Finally!!

Finally, the day is here!

The day I have been counting down for quite some time now

Off I go to work this morning

then...

off to the airport!

Kenz is coming down to get me 

{yay I miss her}

then we are off to L.A.

where my lovely family will be waiting

I simply CANNOT WAIT

I feel like today is Christmas

Presents and packages are fun...

but seeing my family, is so much more of a present

I can't wait!

Then, off on our cruise

While I look out my window at a Winter Wonderland

{But seriously, it looks like Narnia outside!}

I am inside packing up my shorts, bathing suits, and sunscreen

{Poor Henry}

{I ran outside and shot a few photos! Told you, its crazy}

Life is that good.

So, Im off!

Back in touch in a little over a week

Wishing everyone the most Merriest Christmas

P.S

Yesterday was my parents 23rd Anniversary!

They are still as madly in love as they were 23 years ago

{and trust me, they never let us forget it!}

Their love is one for the books.

Love you Dad and Mom.

5 kids later, and a whole lot of love shared and given

Happy Anniversary

Freedom

Freedom.

That is what this is called.

Freedom.

From classes. From exams.

Freedom. 

My first night from a sleepless week.

And what am I doing?

Enjoying my wonderful self

Watching CMT Top 20 Countdown
and
episodes from Grey's Anatomy Season 1.

Could my life be more amazing at this moment?!

{okay, well maybe if my mommy was sitting on the couch watching it withe me like old times}

And to make me even more happy!

I came home to my most amazing roommate.

Shannon.

I just love her. 

It is just her and I right now in our little homey apartment.
And to make me even happier!
I came home to this.

She cleaned up the apartment.
So wonderful.
Thanks Shan-Dawg. I love ya.

Oh yay! Just finished Season 1!
A perfect time to start Season 2.
Love me some Grey's Anatomy

{My dream? Marry my own Dr. McDreamy.
  Mr Doctor and Mrs Nurse. Sounds good to me!}

Calling all doctors. 

Cruise Countdown.
4 days.

Almost Done!

Well, finals week started with a bang, or I guess I should say a sneeze!

I got sick! Not fun. 

Since my daddy

 {who is a Chiropractor...you can check out his website here}

is all the way in California, and I couldn't go to his office, I did the next best thing...

the brother aka the Uncle. 

Off to Bailey Chiropractic I went!

Plug in for Chiropractors: Seriously amazing! It is unbelievable what they can do working with your body and what it needs to heal itself...no drugs needed!

Anywhoo, I only lost one day of studying so I can't complain too much.

Only 2 more tests to go!

But, at this moment I am smiling from ear to ear.

Would you like to know why?

Allright, I'll tell ya.

I am OFFICIALLY done with Pathophysiology.

Forever.

With 1000+ hours studying (well, ok, maybe not that long but if felt like it!)

2 hour exam

115 questions

IT'S OVER

Forever.

So now, just 2 more nursing finals and I will be the happiest girl on BYU

{Along with the other hundreds of students who will be done Tomorrow too!}

Then...back to work! 

I haven't worked in a week and it's killing me! 

I absolutely love my job, and I get sad when I don't get to work!

Love Nordstrom.

Love Christmas.

{Love my paycheck at Christmas time..Merry Christmas baby}

Allrighty, back to studying...just couldn't wait to tell the world...

Adios, So long, Farewell, Ciao, Au Revoir 

PATHOPHYSIOLOGY!

PS.

I am really REALLY missing my roomate Gabby right now!

She left me last night.

Went home.

And is now on a plane to Hawaii!

Dear Gabster, 

The room was very empty last night

and I didn't get to jump on your bed and scare you last night

and I didn't have you here this morning with me

to tell me I sleep talk, to dance with me, or to eat cereal with me

Just letting you know...

I MISS YOU!

Enjoy the sunshine of Hawaii.
Heavens know we all could use some to mask our white, Utah skin

Love, 

Madison

Now,

the best way to end this little-diddy post!

Cruise Countdown.

6 days!

I am this excited.

ok, but for reals...I gotta get back to studying.

Gerontology 

aka 

the study of old people

be jealous.

Finals.

Well, I knew they were coming

I dreaded them from the first day of the semester.

Now, they are here.

Tomorrow it begins.

FINALS WEEK

You know it's finals week when

All your meals but breakfast are bought/eaten on campus

{who has time to go home}

You wear the same sweatshirt and jeans all week

You have ink marks on your fingers

Your paper is stained with drool from falling asleep on it

The library is busy at 1:00am

and you have a knot in your stomach as you approach the testing center

{allright, who am I kidding, thats me all year as I approach that dang building}

Nursing Pass Off Monday

Pathophysiology Tuesday

Nursing Fundamentals Wednesday

Art History and Gerontology Thursday

Freedom Friday!!!

