anyone?

i want to have a sound of music night when i get home.

who's in?

also.

i have, like, the hugest crush on christopher plummer.

i don't care if you think its weird...

he is so handsome...

magical...

(the invitation is open to all individuals who love this movie with every fibre of their being.

also, first timers are welcome.

please be prepared to sing along!)

christmas tunes!

hey everyone!

i hope you're enjoying the christmas holidays & loving time with family & friends!

here's a little collection of christmas tunes.

reliant k, sufjan stevens, bing crosby, burl ives, rosemary clooney, james taylor, the jackson five and, obviously, mariah carey.

hope you love it!

My favourite place on earth

Waterton really is heaven on earth. It is the one place in the world I always want to be. I will take any and every opportunity to go to Waterton and would stay forever if I thought I could. One day I will.




Tuesday was my first winter excursion of the season and we could not have had a more perfect day. We all piled in the suburban (Scott, Bonnie, Melissa, Amy, Trent, John, and I) and hit the highway to heaven.

Of course the Leishman cabin was freezing upon arrival so we started the fire and space heater and sat around cuddled in blankets, while we kept piling the fire up. Then the fun began.


We bundled up, piled back into the suburban and headed to red rock road. Trent and I took the time to put on snowshoes, which I still stand by was a great idea and I don't know how everyone else went without, and hiked up red rock road to see if we could find some good sledding hills.
(Side note: Scott thinks my jacket is hideous. I think it is awesome.)

The big hill that everyone loves to speed over didn't turn out to be the greatest sledding hill, the snow was deep and the hill wasn't steep enough - which was surprising because in a vehicle it always seems pretty steep. But John was on a mission and we ended up sledding down from the side of the road toward the creek. John was the real sledding machine, but Bonnie had a great couple runs too...


Now watch that video again and watch the sled go up and over and disappear. There is a cliff directly behind the brush. Keep that in mind.

Story Time #1:

Speaking of Bonnie... well she is such a nicknameable person. I mean, Bon Tron, Bonster, Bon Diggity, Bonspiel, Bon Quay Quay, Boniqua, Boninator... the list is endless of simply fantastic nicknames. Well here's another: Bad-Idea-Bonnie.

Bonnie had just thrown a touque on for the day and her hair may have been suffering from it...

So what does she say? "I'll just rub snow in it to fix it!" - Bad Idea Bonnie
Though it was thoroughly entertaining, so not a complete loss.

Melissa helped her out in the end. She's a good friend like that. I just killed over laughing.




There is just something magical about Waterton that makes everything good and okay in the world - and photogenic too.
(even despite Bonnie's antics)
Here are a couple more favourites from a perfect day:




Story Time #2:

Back to sledding.
So Scott decided to dive head first on the sled.
The result?
Lost keys and cell phone.
Really Scott? I feel like you've been through this before...
Bonnie suggested prayer; I suggested we call his cell phone, which this crew then heard vibrating in the snow miraculously, so they started digging.

Clark found the cell phone and Melissa kept digging around in the area and found the keys!
It was a Waterton miracle!

Clark is so happy he found the phone, and Melissa is stoked she found the keys.
We were all so relieved... and impressed.


Story Time #3:
(Remember the sled in the video?)
Melissa and I decided to go for a run on the sled together.
We knew we needed to bail before the brush.
We knew their was a cliff on the other side of the brush.
We didn't anticipate how fast we would be going with both of our weight and inertia.
We didn't realize how early we should start trying to bail.
We didn't bail.
We flew over the cliff.
I landed. Melissa landed. On me.
We tumbled and slid a little further.
We got owned.
Melissa's entire left side got jacked.
My left snowshoe and boot got ripped off and my right ankle got jacked.
We laid their killing ourselves laughing for so long, in shock and pain and hysteria.
We had dropped a significant ways without touching the snow above us.
Trees in front of us almost killed us.
I would do it again in a heartbeat.



Really, it's only fun and games if someone gets hurt.
My life moto: Go big or go home.


Trent was a good person and carried me most of the way back despite my insistance that I could make it myself. I think mostly he just couldn't stand my pathetic snowshoe limping.







Back at the cabin, the fire still had embers, so we stoked it back up and cuddled in together to enjoy some of mamma Leish's chili and baked potatoes, and of course hot chocolate.
All in all a glorious day.
I even got queen treatment for the ride home - so that I could keep my foot elevated, of course.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas & A Happy Fight Night

Just in case you were worried I wasn't well-rounded, here's a little piece of Southern Alberta Christmas Spirit for you: "The Christmas Clash". I haven't been to a fight night since grade 11, when I was right at the front of the circle and someone took a hit to the nose and splattered blood all over my pants - yep. I don't believe another one has occurred since then - until Saturday.

Saturday night was a throw-back to the good 'ol days in high school. And honestly, I don't think anywhere else in the world could have a fight night like SoAB can. These guys all grew up together and have been friends, friends of friends, or sports rivals since birth. This fact alone allows everything to be left on the mat, and we're all still friends at the end of the night no matter who beat who. I give the guys credit too, because it was all quite controlled and refereed - just good, clean... fighting.


Now don't get me wrong, I don't actually really enjoy watching two guys pound the brains out of each other, but nonetheless it was fun to be with my girls and see all the old crowd and just love SoAB and all that comes with it.

So from me to you, here's a little look into the underground mormon scene in SoAB.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good fight night!

One of my favourites: Tanner vs. Braeden AND Alan. Tanner's just that tough.

The double-team might appear to have the upper-hand...


But don't count Tanner out too soon. (How he got back up, I have no idea.)


