Years Day. How awesome is that?! Celebrate a new year, AND being a year older!! Well, she was going to be in Utah for it, so we decided to celebrate it early. I love to spoil people for their birthdays. With a group of friends back in Utah, we used to go to dinner and then make up a dance and perform it for the birthday girl/boy. Well, that group of friends aren't here with me in Denver, so I decided I would continue the tradition (kind of). Jessica had a hard time knowing where she wanted to eat, just wanted something that was unique to Denver. So we headed downtown to the 16th Street Mall and ate at the Rocky Mountain Diner. It was a pretty good. I chose to get a hamburger after a month of not eating them since the HUGE 20 ouncer I ate for the eating contest. It was also Rachel and Rebecca's birthday the day before (the cutest twins ever :) ) so we were actually celebrating 3 birthdays in one.
We also wanted to take her to a movie because she hadn't been to one in a while. She chose Seven Pounds. Typical Tawna, I cried. I have a problem of really getting into movies, TV shows, and books, thinking they are actually a part of my life and I really know the characters. I take a lot of things that they say and do to heart and see how it can apply to my life. I was extremely touched by a part in the movie where the blind character is playing the piano in the mall. And no one was paying attention to the beautiful music he was creating. Music is very special to me, especially the piano, so that saddened me. But even more than that, I had the thought that I don't want to live my life that way, to be so unaware of the people and things going on around me that are so beautiful and so uplifting. I want to always be aware of my surroundings and where I am placed.

Anyway, it was a fun Saturday with the girls out, celebrating her big day a bit early. Happy Birthday Jessica, you are an awesome roomie and I'm so glad you chose to move here with me. It definitely would not be the same experience without you, and I look forward to more adventures ahead!!

I found it hysterical that the door of the restaurant said, "Get in Here!"

The birthday girl loving her rootbeer float in a Coor's Light cup.

Sara and I at the restaurant. Rachel had gone to the bathroom so she wasn't in the pic.. She was recently engaged and I loved how her fiancee asked her to marry her. Precious!

Jessica, Rebecca and Hil at the restaurant. So cute!!