Until Friday.

Wishing everyone best of luck during finals!

Cruise Countdown:

9 days.

Hallelujah.

Hello Sunshine and Sand

Package.

Dearest Mother,

Thank you thank you for my amazing package in the mail

You made my entire day

Woke up this morning at 8:00 to your phone call

{whoops! alarm was set at 6:30am...ya who was I kidding...its a reading day}

Then, review, library, work work work

I came home on my lunch break to make a yummy pb&j

{with almond butter of course}

and to my surprise found your lovely little package

ok, so not entirely a surprise, you kind of told me to leave a note for UPS but still!

I got to open it up!

A lovely little cheerer-upper for finals.

So thank you Mother Dearest.

You are my bestest friend in the entire world

Love you, 

Your Favorite 2nd Daughter, Madison Michele 

{You know how much I love jeans! I can't help it. I am my mother's daughter...I blame you}

{Yay for Christmas candy...the reason for the weight of the package haha}

Lovelies

Guess what came in the mail today!

The Nordstrom catalog

Of course I have basically memorized it from looking at it from work so much

but it is still wonderful to have my own copy

I flipped across this page and started to laugh out loud!

If you are having trouble reading this I will write it out for you

In the words of Nordstrom...

"Remember when one watch was all you needed? Well, that time has changed. Now, you might swap out your watch as often as you change your shoes. Small wonder a new watch makes a genius gift." 

This past summer I ventured out into the great world of watches

and got the Michael Kors tortoise shell watch

I can't believe that I went 19 years without a watch!
They are amazing.

So, like the catalog said...the time has changed!
And I better listen to Nordstrom
so I did.
I got the new Micahel Kors gold watch.
I absolutely love it.
It's the gold.
It is my new favorite jewelry

So put this on your Christmas List!
If you don't have a watch you absolutely need one.
Plus, if you get one with that has the date on it...bonus.

I'm telling you, it will be your best present ever!

P.S.
This is what happens when you leave your camera on the kitchen table when you go to bed

I just love my roommates

Dear Santa

At work, I see little kids all dressed up in their Christmas best.

When asked where they are going, they tell me they are on their way to see Santa.

They are just so cute!

It made me remember the good old days.

Having a secret santa in 1st grade

Making construction paper santa's in 2nd grade

Singing Ruldoph the Red Nose Reindeer with a blinking red nose in 3rd

Writing our letter to Santa and mailing it to the North Pole

I think this year my letter is a little different

Dear Santa, 

How is Ruldoph doing? Is he getting ready for the big night!

I hope his nose shines bright

This year for Christmas I would like to get through finals

Actually Santa, I just want to get through Pathophysiology

I would really really like that!

I promise I will leave you really yummy cookies

Thanks Santa, I hope you are staying warm in the North Pole

I promise I have been good this year

Love, 

Madison

and so on and so forth

Christmas as a kid was always the best

Mom and Dad always made it such a special time

{and still do}

Every year we would go and cut down a fresh Christmas tree

One year Brandon and I picked out the biggest tree we could find!

We had to tie fishing wire around the tree and to the ceiling of our house because it was so big

22 feet tall! No tree will ever top it

The house was always decorated

Christmas treats were always in the oven

Christmas Eve we open up our one present...pajamas of course!

And every year we ask if we can open up "just one more!" 

{Mom and Dad never caved}

We set up our cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer

We reenact the Nativity story

Mackenzie always ended up as the donkey!

All the kids go to bed in the same room...anxiously waiting for the alarm clock at 4:30am to go off

{Granted, every year we try to push the time back...but Macey is still our Christmas morning girl}

Christmas morning, lots of excitement, fun, joy and PRESENTS

Disney Christmas Day Parade {My absolute favorite thing even today...and yes I am 20}

Christmas is such a fun time. 

Now more than ever I am missing all our Christmas traditions

Mom will call and tell me she is making the sugar cookies for frosting

Dad is putting up the lights outside the house

Only 2 more weeks and I will be with them!

Can't Wait!

{These photos are from Christmas 2006}

{p.s. can I just take a moment and say how stinking CUTE my parents are!!!}

{Christmas 2009}

P.S

What would a Sunday night be.

Without a good game of

Slap Speed

Let me tell you the rules

1. There is a winner table

2. The loser gets slapped.

Hard.

In the butt

Simple game. 

Simple rules.

With consequences

Round One: Goes to Jason

Ouch.

Round Two: Goes to Jason. Again.

{Thinking of stopping, but then, didn't. It's the Bailey in me. Jason convinced me. "It will be fun."

Allright. I'm in}

Round Three: Goes to me!

Whaooo.

Went to slap him...with a spoon of course...and well....

spoon broke!

I thought that if I used a spoon it would hurt him more.

