honor

What an honor to be a member of the church and to have lived during the time of beloved Gordon B. Hinckley. I am happy he is with his sweet Marjorie again, but I am selfishly missing him. I cannot wait for the day we will all have a chance to give him a big hug and thank him for his honorable, lifelong service. He never did anything for his benefit and gave all his 97 years of energy to the kingdom of God. I love you, President Hinckley!

late night sledding!

Some of Zach's work friend invited us to sled Old Main Hill the other night. It is pretty much in our backyard so we couldn't pass up the opp! Since they all get off work at like 9:30pm, it turned out to be a late night..but we had a blast. I have lived here for a few years and have never sled down the famous hill. I was totally missing out!! So fun, and so cold without snow pants!

BEFORE

and AFTER!!


Look how happy he is! Santa happened to drop off some cash...so Zach traded it in for what he has been wishing for for months -- a new flat screen TV. I looks perfect in our little place and even has a built in DVD player. Thanks, Santa! (and with the extra cash...i think I'll go shopping!)

Dear Santa...

My mother always says, "Happiness is not having everything you want...it's wanting everything you have." I believe that and I want everything I have, and I am already happy... but my man Zach tells me that it's okay to dream! I read Marci’s Christmas wish list and was inspired to wish a little! Here is my Christmas WISH list this year! (in no particular order.)

1. Earth Brand Twilight boots.

2. A green Land Rover so I can go places like this!





3. Free Textbooks next semester!



4. A coat.


5. A facial treatment to get rid of the scars.

6. Warm, yummy slippers.
7. A condo.



8. A shaggy area rug. (but green!)


9. A new wardrobe!

10. A kitchen hutch.


Thanks for letting me have a greedy little moment!

Our First Holidays!

I love firsts. This is our first Christmas together as the Patterson Family. WOW! We got our little tree set up in our little apartment. (By the way, if you wanted tour of our place...this is about it!) We love it, however and feel snug as a bug. Zach can't get too far!

Zach actually decorated the tree all himself -- pretty impressive, huh? He strung the lights, picked out the ornaments and draped the beads on. He's so excited about this season! We feel so fortunate and hope to share some holiday cheer to those who might be less fortunate. (P.S. Zach thinks this shot of his ugly socks is pretty funny. He doesn't have enough dress socks for everyday...yuck!)

Happy Holidays!

never would have thought....

I thought some of you would get a kick out of seeing this photo! This was about when Zach was leaving the mission. In Ecuador it is really cheap to get a custom made suit, so most missionaries take advantage. Zach and I ended up both getting brown suits made! People called us UPS workers! We took a photo to capture the moment....now it's just pretty hilarious! Look at the awkward looks on our faces. (And you can see how chunky I got after gaining like 20 lbs!!!)

Who's the best cook?

I may have made the most meals so far...but Zach is definitely a good cook! Some days he is off work and I have school until late, so he makes the dinner! Check out the meals he has made so far. (salmon with potatoes, corn and rolls, and homemade pizza!!) Yum.