Frosty Logan Campus

On my walk to school today I was struck by an amazing amount of beauty that grew overnight. Last night was so cold that everything froze, and I mean everything. All the leaves, plants, and even metal froze over. It was 8:00 in the morning and there were very few people on campus at that unearthly hour--sadly I was--but it was breath taking. I was astounded by the beauty in everything.

It looked like it had snowed lightly that night because all the trees were laced with white, but they were absolutely covered with frost. It was one of the most beautiful sights I had ever seen. There is also an inversion here in Cache Valley, and it sent a fog overnight, so visibility was limited, but it made everything so gorgeous. I felt kind of silly taking pictures, but I couldn't resist, until my battery died...

This is what I saw:

Old Main is usually very visible from this distance, but it's so pretty when it's muted like this.

This is part of a fire hydrant. It is absolutely frozen. Isn't that the coolest thing ever?

This is a pine tree, covered with frost. They are so pourous that it's almost like dipping them in white chocolate.

This picture shows that it isn't snow balanced on top of each limb, the frost actually holds on to the branches of even a willow.

This is the corner of a hedge with the white side facing south. The south side has more frost and it looks so cool, almost like a shadow.

This is my favorite. There was a ribbon tied around a lampost left from several months ago, and even it was frozen. I love this picture! I can't believe I stumbled across it.

I am not a photographer by any means, but I hope that I captured a little bit of the beauty I found this morning in what you see here.

I love Logan. This is where I am supposed to be. It is bitter bitter cold, but it's home.

Making Christmas!

This year The Andersons, The Coxes, the Roberts, and the Burrows all contributed to making Christmas for a family in our ward! We had lots of fun brainstorming, gathering, and wrapping up presents. We all loved our little secret and it made Christmas much more wonderful!

Kerry and Anthony got the pleasure of delivery, and the rest of us tagged along to watch. At the first house we all parked and made our cars dark to watch. We were all trying to be quiet--which was very hard for Shae--and Kameron wanted to get a better look, so he opened the car door, and turned on the lights! So we were all looking around like deer caught in the headlights and managed to turn them off by pulling out the key. We weren't seen, but Kameron still got teased.

The people didn't have much of a reaction at the first door, which is understandable for a few reasons. But afterwards we drove to the next house and parked in sight of the front door. They didn't answer the door for a while, but when they did she asked some questions and got teary eyed. They were very gracious and thankful, and it was really good.

While watching this house my dad rolled down the window so we could see better and perhaps hear, and so I told everyone to be quiet, and Shae started laughing. If you tell her to be quiet it just makes it harder for her, and so she finally calmed down and we watched the proceedings.

It was a fantastic family home evening activity, and we had so much fun with our secret! I wish I could remember more details, but it's been a while... I'm a slacker. It was a fantastic Christmas though!

Roommate Playdate in SLC!

I love my roommates so much, and I couldn't last a month without seeing them! AND Kelsie had never seen temple square, so we absolutely HAD to do it. We all planned a day to meet in Salt Lake, thanks to the ever-amazing Jessica, and made it a party! Taylor was the last to arrive, as usual, at the rendezvous point--Olive Garden. There was "much rejoicing" in the land when we all met up, and much catching up to do. Jessica got a haircut, Rachel had a change of plans, and we all had stories! It was my first time at Olive Garden and I give it a thumbs up!

After lunch we all switched parking spots so we didn't get tickets or have to pay for parking, and then we met at the Gallivan center to go ice skating! I fell in love! Can I just tell you...

You know in all those nostalgic Christmas movies and little Christmas villages they have outdoor ice rinks? To me they always seemed the perfect Christmas place. Where time stops and fun abounds, and you can almost taste Christmas it's so thick in the air.

I had no idea that Salt Lake had an outdoor ice rink! It was an amazing discovery! We had lots of fun, even though none of us could skate. We had very few casualties too! I think Kelsie fell once or twice, but I think that's it!

Once we were thoroughly exhausted we took off our skates and walked to Temple Square. I had a simply marvelous time taking pictures! Everything was so beautiful! It was so cold, but that wasn't enough to keep me away. :) Temple Square is sooooo beautiful at Christmas!

Here are my favorites:

Candles on the water with the reflection of the temple

The Navtivity in the reflection of the temple

This one is kind of fuzzy, and it made me sad, but I love it! The lampost especially!

My absolute favorite!

It was a fantastic day in Salt Lake with my roommates! They put up with my constant picture taking, and we survived the cold air, and the drive home! Temple square in December should be the eighth wonder of the world I think. Anyone agree?

Photo shoot at the Temple!

After a trip to the Logan temple Jessica and I were overcome it's beauty, and couldn't resist the urge to take pictures. Except we just got out of the temple, and I don't regularly bring my camera to the temple, I don't think it's allowed either. So we ran home, changed into puffy coats and sweats, dried our wet hair, grabbed our cameras and went back!

