Two Christmases

After a relatively uneventful week of finals (thanks to a crazy first month of the semester), all I had to do was wait for the Hardin family reunion in a sweet-a cabin in the middle of an Idaho forest last weekend. The ride up in a packed 12-seater van was actually pretty fun, I got to see Jeannette and Katelyn for an hour in Rexburg (we fed ducks and ate yummy famous pizza), and at the end of the drive...

MATT OPENED HIS MISSION CALL.

He is going to the Phillippines, Cebu mission and reporting on March 10, 2010.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous about spending a whole weekend with 25 of Matt's closest relatives (he's the 7th of 10 so he has a lot of in-laws and nieces and nephews), but it ended up being a ton of fun. His family is very close and has lots of fun together, and they made me feel very welcome. We played lots of board games, went sledding in the snow, had a hot tub to relax in every night, and ate lots of yummy food. There was also a talent show and a gift exchange. His mom and sister even brought me a couple gifts, which I was not expecting. It was really nice to relax and not worry about anything for a whole weekend. And now Matt's family won't wonder who that strange girl is that's waiting for him for two years.

And now I am all kinds of ready to go home and watch Christmas Vacation with my dad and bake cookies and get pedicures with my mom (hint hint). I haven't been to my ward in about two years, so it will be interesting to go back to my newly-rebounaried ward (is that a word?)