He said it didn't...probably did though

{I really liked that spoon too!}

Round Four: Goes to.....Jason 

oh no.

{If the video doesn't work, you wan watch it here}

Simple Sunday

I just love Sundays.

It is great to have a day to relax, reflect, and rest

{i'm trying to be cool with all the r's}

I went to my friend Chelsey's house last night and spent the night

I have my own room there. I kind of love it (/her). Quite a lot. 

Watched Twilight. The new one. Laughed the whole time.

Favorite Part!

1. When Edward tells Bella to stop trying to take her clothes off

2. When Jasper breaks out in his Texan accent

I still can't believe that it beat out Harry Potter in the box office

I hold grudges.

Driving home from Chelsey's the song Camouflage and Christmas Lights by Rodney Carrington came on

It is amazing how music can affect you

Some say I'm a hero

But I'm just a dad

Trying to protect the most precious thing I have

Turkey dinner on paper plates

Sergeant bows his head to pray

Boombox playin' Silent Night

Camouflage and Christmas Lights

Thank you Troops for everything you do. You will always be in my prayers. You are our Heroes

25 christmas challenge

We all know why we love facebook.

Stalking of course.

Don't pretend like you don't do it.

Well, let me tell you a little something.

Blogging.

Just another way to stalk.

and it is so much fun!

I love finding new blogs to read.

I feel like I am friends with all these people I don't know

Because I get to read about their lives!

My favorite blog right now is

The Rockstar Diaries

This blog is absolutely amazing
I just love reading it.
She is so creative and so cute!
So all that follow my little corner of the web should stop on by and read Rockstar Diaries.
{Just promise you won't stop reading mine when you see how amazing her's is!}

On her blog, she posted her 25 Christmas Challenges for the year
Now...
I will do the same.
{I couldn't resist- and some of her challenges were too good to not list}

25 Christmas Challenge.
1.Remember the true meaning of Christmas everyday
2. Be more selfless-center your life around other's and their needs
3. Take moment's to appreciate the simple things in life
4. Make a "give list" instead of a list of gifts you would like
5. Become more patient
6. Be a secret santa to someone
7. Write a letter to a friend, family member, or loved one
8. Make a 12 days of Christmas for someone
9. Take time to drive around and look at Christmas Lights!
10. Build a snowman
11. Befriend someone that needs a friend
12. Do someone nice for someone without them knowing it was you
13. Think of others
14. Appreciate your life and the blessings that you have
15. Live Thanksgiving daily
16. Take time to go on a walk outside and see all the beauty around you
17. Make Christmas treats and "doorbell ditch" them
18. Be the first one to say hello to someone all day
19. Do volunteer work for some worthy cause
20. Make goals for yourself-seal them up and open it in one year
21. Do a good dead anonymously
22. Visit someone sick or lonely or sad
23. Make dinner for your roommates, loved ones, or family
24. Watch old Christmas movies by the fire
25. Give Love Always

I am so thankful for this Christmas season. Even though I find myself thinking more about my Pathophysiology final and my Nursing Pass-off, it is important to remember what this season is really about. Gifts are fun and the lights are pretty, but remember why we celebrate this Christmas season. Keep the true meaning of Christmas in your hearts always.

It Has Begun

December 1st!

Can you believe it! We have now entered December which is my most favorite time of the year

SNOW.

I am just a simple California girl who is used to a sunny Christmas.

Now living in Utah, I get snow snow snow

And I love it!

Well, except when I have to spend 20 minutes scraping the ice and snow off my car

(I really ought to go get my parking pass)

All the glorious things that comes with December

1. Christmas music

2. Christmas trees

3. Christmas lights

4. Snow

5. Holiday treats (my famous peppermint bark)

6. Coats and boots

7. Bundled walks in the snow

8. Hot Chocolate

9. Christmas movies (ELF)

10. Family, Family, Family

....now...what inevitably comes in December.....

HAROLD B. LEE LIBRARY

yes, it is time..the library is now open until 2:00am. You know what that means.

Last set of midterms.

and

finals.

Last night was my first night of my many long nights in the library.

I finally exited the doors of Nordstrom after many hours of Christmas appointments with customers, went home and changed into comfy sweats, and headed up to the lib with Miss Lauren Deaver.

We found ourself a nice study room and let the studying begin

(well, first we had to catch up on each other's life since we hadn't seen each other in a WEEK)

but then....study, study, study

{Once 1:00am rolled around, we both got a little tired. That's when I say goodnight! Poor Lauren stayed. 

Love You S}

Back to a Happy Note!

My Countdown has begun:

exactly 21 days until the cruise

Then it's back to my usual Sunshiney Christmas Days

{I doubt "sunshiney" is a legitimate word, but that's the word I wanted to use}

Happy Studying College Kids!