Braeden can't possibly be getting too much oxygen at this point...


Obviously no winner was declared, but let's face it - it was Tanner.





Next up, my good friend Dan. The guy he's fighting is apparently a hardcore semi-trained of some sort pseudo-pro or something-or-other. Either way Dan was probably out of his league... but don't tell an Osmond that. They fight like they've got nothing to lose. (Seriously -->)

We're a little afraid... I almost took a hit to the face once or twice in this fight...

And can I just take this moment to point out Dan's every rippling muscle? Yeah I said it, you know you were going to comment on it anyways.



Dan didn't win the fight, but I'm sure he'll win the war.

Last fight of the night, Tanner vs. Super-Hardcore
It was a decent last fight, fairly hit for hit.


Tanner was wearing him down though...

But don't ever let down your guard, this guy meant business.













The real struggle of the night? Getting Bonnie's van out of the alley - pushing may have been involved.
The actual highlight of the night was Melissa stearing for Bonnie while she backed up out of the alley...


Oh Bonnie.
I can always count on two things with Bonnie:
1) A scream
2) A good time

Introducing the "Craft Corner"

Welcome to Craft Corner at the Castle!
We have so many great ideas for the new year that from time to time the Craft Corner will let you in on what we're doing and give us some place to share new ideas with each other.


I came home for Christmas, which means I have plenty of free time, and something about being home and it being Christmas just makes a person feel much more crafty doesn't it?
Maybe that's just me...
Well I had an ADD moment which resulted in this rag quilt being made yesterday. Most spontaneous crafty moment, but I love that I did it!

I had extra fabric left over from a big quilt I made and tied with my grandma this summer and was looking at it, contemplating making a pillow case or something, when the thought occurred to me that there was probably enough fabric to make a small blanket - and I had always wanted to make a rag quilt, so I started measuring the fabric and drawing squares, and though Michelle thought I was crazy, she's quite impressed with my little project as well.

today was a good day

Recap:
- My parents went up to Calgary to fix ex-boyfriend #1's car (my dad's just that good of a guy)
- I ended up visiting ex-boyfriend #2's family with Melissa's mom because we got to Calgary really early so she wanted to swing by Airdrie to visit her sister, AKA ex's mom (ex stayed discreetly in the basement, can't blame him, but I did have a fun chat with his brother who I found out is working with ex-boyfriend #1 - how ironic)
- I had a lovely text conv with boyfriend #3 on the car ride home (I'll see him on Sunday at church, excellent).

All in all a great day I think.

The actual greatness of the day: MELISSA IS HOME! And I could not be more thrilled!
She thinks I've changed.
She thinks I'm trendy.
She thinks I have new friends that won't like her.
All bold-faced lies.

Today was a good day.

oh, mr. shu

i found this on youtube last night, and almost died.

chastity kitties

as previously mentioned, our furnace broke this weekend, the coldest day in the history of the world. for real. cathy talked a little bit about our interventions to keep the precious warmth inside the walls of our home. we stuffed blankets and towels in the cracks of doors and windows. last year, when our furnace broke for the first time, the previous roommates and i came up with this brilliant idea to hang a sheet over the back entry, thereby keeping out all the nasty cold that comes rushing through our ridiculously drafty door. (the house is a hundred years old. what're you gonna do?)

on sunday afternoon, i ran upstairs to fetch a blanket with which to replicate this process. i found an old set of sheets for my single bed (i now sleep in a double. ooh la la.) and grabbed one.

these sheets are hideous. like, so ugly i don't even know where my mom found them. she sent them up to edmonton with me when i first moved here about two and half years ago. 

they're flannel.

they're off-white.

and they're covered in kitties. 

seriously.

kittens.

of various shapes and sizes and colours and patterns.

one is even wearing a bow tie.

we've all picked out our favourite kitties. amy is particularly fond of "homeless kitty" while i quite enjoy "obese bow tie wearing kitty."

i brought it downstairs and introduced it to my roommates, laughing about just how ugly it really is. (they've been stuffed in my closet for months.) i joked about how my mom probably sent them to edmonton with me to encourage me to keep the law of chastity. really. what boy would get in a bed with a girl who sleeps in flannel kitty sheets?

maybe sometime in the future we can post a photo of said kitty sheets!!

p.s. now amy & i are going to drink egg nog hot chocolate and watch glee re runs.

where are you, cathy & bethany?

One of my many loves

I cannot wait to see this movie! My sister and I are going to go see it asap. You should know right now that I have a deep love of sports movies and an even deeper love of movies that are based on true stories; it just makes them that much more impressive and meaningful (I know, I know, "based on" doesn't mean even half of the story is true but I love it and ignore that possibility). I also have a devoted love of rugby. Put these three things together and you have this movie: Invictus. Love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqKjVo-9qso


Also, I really really want to see The Blindside. I have heard only brilliant things about it. I have a feeling that this Christmas break will involve a lot of watching.

Glee Supplement

Alright, I know I've already broadcast this on facebook, but I felt like our love of Glee and all things Glee-esque should begin here as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ5WUJTNKQk&feature=related
I am so excited for this show. Face and the Singers of Lee may be my favourite - they're like a Gap commercial but I love it.

Figgy Farewell and Christmas Cookies

Sunday night we had people over to say goodbye to Jaylene, and welcome to me and Bethany, and because we wanted to have a little Christmas get-together, and let's face it, to combat the cold we call our home.

Lauren baked sugar cookies all afternoon as we cuddled in the kitchen.



And the decorating went over way better than anticipated...






We love Glee.