UCLA vs. USC Volleyball Game

I seriously need to catch up on my blog so here I am! My life has been changing drastically at warp speed these days- not only do I have a new life, I also have a new, more positive outlook on life. All I need now is a new haircut to match my new perspective. I am striving to grow closer with God and enjoy my new SINGLE life. This is a time in my life for growth, opportunity, and enrichment and I fully intend to live my life to the fullest. I choose to be happy!

So with that being said...
Sindhuja and I went to the UCLA vs. USC men's volleyball game awhile ago (aka a whole month ago). I still remember it well though- we had a great time and it was so much fun to watch. I'd never been to a volleyball game before and it was so entertaining! Unfortunately we didn't win but our boys gave a great effort. I definitely want to attend more sports events!

Happy Birthday Hannah!

I finally got to see all my girlies during Christmas break and it was so nice getting to be reunited after our first quarters in college. So much has happened in the past few months and it was great seeing how everyone was doing. We celebrated Hannah's 19 Birthday (woo-hoo!) and had a fun sleepover- the chocolate cake made it all the better of course! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends!

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Cheers for Children

This past Christmas Eve (that's how behind I am) my cousin Sara came up with a great idea. Our town always hosts Cheers for Children which is a community wide, school-based food drive that provides families in need with Christmas dinners. As children we'd always donated food to the cause but we never actually delivered any of the food to the families. So Sara thought that we should all go as a family to help out. On Christmas Eve morning, Sara, Tyler, and I delivered Christmas dinners to two families and it was so rewarding to get to help out. Seeing the smiles on the kids faces was the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. Giving is better than getting.

Viva Las Vegas!

I am so bad- I'm sorry to my one follower for taking so long to update my blog. I guess I shouldn't expect too many more followers when I'm this inconsistent.

On the sunny side of things...
Winter break was amazing! Especially my impromptu trip to Las Vegas! My parents go every year for this anniversary (this year was their #28th- congratulations Mom and Dad!). Anyway- we had relatives visiting from Texas so I drove my Grandma Farr out to visit them- just the two of us. The drive went well both there and back- my grandma was quite a trooper- we made it in less than five hours both ways.

It was great getting to see our relatives- I hadn't seen Jacques since we little girls. She is an animation designer and she is currently going to Ringling Arts School in Florida.

I stayed with my parents at the Bellagio and we had the most amazing hotel room with a view of the fountains. It literally brought tears to my eyes every time it was so beautiful. They played so many songs- Titanic is definitely one of my favorites.

We had such a great time exploring Vegas- I definitely had fun shopping with my mom on the Miracle Mile and going to Tiffany's! My favorite part of the trip was going to Prime Steak House at the Bellagio- the service was exquisite and the food was divine. I had a cream of sweet potatoe soup, baked potatoe, filet mignon, broccoli, and the most decadent chocolate cake. I sound like a foodaholic but it was amazing!

I love Las Vegas- what a fun town- and I'm not even 21!

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Brunch at the Biltmore

A couple of weeks ago we ventured off to the Biltmore in Santa Barbara for the best brunch of my life. We went as our ritual six some of Lauren, Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Luis, my parents, and me. It was such a beautiful hotel and Lauren and I were mesmerized by the real Christmas tree that looked over 15 feet tall- as you can imagine, it smelled amazing. Even more impressive was the food!! I am a bit of a gourmand myself and I made the most of our outing. I won't list everything I sampled- that would take up the entire space of this blog- but I did try my first bite of caviar! A bit salty but I'm glad I tried it all the same. I have to say my favorite was the Belgian waffle and mini-creme brulee. So delicious. Also- it was wonderful celebrating Lauren's 18th birthday and my mom's "?" Birthday. They are born on the same day so we have always made the occasion twice as special. Happy birthday to two amazing women!

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Thanksgiving Weekend

Wow! I had the best Thanksgiving weekend! Where to begin!!
Wednesday: I went to breakfast with my best friend Lauren and we caught up- we hadn't seen each other for over two months! We went to Allison's Country Cafe- so delicious! Later I went out to lunch with my cousin Sara and my Grandma Joan to Cafe Fiore downtown. That restaurant was equally delicious and I really enjoyed hearing about Sara's adventures at Colorado State. We then got our traditional gelato- it's absolutely the best. Peanut Butter Gelato is heaven! Later that night I hung out with Evan and we took his cousin Ben to see New Moon- it was my second time and I loved it just as much!

Thursday: Yay! Thanksgiving! My grandma came over and we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from start to finish. I went over to Sara's afterward and helped prepare Thanksgiving dinner- I love cooking! Afterward I went over to Evan's and celebrated with his family. Then I headed over back to the Cook house and we had a great time seeing my little cousins Lexie and Courtney- they grow up so fast! The food was absolutely delicious and I especially loved my mom's famous pumpkin pie! We got in the jacuzzi afterward and relaxed after all that good eating- what a day!

Friday: A day of relaxation. I didn't even go outside- wow. It sounds pathetic but it was much needed.

Saturday: I spent time with my mom and we had fun shopping at Costco- that place can keep you entertained for hours. We met my dad for dinner at Wood Ranch and then we watched the UCLA vs. USC game! It was so boring and uneventful but at least I learned the rules of football finally! Poor Bruins...

Sunday: We went to church and visited my neighbor Betty who is recovering from her fall. She is doing well and I was glad that I got to see her. We went out to dinner with my Grandma Joan to my favorite restaurant- Ferraro's. Not to mention- my Grandma made me peanut butter and jelly cookies as a send off- there is a special meaning behind that. To end the night we started Christmas off right by watching "Christmas Vacation".

As you can tell- it was quite a wonderful weekend! Thanksgiving was everything I hoped it would be- I love this time of year and I am so thankful for my family, friends, health, and happiness.

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So You Think You Can Dance?

On Monday I went to go see a taping of "So You Think You Can Dance?"! To be honest, I'd never watched the show before but it was so much fun to see! The dancers were absolutely amazing and I loved watching their routines and seeing their ornate costumes. I got to sit right underneath the judges' desk too so I was really close! We were at the event from 2:00 until 7:30- it was a long time to be standing up! We weren't allowed to bring cell phones or cameras in so unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share. I do however have pictures from earlier that day. My mom and grandma dropped me back off at school and we went to a special restaurant that my grandma visited back in the 1940's. It was decorated for Christmas and we had fun enjoying the strawberry shortcake! It was also nice getting to show my grandma my dorm room! I love getting to spend time with my Grandma Farr- I'm looking forward to Christmas with my family!

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