Mallory in front of the light, and behind it. :)

Blinding! We decided they are shining with the Holy Ghost. :)

The Happy Couple. :) We had to take some semblance of wedding pictures at the temple...

Another Happy Couple. :) With Jessica being dropped...

This is Taylor's crappy camera, but it kind of turned out cool. We had to try the High School Musical jump. :)

An amazingly cool tree in front of the temple, and the kind of picture that we planned in the first place.

We had tons of fun that night, if you couldn't tell. :)

The Logan I Love...

This goodbye was bittersweet. I'm so excited to be back at school, but it was so hard to leave Mapleton. How is it that I have to leave home to go home? There were two and a half hours of limbo where I was indeed homeless, but now I'm at home again. I just have two of them I guess...

But this place, Logan, is so wonderful. I see it now. It is cold and snowy, all year round it seems, but there are wonderful things.

This is what I love about my home away:

Halfway through Sardine Canyon there is a little town nestled in a valley with maybe a hundred homes clumped together. It's the cutest little place that I'd love to explore one day. It's called Mantua. Think you know how to pronounce it? For 5 months I thought the same thing you are: man-too-uh. Would you believe me when I tell you that it's actually called man-oo-ay? You'd have to live here to know... Isn't that so cute though? So small town, I love it.

Taylor Anderson got the coolest roommates on the planet, and I love them to pieces! I always feel welcome and at home. The minute I saw Kelsie I felt good again, and happy to be back. I miss Rachel sorely... but she'll come back a lot. ;) Good roommates make everything better.

Once I leave the canyon and I see Cache Valley open up I feel like I've reached home again, and I feel like I'm in the right place. It's so important to me because I always want to be where the Lord wants me to be, and I've feel like I've found it. When I'm up here I feel like it's right, and that's comforting--knowing that the Lord really does direct me and help me every single day.

But what I love most about being here is that I can be Taylor Janae Anderson, and nobody cares. At home I can be myself, but the only people I see are my family and close friends (and Tyson :) and here, I know a few people, but they all know the real me. I've got some cool people that I have fun times with and slowly I'm finding out that being Taylor is ok and that's all I'm expected to be.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Here we mourn the passing of another of our fish friends.

Upon autopsy we discovered that there were three half white half orange fish, and so we used simple deduction to reveal the name of our beloved fish who passed away on December 18, 2009 between 12:00 and 9:00 am.

The official statement is that the identity of the dead fish is Mike, and the fish present in the bowl with him --to ease the passing-- was indeed Brandon.

We all mourn the loss of yet another fish, but hope that he is much loved in his afterlife with the company of Dead Tim, and Dead Phil.

We will miss you Mike.

All Drains Lead to the Ocean

Ok, who was watching Finding Nemo at the apartment? Because somehow our fish got a misconception about freedom...

Here's the story as told by my mother:

I was just washing a few dishes and wandering the counter when I hear this faint PLOP and a wriggling sound. One of your disgusting fish had jumped out of the bowl and was flopping around on my cutting board!!! I screamed, a little, and my first thought was, "Taylor isn't home!" So I put on a brave face and ran to get the fish net in the other room. I tried to scoop him up, but I don't think he liked that very much because he kept flipping away from me and it creeped me out! So I yelled for McKenzie to come help me and we finally fanagled him into the bowl using the fish net and a spoon. I am never touching those fish again.

So, apparently we have some escape artists in our little bowl! He hasn't died, which suprises me, but we are down to three still. I'm going to make a statement that Mike was the last one that died, and David, with half a fin, is still living, with Ryan and Brandon as company. Brandon was the one that escaped, so here is my conjecture about what was going through that tiny fish brain:

Brandon (the fish): Golly gee whiz! I am so bored of this tiny fish bowl! And I have to share it with three again! I was used to my own space, but now... grr. Hey! Lets have a race! First one across the bowl wins! Fine, I'll do it myself...I win...man this sucks... Hey! That was cool! What did I do with my tail? I just flipped it like this and it shot me across the bowl! Let's do that again! Hey Ryan look at me! Ouch?! What was that for? Fine, I'll get out of your way...I wonder....AHHH! I can't breathe! How did I get out here! Maybe if I keep doing it I'll get back in the bowl! Ah! Scary lady! She's got the NET! SWIM! I can't! Ah! Ah! Oooh, she hates it when I flip! Keep doing it! Stay alive man, stay alive! Ah! Who's that other one? STOP TOUCHING ME WITH THE NET OF DEATH! Ooh!? Spoon? That's cold! Swim, swim, swim, swim, swim...ouch. Glass, water, breathe, bowl....fhew. 

That...was awesome. Let's do it again.

My mom called it a suicide mission, which is partially true. If he does that again I think he'll end up down a drain, and he won't find the Ocean.